EFA Member Survey on Shrinking Space for Civil Society
July-August 2025
Aim
As part of EFA’s ongoing Fundraising4Democracy initiative, this short member survey explores how the shrinking of civic space across Europe is impacting fundraising for civil society organisations.
In recent years, we have witnessed growing restrictions on civic freedoms in many parts of Europe – through legal, political and administrative pressures on CSOs. This survey aims to better understand:
- Whether and how shrinking civic space is manifesting across European countries;
- What impact these changes are having on the fundraising capacity of nonprofits;
- How fundraisers are responding to these pressures – and what support they need.
The findings will directly inform EFA’s Report, shaping our advocacy, learning resources and cross-border collaboration across the sector. They will also feed into the wider European discourse on how philanthropy and public mobilisation can help protect democracy.
We invite all EFA members to share their perspective – whether they are currently affected by civic space restrictions or are watching these developments elsewhere with concern. The survey has been distributed to EFA members only. Please share your thoughts on the survey via the link provided.
Together, we can build a stronger evidence base and stand up for the critical role that fundraising plays in defending democratic values.
#Fundraising4Democracy
If you need more information, do get in touch at eduard.marcek@efa-net.eu.