By Business Insider Reporter
The Foundation for Civil Society (FCS), in partnership with UNICEF Tanzania, is backing 15 youth- and women-led civil society organisations (CSOs) with seed grants worth TSh 375 million to implement community-level initiatives targeting children, adolescents and women.
Each organisation will receive TSh 25 million following a competitive selection process conducted after a three-month capacity-building programme involving 30 CSOs from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Songwe.
The grants are expected to support three-month interventions focusing on child protection, education and alternative learning, adolescent wellbeing, gender equality and prevention of violence against women and children.
The initiative marks a shift from strengthening the institutional capacity of community organisations to providing them with resources to turn that capacity into practical solutions, according to FCS Deputy Executive Director and Head of Programmes Quality and Learning, Cynthia Bavo.
“These organisations already have what matters most: they are trusted in their communities and they understand the problems children and adolescents face,” Ms. Bavo said.
“What this programme has added is the institutional strength to act on that knowledge and to account for it. We are now moving from strengthening institutions to investing in the solutions they are positioned to deliver.”
The programme, introduced in April 2026, brought together approximately 90 participants representing the 30 CSOs for online training, mentorship and in-person sessions between May and August.
The training covered project cycle management, strategic communications and advocacy, institutional administration, financial and grant management, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, resource mobilisation, partnership development, leadership and governance.
The 15 grant recipients comprise five organisations from Dar es Salaam, five from Zanzibar – including Unguja and Pemba – and five from Songwe.
UNICEF Tanzania representative Jaya Barathoki said reaching children and adolescents who are furthest behind requires organisations that already have a presence and understanding of the communities they serve.
By investing in the capacity of youth- and women-led organisations and subsequently providing them with resources, the partnership is intended to strengthen locally led responses while building a civil society sector capable of sustaining its work beyond individual funding cycles.
The programme has also highlighted the need for CSOs to diversify their sources of financing rather than relying predominantly on traditional donor funding.
Speaking on behalf of Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, Sandra Oward said private-sector partnerships, community support, donors and social enterprise models could provide alternative sources of sustainable financing.
“Partnership is not simply another way of raising money; it is a way of building the resilience that allows an organisation to plan beyond its current grant,” she said.
Giving Tuesday Tanzania Country Lead Alice Zayumba similarly urged CSOs to tap local resources through individual giving, community contributions, local philanthropy, fundraising campaigns, in-kind contributions, volunteerism, faith-based giving and private-sector support.
“Communities are not only beneficiaries; they are also a source of support,” Ms. Zayumba said.
The 15 selected organisations are currently undertaking Manage Your Grants training from August 24 to 28, after which the funds will be disbursed. Implementation of the community interventions is expected to begin on September 1. The initiative therefore combines capacity building, direct financing and resource-mobilisation skills, giving youth- and women-led organisations both the institutional tools and initial capital needed to deliver locally driven solutions for vulnerable communities.
The 15 CSOs Selected for TSh 375 Million in seed grants
| S/N | Organisation | Region / Location |
| 1 | Popular Inspiring and Relief Organisation (PIRO) | Zanzibar – Pemba |
| 2 | Youth Empowerment and Skills Development Organization (YESDO) | Zanzibar |
| 3 | Gender and Social Reform Organization (GSRO) | Songwe |
| 4 | Kupunguza Umasikini na Kuboresha Hali za Wananchi (KUKHAWA) | Zanzibar – Pemba |
| 5 | Barefoot College Zanzibar | Zanzibar – Unguja Kaskazini |
| 6 | Wakina Mama na Watoto Foundation | Songwe |
| 7 | Women and Standard Changes Organization (WSCO) | Songwe |
| 8 | Community Initiative for Development Organization (C.I.D.O) | Songwe |
| 9 | Ruge Mutahaba Foundation | Dar es Salaam |
| 10 | Theatre Arts Feminists (TAF) | Dar es Salaam |
| 11 | Ella Foundation | Dar es Salaam |
| 12 | Madina Climatic Organisation | Dar es Salaam |
| 13 | Young and Alive Initiative | Dar es Salaam |
| 14 | Jumuiya ya Vijana na Elimu Kaskazini ‘A’ (JUVIEKA) | Zanzibar – Unguja Kaskazini |
| 15 | Elisha Fashion Youth Support Foundation (EFAD) | Songwe |
