Pathways to Funding For Organisations of Persons with Disabilities in Low- and-Middle-Income Countries
“Our common future depends on all money eventually aligning with sustainable development that benefits people and the planet.”
United Nations, Financing for Sustainable Development
Despite their integral role in disability rights advocacy, many Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) operate with minimal and insecure funding, undermining their ability to sustain operations, be involved in, and have influence over the shaping of disability-inclusive development strategies, policies, and interventions.
For this review, we set out to map the current funding environment for OPDs in in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): identifying where financial resources come from, how they arrive at OPDs, what stands in the way of access, and opportunities to remove these barriers. Drawing from the evidence, we find that current funding structures and practices of remunerating OPDs are often at odds with the objective of driving global disability rights and equity.
The report presents recommendations for both funders and OPDs to meaningfully collaborate on securing funding to improve the lives of people with disabilities. In a context of shrinking overall aid budgets and cost-cutting measures, channelling resources to local grassroots organisations becomes even more vital.
We hope the publication of this review paired with ‘Access to funding: good practice guidance from and for organisations of persons with disabilities’, takes us a step closer towards constructive dialogue and complementary action.
This report was developed under the UK International Development funded AT2030 programme, led by GDI Hub as a part of a wider project to understand and leverage opportunities to improve access to funding for OPDs, in pursuit of a fairer world for people with disabilities.
This report was written by Rebecca Joskow and Anna Landre, and led by Pollyanna Wardrop of Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub. We are very grateful to our eight OPD partners, whose insights were essential in ensuring this work reflects OPD voices and priorities: