Government agencies worldwide provide significant funding for non-profit organisations working in international cooperation. For instance, the European Union allocates around €1.8 billion annually for humanitarian aid alone​. In the United States, federal grants available through agencies like USAID can range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, supporting various global development and humanitarian efforts​​. Overall, billions of dollars are distributed annually by governments to support international cooperation and humanitarian projects, highlighting the substantial role of government funding in global development initiatives. It is therefore important to have a good understanding of these donors.

Who are the top government donors around the world?

• USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development): USAID is the U.S. government’s primary agency for international development and disaster assistance, funding global initiatives in health, education, and economic development. https://www.usaid.gov
• CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency): CIDA is the Canadian government agency responsible for administering most of Canada’s foreign aid, supporting sustainable development and humanitarian assistance worldwide. https://www.international.gc.ca
• AusAID (Australian Agency for International Development): AusAID, managed by the Australian government, provides funding for poverty alleviation, health, and education in the Indo-Pacific region. https://www.dfat.gov.au
• EU (European Commission): The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, funding programs that promote economic development, democracy, and human rights globally. https://ec.europa.eu
• ADA (Austrian Development Agency): ADA is the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation, supporting sustainable development and humanitarian aid, focusing on poverty reduction. https://www.entwicklung.at
• BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development): BMZ is the German government ministry responsible for development policy, funding projects in economic development, education, and environmental protection. https://www.bmz.de
• SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation): SDC is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, funding humanitarian aid and development projects to reduce poverty and global risks. https://www.eda.admin.ch/sdc
• ENABEL (Belgian Development Agency): ENABEL is the Belgian development agency, supporting sustainable development projects, primarily in Africa. https://www.enabel.be
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs Netherlands:  is in charge of foreign relations, foreign policy, and international development. https://www.government.nl/topics/development-cooperation
• SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency): SIDA is a government agency of Sweden, funding global initiatives in poverty reduction, health, and education. https://www.sida.se
• DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency): DANIDA is part of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, providing development aid focusing on human rights, democracy, and sustainable growth. https://www.um.dk
• NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation): NORAD is the Norwegian government agency responsible for international development aid, funding initiatives in education, health, and environmental sustainability. https://www.norad.no/en/front/
• FINNIDA (Finnish Development Cooperation): FINNIDA, under Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, supports projects in sustainable development, human rights, and education. https://www.formin.fi 
• AFD (French Development Agency): AFD is a public financial institution that implements France’s policies in development aid, funding projects in education, health, and environmental sustainability worldwide. https://www.afd.fr
• LED (Liechtenstein Development Service): LED is the development agency of Liechtenstein, supporting projects in education, agriculture, and vocational training. https://www.led.li
• LuxDev (Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency): LuxDev is the operational agency of Luxembourg’s development cooperation, funding initiatives in health, education, and economic development. https://www.luxdev.lu
• Czech Development Agency: The Czech Development Agency, part of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, funds projects in sustainable development, education, and health. https://www.czechaid.cz

Conclusion

Make sure that you study all these donors and prioritize the ones that are suitable for your programs and projects. Begin by building relationships with them and learning about their application procedures. Once you are familiar with their requirements, identify a suitable call or budget line and submit your application pack. Good luck!

All these donors are also covered in our TripleFunds database. As a member, you can access comprehensive donor profiles, providing in-depth descriptions of their thematic and geographic interests as well as application procedures, along with open calls for proposals.