Civil Society

Civil society plays a vital role in providing vital humanitarian and development assistance. It also plays a critical role in advocating for human rights and good governance.

Ireland has a long history of promoting and protecting civil society. Supporting civil society organisations is one of the main ways Irish Aid seeks to build a better world.

In 2023, Irish Aid delivered over €267m to support civil society partners in more than 70 countries.

Ireland supports these organisations in a variety of ways:

Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for A Better World (ICSP)

The ICSP is Irish Aid’s funding scheme to support Irish NGOs that have significant capacity. It has an annual budget of €100 million. Through ICSP, Ireland funds 10 organisations that have a trusted history of delivering international development assistance.

The scheme has a global footprint. It works in more than 40 countries across the world, with more than 75% of the programme funding allocated to countries in Africa. The scheme runs from 2023 to 2027. This allows organisations to plan on a multi-annual basis. This is important, especially in sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture and gender equality that benefit from longer-term commitments.

The partnership also prepositions funding, allowing partners to respond rapidly to unforeseen crises. The response of organisations to crises in Sudan and Gaza are examples of this.

It also supports NGO’s work on global citizenship education in Ireland and has a dedicated Climate Finance work stream.

Civil Society Fund

The Civil Society Fund is Ireland’s principal funding scheme for smaller civil society organisations.

The Civil Society Fund is Ireland’s principal funding scheme for smaller civil society organisations.

In 2025, it has a budget of €7.8million. The Civil Society Fund supports Irish and invited international organisations. It currently funds 28 organisations in a wide range of areas including health, education, human rights and disability inclusion.

Eligible organisations can apply as part of the annual call for proposals. Funding provided is for up to five years, with a maximum available grant of €800,000 per year. Organisations funded often have a very specific mission or mandate.

Calls for proposals

Ireland will request NGOs to submit proposals to support development and humanitarian interventions to specific issues. This is often the case in humanitarian settings.

Embassy network

Through our Embassies, Ireland provides grant funding to national civil society organisations and international NGOs in countries of accreditation and secondary accreditation.

Strategic partnerships

We also support the work of strategic partners to assist the delivery of our civil society policy objectives.

• Front Line Defenders is an Irish human rights organisation that protects human rights defenders at risk around the world. Our partnership with Front Line Defenders amounts to €700,000 per year over a five-year period (2023-2027).
• Misean Cara supports a missionary network of 77 members worldwide. We currently provide €15.5 million per year to Misean Cara. This funding supports missionary organisations involved in development work.
• Dóchas is a representative association for Irish NGOs working in overseas development. In 2023, Irish Aid provided €365,000 in core funding to Dóchas.
• Comhlámh is a membership organisation that promotes best practice in international volunteering. Our partnership with Comhlámh will see Irish Aid provide €400,000 per year over a three-year period (2023-2025). This will promote ethical and skills-based international volunteering and active global citizenship.