Cross-Border Funding
Access to funding is vital to civil society organizations, which are further strengthened by the ability to cooperate and receive support across borders.
ICNL works around the world to encourage cross-border philanthropy and international development cooperation. Although legal constraints are growing, effective measures to protect civil society’s ability to access foreign funding have emerged at the country, regional, and global levels.
Recent ICNL Work
Eight Things to Know About Uganda’s Protection of Sovereignty Bill
In April 2026, Uganda introduced the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, which would impose sweeping restrictions on the ability of individuals and organizations to work with or receive financial support from foreign partners. This piece highlights eight key concerns with bill.
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The Regulation of Foreign Funding of Nonprofits in a Democracy
This article takes examines state justifications for restricting cross-border funding to nonprofits, as well as counter-arguments for more open regulation. It concludes by proposing a practical framework for how democracies should approach the regulation of cross-border funding, with five key principles to shape such regulation.
Read the ReportMore Resources
• Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act: Our analysis of Georgia’s 2025 FARA law, which requires individuals and entities to register as “foreign agents” if they are acting “at the authority, request, order, or control of a foreign principal” to engage in broadly defined “political activities.”
• Foreign Influence Registration Laws and Civil Society: An analysis and Responses: This report develops a typology of salient features of foreign influence registration laws and then shares key recommendations for substantive arguments against overbroad foreign influence registration laws and potential response strategies.
Key Resources
Philanthropy Law Reports
These reports present in-depth information on national laws and regulations affecting philanthropy in nine countries around the world. They serve as practical guides for the philanthropic sector and other stakeholders in the nonprofit world.
Global Grantmaking Country Notes
In partnership with the Council on Foundations, ICNL maintains reports on 35 countries to help U.S grantmakers undertake equivalency determinations for foreign grantees. The reports describe the legal frameworks for nonprofit organizations and provide translations of relevant legislative provisions.
Other ICNL Resources
• Freedom of association: A collection of ICNL’s work on freedom of association, with key resources related to the right.
• Resource diversification: Our page covering efforts to diversify civil society funding, including through domestic philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and more.
• Counter-terrorism & security: Curated resources on counterterrorism and security measures that can affect cross-border funding, including the global standards of the Financial Action Task Force.
• ICNL’s Civic Freedom Monitor: up-to-date information on legal issues affecting civil society in 50+ countries, including analysis of cross-border funding frameworks.
The Right to Access Resources
Associations’ Access to Financial Resources
Seminal 2013 report from the UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association which discusses the international legal framework governing civil society’s ability to access financial resources. The mandate also published a 2022 report on recent trends and challenges threatening civil society’s access to financial resources.
Read the ReportCSOs’ Access to Resources: Practical Recommendations from the UN Special Rapporteur
This 2023 report presents a compilation of general principles, practical recommendations and positive actions on how to create and maintain, in law and in practice, an enabling environment for the enjoyment of civil society organizations’ right to access resources.
Read the ReportSee Also
• UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: Adopted in 1998, this declaration affirms the right of individuals and associations “to solicit, receive and utilize resources for the express purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means.”
• Inter-American Principles on Creation, Operation, Financing, and Dissolution of Civil Society Organizations: Developed with support and technical expertise from ICNL, these principles set out legal standards for how CSOs should be created, governed and funded, and include strong protections for the right to access resources.
All Cross-Border Funding Resources
Update on Amendments to Georgia’s Law on Grants
Eight Things to Know About Uganda’s Protection of Sovereignty Bill
Guide on Notification of Receipt of Foreign Aid by Public Associations
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