USAID’s Strengthening the Capacity of Philippine Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Project or “CSO Project” is a $1.5 million, three-year project that began in September 2011. In pursuit of local capacity and procurement objectives of the USAID Forward (now known as USAID Now) reform agenda, the project was designed to improve the operational capacity of local CSOs so they can effectively carry out their development missions and compete for and manage funding from USAID and other donors. Ayala Foundation, the prime contractor, works with a consortium of leading CSO networks in the Philippines in implementing the project.

One hundred fifty six (156) local CSOs benefitted from the project. The organizations range from NGOs, foundations, cooperatives, professional associations to large networks and federations. Capacity-building assistance was directed at six critical areas of CSO operations: governance and leadership development; planning and strategic management; resource mobilization and development; program design, implementation and management, monitoring and evaluation; financial management and administrative and personnel management. USAID procurement, finance and technical offices actively contributed to capacity-building of CSOs.