Civil society organisations (CSOs) are dealing with the dual challenges of keeping their organizations operating, while also responding to the needs of the communities they serve. These grassroots organisations embedded within local communities, have direct access to vulnerable groups, are trusted by local communities and authorities, and can get assistance to those who need it quickly and effectively, yet the pandemic has triggered a funding crisis for CSOs when they are needed most. They are unable to access funding because they don’t have the operational systems in place to meet many donor compliance mechanisms, and they struggle to professionalise their operations because they don’t have access to the necessary funding. Many grassroots organisations also don’t have the resource mobilisation capacity or technical expertise required to engage funding, while many donors are unwilling to fund capacity building initiatives or other core operational costs.

In recognition of the need to strengthen the organisational capacity of national and local CSOs, to build the networks and movements needed to achieve systemic change, the GBVF Response Fund has awarded Sonke Gender Justice grant funding of R10 214 501 for a two-year period from 2022 to 2023.  The Fund is a part of a national response to gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.  The GBVF Response Fund has been established as a first step in a holistic approach to coordinate financial and non-financial resources to support relevant programmes and campaigns that will raise awareness, lead to mass action and result in behaviour change.

Through this grant, Sonke will provide sub-grants to CBO sub-grantees for them to implement specific project activities, and these sub-grants will be accompanied by a structured organisational development plan that aims to strengthen both the operational and programmatic capacities of the sub-grantees, and ensure they have the capacity to coordinate, implement, scale-up and apply evidence-based approaches to their work.  

Sonke Gender Justice extends our gratitude to the GBVF Response Fund for their investment in our capacity building of CSOs in response to gender-based violence and femicide.