CISU – Civil Society in Development

About CISU

CISU is Denmark’s largest membership-based organisation for Danish civil society organisations engaged in global development. cisu.dk+2cisu.dk+2
Through its membership base, CISU brings together the full spectrum of Danish civil society actors committed to collaboration with local partners worldwide in advancing democracy, human rights and sustainable development. cisu.dk+1

The organisation offers multiple services to its members:

• networking, experience exchange and peer support among organisations working globally. cisu.dk+1
• advisory services covering organisational development, partnership management, results-based reporting and financial accountability. cisu.dk+1
• managing a portfolio of funding instruments on behalf of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Civil Society Fund (CSF), the Information & Engagement Fund (OpEn) and the Humanitarian Rapid Response Fund (DERF) among others. cisu.dk+1

In 2025, CISU marks 30 years of work in the Danish global civil society arena — a milestone underlining its role as a stable platform for partnerships and grants. Crossing Borders

Why our partnership with CISU matters

As Rebuild Aid Foreningen, our membership in CISU has not only enabled access to vital grant funding, but also strengthened our institutional capacity, networking reach and project impact. Below I outline several key benefits and some critical reflections for transparency.

Key benefits:

• Access to funding: Through CISU-managed pools such as DERF and the Civil Society Fund, we’ve secured major grants to carry out humanitarian and development work in Afghanistan. For instance:
  • “Emergency Response and Relief for Flood-Affected Communities in Ghor Province, Afghanistan” (June 2024-Dec 2024) granted by CISU under DERF, amount DKK 300,000. cisu.dk
  • “Cash and Civil Support for Recently Deported Afghan Families” (Aug 2025-Dec 2025) granted by CISU under DERF, amount DKK 698,167. cisu.dk
• Capacity building and peer learning: CISU’s advisory services, thematic workshops and annual assembly provide us with up-to-date practice in project design, partnership management and accountability systems — deepening our organisational maturity.
• Credibility and accountability: Being a CISU member means subscribing to defined standards in grant administration, financial oversight and partnership ethics. This elevates our accountability both to donors and to beneficiaries.
• Networking opportunities: Membership places us in a broad network of Danish civil society organisations working across geographies and sectors. This opens doors to collaboration, exchange and mutual learning.

Critical reflections and considerations:

• Although CISU’s funding modalities provide opportunities, competition is stiff and available resources limited. For example, the Civil Society Fund’s recent application round saw significantly more demand than funds. cisu.dk+1
• Membership and access come with administrative and compliance burdens: grant reporting, auditing, partner verification, and fund‐flow monitoring require robust systems. For smaller organisations, this can impose overhead costs.
• Being part of a broad umbrella organisation like CISU means aligning with its strategic priorities and standards. While beneficial for governance, it may limit agility in very niche or locally-driven interventions unless carefully managed.
• Granting mechanisms often require partnering with local civil society organisations and demonstrating equal partnership, local anchoring and sustainability. These requirements are positive but need realistic preparation, especially in fragile contexts. statens-tilskudspuljer.dk+1

Selected joint projects and achievements

Here are brief overviews of key projects we (Rebuild Aid) have implemented, funded via CISU-managed pools, illustrating the practical output of our partnership:

• Emergency Response and Relief for Flood-Affected Communities in Ghor Province (June 2024–Dec 2024)
  Granted DKK 300,000 under the DERF pool. Targeting flood-affected households, the intervention included rapid assessment, relief distribution, infrastructure rehabilitation, livelihood support, climate-sensitive coping strategies and gender protection measures. cisu.dk
  Critical reflection: The funding allowed urgent action, but the time-pressure and logistics in a remote province like Ghor required substantial partner coordination and contingency planning.
• Cash and Civil Support for Recently Deported Afghan Families (Aug 2025–Dec 2025)
  Granted DKK 698,167 under the DERF pool. Targeting 280 families recently deported from Iran and stranded in Herat province, the project provides cash assistance to approximately 1,960 individuals and legal support to 200 undocumented persons to obtain ID cards (Tazkira). The intervention aligns with humanitarian funding and protection priorities. cisu.dk+1
  Critical reflection: While cash assistance increases flexibility for families, we must continuously monitor for risks of diversion, ensure transparency in distribution and effectively integrate legal assistance for identity documentation. The linkage with local civil society partner capacity is crucial.

Looking ahead: enhancing our collaboration

To deepen and maximise our partnership with CISU, we plan to focus on the following:

1. Strengthening our institutional systems to meet CISU’s compliance and accountability standards — including MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning), partner verification, transparent financial flows, and risk management.
2. Leveraging CISU’s network for knowledge exchange: participation in courses, thematic webinars and peer events (for example on local resource mobilisation, refugee return contexts, and protection of vulnerable groups) ensures we stay current and can incorporate best practices.
3. Strategic alignment: Continuously aligning our project design with CISU’s and the Danish MFA’s priorities (such as localisation, human rights, climate‐resilience, nexus between humanitarian and development) will increase our competitiveness for funding.
4. Reflective practice: Applying lessons learned from our funded projects (both successes and constraints) to shape future proposals, ensuring a balance between ambition and context sensitivity.
5. Communicating the value of Danish-Afghan partnerships: Using our CISU membership and funded projects as proof points, we will highlight how Danish civil society organisations work effectively in collaboration with local partners in Afghanistan — advancing ownership, sustainability and dignity of beneficiaries.

Summary

In sum, CISU plays a pivotal role in enabling Rebuild Aid’s effectiveness, credibility and reach. Through access to funding, capacity-building and membership networking, it has become a foundational partner in our work. At the same time, the partnership demands that we maintain high governance, rigorous reporting and contextualised project design — which we embrace as part of our ongoing organisational maturation. We look forward to continuing this partnership, leveraging it strategically to expand impact for vulnerable communities in Afghanistan while upholding the highest standards of accountability and learning.