Partnerships & Programs

In 2019, the Bank introduced its IsDB - ISFD NGO Empowerment for Poverty Reduction Program, which aims to help civil society organizations (CSOs) in the 57 IsDB Member Countries to better meet the needs of vulnerable groups such as refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), orphans, people with disabilities and the most deprived. The objective of the Program is to empower NGOs to improve the socio-economic well-being of the hard-to-reach communities through refugees’ education, job creation, building resilience and community livelihoods development.

The Program supports the Bank Member Countries to attain the targets of Sustainable Development Goals. It is is an innovative transformation initiative that supports development interventions by interlinking the work and experiences of CSOs, private enterprises, and social investors specialized in crowdfunding and blockchain. The Program is aligned with the inclusive social development pillar of the Bank’s 10-Year Strategy and the President’s 5-Year Program, which calls for more participation of Civil Society Organizations as a network of developers. The Program carries out the following interventions:

  1. Mapping, screening and categorizing national CSOs in selected Member Countries
  2. Building capacity of  CSOs
  3. Promoting innovative and transformative projects in refugees’ education, job creation, building resilience and community livelihoods development 
  4. Setting up sustainable innovative financing mechanisms for CSOs through crowdfunding and partnership. to increase the initial resources allocated through tapping non-traditional partners such as the private sector, foundations, philanthropists and innovative financing mechanisms such as the proposed crowdfunding platform, which has the potential to generate resources amounting to US$ 20 million during the period of the Program. 
Learn about Tadamon (NGO Empowerment)

Furthermore, the targets of the program are to support:

  1. Mapping and capacity development of more than 500 local CSOs in selected MCs
  2. 15,000 refugees, IDPs, orphans to have access to quality basic education and relevant skills development 3,000 low income families to have access to community livelihoods development through income generating activities
  3. IsDB Group staff and CSOs capacities be strengthened though crowdsourcing
  4. Crowdfunding from the private, sector, philanthropies and donors as well as financial support from the Bank seed grant resources to support the economic resilience of vulnerable groups and education for refugees, IDPs, orphans.
Visit the Tadamon Platform

The aggregated platform Tadamon serves as a “Trip adviser” for citizens and private sector to make it easier to financially support the humanitarian and development efforts of CSOs. This is done by linking numerous crowdfunding campaigns from several existing crowdfunding platforms. As a platform to connect efforts of all the partners, Tadamon is committed to building stronger communities and helping those less fortunate.

The Program has introduced an International Aggregated Tadamon platform, a tool for empowering CSOs, networking in 57 OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) Member Countries by providing visibility, funding, capacity building and knowledge. The Tadamon platform has a unique IMPACT model of working and has six dimensions: Innovation, Mobilize Resources, Promote, Assist, Connect, Transform. 

  1. Promote capacity building and strengthen CSOs in IsDB MCs
  2. Support projects with effective and innovative practices
  3. Encourage the transfer of knowledge among CSOs
  4. Co-finance projects that target the most disadvantaged population groups
  5. Ensure long-term sustainability by working at the grassroots level.
View the Tadamon Video

1. Innovation

Tadamon facilitates and supports innovative ideas that have the potential to scale up and increase the humanitarian-development and building resilience. Tadamon uses cutting edge flexible financing mechanism. 

2. Mobilize Resources

Tadamon uses cutting edge flexible financing mechanisms such as crowdfunding and Islamic social financing. We build partnership across range of avenues to mobilize resources to meet critical noble causes and build a sustainable source of support for vulnerable groups such as Refugees/ internally displaced people (IDPs), orphans, people with disabilities and the most deprived.

3. Promote

Tadamon brands and packages the CSOs impactful ideas and achievements to scale up and increase development results. Tadamon showcases and celebrates the progress and achievements of our partners through IsDB Group CSOs forum.

4. Assist

Tadamon assists and empowers CSOs in IsDB MCs through institutional capacity development to effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of the MCs.

5. Connect

Tadamon connects and brings together networks of developers through mapping, screening of CSOs, sharing knowledge, experience, best practice and information.

6. Transform

Tadamon invests in transformative projects and ideas that improves the Socio-Economic conditions of hard to reach communities through CSOs campaigns and partnership commitments. It sparks change.

Initial Investment at the Approval of the NGO Empowerment Program

The total cost of the IsDB – ISFD NGO Empowerment Program is US$ 21.00 million.  The seed contribution of ISFD in the financing of the Program through grant is amounting to US$ 10 million. UNDP contributes an amount of US$1.61 million to the Program. The International NGOs are expected to contribute an amount of US$ 7.31 million to the Program. Participating civil society organizations provides in-kind contribution amounting to US$ 2.11 million.

