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Resource Diversification

Many CSOs rely on traditional philanthropy to help sustain their operations, but over-reliance on a small group of donors is not always conducive to long-term sustainability.

In recent years, some organizations have begun using new methods to diversify their funding sources, including crowdfunding, community giving, social enterprises, endowments, and more. ICNL works to support the development of legal environments that foster these new approaches, helping ensure civil society’s sustainability for years to come.

Recent ICNL Work

Image of a jar with coins and a plant growing out of it

Diversifying Resources for Civil Society: Which Way Forward?

Recent cuts to foreign aid have hit many civil society organizations hard. In 2025, ICNL convened regional consultations to understand how organizations were being affected and what support they needed most. Read our outcome documents for Asia, Africa and Latin America to learn more.

Market in Tajikistan, photo via creative commons

In 2025, Tajikistan enacted a new Law on Social Entrepreneurship, a critical step toward fostering financial resilience and innovation for CSOs. But additional legal reforms will be necessary before the law is fully implementable and impactful, as our brief explains.

kazakhstan, photo credit Nozim Nurillaev via Unsplash

Legislative Overview for Financial Sustainability for Civil Society in Central Asia

This legislative overview examines the regulation of CSOs’ key sources of income and the important legal factors that impact their financial sustainability in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Digital Fundraising in the Middle East and North Africa

The growth of digital fundraising represents a important opportunity for CSOs to diversify their funding sources and improve financial stability. This report looks at the availability of digital mechanisms in Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine.

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Pile of cryptocurrency coins including Bitcoin, Monero, ZCash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and Dash. (Photo: QuoteInspector/Flickr)

Virtual Currency Donations

This report, assembled by the Blockchain Trust Accelerator at New America with the support of ICNL, assesses opportunities and obstacles in charitable donations of virtual currencies. It aims to bring civil society organizations, would-be virtual currency donors, and policymakers up to speed on emerging trends.

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Philanthropy Law Reports

These reports present in-depth information on national laws and regulations affecting philanthropy in nine countries around the world.

Explore the Reports

Electronic Fundraising in Eurasia

Electronic fundraising campaigns, such as crowdfunding and text-to-give, are increasingly popular in Eurasia. ICNL has done extensive research on the legal framework relating to this in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Experiences on the Implementation of the Percentage Designation Mechanism

Percentage-designation mechanisms – which allow people to designate a certain percentage of their income tax to be paid to CSOs – can help support the financial sustainability of civil society. This ECNL report summarizes case studies from Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, illustrating how to use these mechanisms effectively.

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Fundraising Principles

This report provides a global overview of current trends in fundraising regulation and self-regulation. It also offers principles and recommendations addressing seven key areas based on international and regional standards and country practices. The report aims to support advocacy efforts to create an enabling environment for fundraising around the globe.

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Social Enterprise & Entrepreneurial Activity

Manual on the Entrepreneurial Activity of CSOs in the Kyrgyz Republic

With the adoption of new restrictions on CSOs’ access to foreign funding in the Kyrgyz Republic, income diversification has become key to fostering long-term financial sustainability. This manual addresses how Kyrgyz CSOs can carry out entrepreneurial activities and provides practical information on licensing, tax reporting, and more.

This study reviews Social Stock Exchanges in seven countries – Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, Jamaica, the UK, Singapore, and Canada – and unpacks the potential lessons they hold for India’s proposed SSE.