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Impact study Ethiopia: CtGA boosts local fundraising and advocacy power

A new impact assessment in Ethiopia shows that the Change the Game Academy (CtGA) significantly strengthens local fundraising, financial sustainability and advocacy capacity of civil society organisations. The social and monetary return on investment is huge: every €1 invested in CtGA generated €132.90 in social value! This includes monetised value from funds raised, volunteer contributions and advocacy achievements.

Strong growth in local fundraising

Local Fundraising  training has led to measurable results:

  • 4% of participants report improved fundraising skills
  • 9% attribute increased funds largely or very largely to CtGA training
  • Organisations collectively raised ETB 187,967,500 (€1.033.400 in cash and in-kind)
  • On average, 77% of income now comes from local or national sources
  • 7% diversified their funding sources

Organisations are mobilising cash donations, in-kind contributions, volunteers and corporate support. The findings show a clear shift from dependency on foreign donors towards stronger local ownership.

From training room to real-world change

CtGA’s Mobilising Support training is also delivering results beyond fundraising. On average, organisations led 4.4 advocacy campaigns after the training. These efforts resulted in:

  • New strategic partnerships
  • Stronger engagement with local authorities
  • Improved service delivery
  • Community-level infrastructure improvements
  • Policy influence at local level

Importantly, 83% of participants cascaded their learning internally, multiplying the programme’s reach and impact.

What makes the difference?

The study identifies key success factors:

  • Leadership involvement matters. Organisations where directors and managers participated showed stronger and more sustainable results.
  • Blended and face-to-face learning works. In-person training led to stronger advocacy outcomes compared to online-only delivery.
  • Combining LFR and MS creates synergy. Organisations that followed both tracks reported the most comprehensive impact.

Medium-sized organisations (10–49 staff) showed particularly strong fundraising results.

Building resilient civil society in Ethiopia

The findings confirm that CtGA strengthens locally rooted organisations and aligns closely with Ethiopia’s national focus on self-reliance and community mobilisation. By equipping CSOs with practical tools for local fundraising and advocacy, CtGA contributes to:

  • Financial sustainability
  • Increased legitimacy and accountability
  • Stronger community engagement
  • Greater influence on local decision-making

CtGA in Ethiopia demonstrates that when organisations learn to mobilise local resources and support, they become more resilient, more independent and more powerful agents of change.