Global Context
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a critical role in promoting human rights and social justice and providing essential services that are often overlooked by governments and the private sector. However, their sustainability is frequently threatened by unstable and short-term funding, particularly in regions experiencing financial instability. This uncertainty makes it difficult for CSOs to achieve long-term goals and create lasting change.
Many organisations struggle to secure unrestricted core funding as most donors prefer to fund specific projects, making it harder for CSOs to cover vital operational costs, such as staff salaries, office rent, utilities, and administrative expenses, and to maintain sustainability.
Core funding provides essential support that allows organisations to focus on their mission, rather than constantly worrying about financial stability. By covering basic operational costs, this type of funding enables CSOs to:
- Achieve Financial Stability: Organisations with core funding are more financially secure, which allows them to plan for the long term.
- Increase Impact: With the flexibility to allocate resources where they are needed most, CSOs can deliver stronger and more effective programs.
- Build Capacity: Core funding empowers organisations to invest in staff development and training, leading to more efficient and impactful work.
Empowering Community Healing Through Art
Hatay Symphony Orchestra Culture and Art Association (HSO), founded in 2019 by local musicians, is the city’s first symphony orchestra, dedicated to enriching Hatay’s cultural scene. With our support, HSO expanded its team, covered essential costs, and strengthened financial sustainability. Mentor support helped build organisational capacity, advancing its mission to foster community rebuilding through art after the February 6, 2023, earthquakes. Watch our video interview to find out more about their inspiring work.
Making a Difference
To support local CSOs to continue their vital work without disruption, we have provided core funding through 86 grants distributed under all our thematic funds, totalling nearly £500K. This support covers essential operational expenses such as:
- Human Resources: Ensuring that the organisation can attract and retain skilled staff. We don’t impose an upper limit on the portion of the grant allocated to human resources, allowing CSOs the flexibility to decide based on their needs.
- Rent and Utilities: Maintaining a physical presence and operational base.
- Expert Support and Capacity Building: Providing resources for training and development, improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation.
- Travel Costs: Facilitating advocacy, networking, and outreach and engagement with communities across different regions.
Our Institutional Fund
Our Institutional Fund specifically aims to address these needs by providing core funding to small and local CSOs. Since 2018, the fund has distributed £179,058 across 30 grants, following a comprehensive approach that addresses both the immediate needs of CSOs and their long-term capacity for sustainable change. The fund’s flexible structure allows the grantees to make necessary revisions to use the grant support in the most effective way.
Alongside financial support, the fund offers tailor-made capacity-building initiatives, providing mentoring and expert guidance in areas such as financial sustainability, organisational management, network and partnership building, volunteer engagement, communications, advocacy, and impact measurement.
Through this holistic support, we aim to enable CSOs to grow and ensure that they have the resources to create lasting change in their communities.
Explore the full list of grants we’ve provided, supporting impactful projects across various areas of work since our inception.
Grants in Action
Roots and Shoots Turkey (Kökler ve Filizler Derneği) empowers children and young people through workshops, events, and training. With grant and capacity development support, they strengthened financial sustainability by engaging individual donors and improving their digital presence through active social media engagement, website updates, and email marketing. A part-time employee was hired to manage donor relations, and a fundraising strategy for individual giving was established, paving the way for future growth.
Deep Poverty Network (Derin Yoksulluk Ağı), founded by the Open Space Association in 2020, supports disadvantaged families by ensuring access to basic needs and conducting advocacy and research. With our support, they hired a research and advocacy coordinator, published six reports, and raised awareness about women’s poverty. They also presented child poverty findings at the UN, developed a database, and created an advocacy strategy and child-focused policy to strengthen impact assessment.
Istanbul Foundation for People with Mental Disabilities (Istanbul Zihinsel Engelliller için Eğitim ve Dayanışma Vakfı – IZEV) covered operational costs and hired key staff, allowing its team to focus on strengthening its capacity. Mentor support helped develop a strategic plan, create an organisational chart, and digitalise archives. IZEV also introduced reporting and follow-up forms to enhance its impact assessment. This support has helped IZEV build capacity, improving its ability to serve individuals with mental disabilities and their families.
More of Mozaik in Action
Children’s Rights
Learn about how we empower civil society organisations promoting children’s rights.
Learn More »
Environment
Discover how our grants support environmental initiatives across Türkiye.
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Culture and Arts
Explore how our grantee partners improve equal access to culture and arts for all.
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