Through innovative financing and Tadamon platform, the program aiming at increasing the initial resources allocated through tapping non-traditional partners such as the private sector, foundations, philanthropists and innovative financing mechanisms such as the proposed crowdfunding platform, which has the potential to generate resources amounting to US$ 20 million during the period of the Program

To date, the following preliminary results have been achieved around 23 development partners notably, the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNHCR, Save the Children International, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Plan International and Spark, NAMA Foundation, AlAwn Foundation, IFRC signed declarations and/or financially/technically support the initiative with a total contribution of approximately US$70.1 million

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  •  Over 29 member countries have so far officially endorsed and supported the program
  •  Mapping of over 1,000 national Civil Society Organizations in member countries through bottom and top-down exercises
  • 5 national  awareness raising, crowdfunding and capacity building programs have been conducted in IsDB MCs notably introductory CSOs mapping workshops in six member countries namely Morocco, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Somalia and Kazakhstan. A total of 658 participants have completed these trainings in the areas of organization management, crowdfunding and innovative financing. Through 6 pilot mapping workshops (carried in 2020) 454 representatives of CSOs have attended and benefitted. These workshops gave the opportunity for CSO representatives to actively participate and provide important insight of the overall successes and challenges they face. Moreover, Government focal points, staff of IsDB, ISFD, UNDP attended these events
  • A distance learning capacity building program is established in close partnership between the Bank and Save the Children Humanitarian Academy. The learning program will support CSOs institutional capacity efforts to raise funds, manage, implement, monitor and evaluate projects for grassroot communities
  • Over US$ 800,000 through the crowdfunding Tadamon platform have been mobilized to support the hard-to-reach  communities.

Tadamon platform established and launched in 2019 by H.E the President serves as a resource mobilization, networking and as educational academy has over 10,000 followers. It identifies and enhance visibility of partners of the IsDB – ISFD NGO Empowerment Program. It offers a comprehensive, easily searchable list of high-quality local CSOs with a proven record in 57 member countries with partners that can be easily searched on the platform. Moreover, an educational program, initiated in 2020, on crowdfunding makes CSOs better at what they’re doing.

Through educational program, Tadamon offers cutting edge skill-building for everything CSOs need: from fundraising and management to communication and public relations. Additionally, it currently provides a bridge between different countries, CSOs and stakeholders including partnering organizations and donors. It connects grassroots communities working on development issues. It also brings together donors and practitioners from Africa, Asia, Europe and MENA.

IsDB Grant for CSOs (NGO Program)

The objectives of IsDB’s CSO grants (NGO Program) are to:

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Grants are provided directly to local CSOs in all MCs to complement government efforts in community resilience building, social protection, livelihoods development, poverty alleviation, resettlement, reintegration of youth and women’s empowerment. The program also encourages dialogue and information sharing between IsDB and CSOs.

IsDB offers grants to projects that are identified, prepared and initiated by a CSO using a participatory approach. The CSO remains fully responsible for the effective implementation of the project for the entire duration. IsDB finances two types of project through the CSO grants:  (i) capacity building projects to strengthen the efficiency of CSOs and improve the quality of services they provide to the community; and (ii) pro-poor projects that address the basic needs of disadvantaged groups and empower grassroots communities. With the exception of infrastructure development, eligible project areas include the acquisition of new skills and knowledge for grassroots communities; information, education and communication activities; advocacy services; development of local technology; and provision of equipment.

The maximum grant amount for a CSO (local NGO, CBO, association, self-help group, etc.) project is US$100,000-US$150,000. The CSO is required to contribute to the project’s budget both in cash and in-kind. It is also encouraged to bring other partners into the project.

NGO Program

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play an important role in addressing development challenges through the delivery of humanitarian aid and sustainable development interventions. .

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB, referred to hereafter as the Bank) has long recognized the role CSOs have played as valuable development partners in Member Countries (MCs) helping to promote participation, enhance sustainability and alleviate poverty. The Bank’s engagement with civil society began with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the 1980s through the establishment of the Special Assistance Program. In 1997, the IsDB established the NGO Program to recognize the role of NGOs and to reinforce cooperation with Member Countries (MCs). The NGO Program approved 267 projects for a total amount of US$14.85 million in the form of grants during the period 2003-2020.  These approvals consisted of direct support to grassroots communities and capacity development to improve the efficiency of local CSOs. CSOs have also been implementing a number of projects through Trust Funds, which received significant donor funding (around $3.0 billion) for addressing humanitarian issues and basic social services in MCs affected by man-made and natural disasters.

This provides information about the background, context, IsDB approach to engage with civil society and direct interventions in supporting vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities through grant.

Requests of collaboration to the Local Civil Society Grant (or NGO Program) are channeled through IsDB Regional Hubs. It is to be noted that only local CSOs that have a recommendation letter from IsDB Governor Office are considered as potential beneficiaries of the program. In this regard, an application form & guidelines will be shared with these CSOs and a screening of their institution (risk compliance) will be carried out.

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