Civic Focus: Questions & Answers

The subsidy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances the CivicFocus programme of Wilde Ganzen for 2026–2030. The programme has three main strands: strengthening PDIs and their partners, financing projects through the premium model, and public engagement in the United Kingdom (e.g. through public campaigns and Wilde Week). The aim is to support initiatives that mobilise people here and there around international solidarity and poverty reduction.

The total budget available to Wilde Ganzen for project funding will indeed increase as a result. This means that Wilde Ganzen will be able to approve more project applications and that, in some cases where this is in line with the focus of the programme, the premium percentage may be increased. In the short term, there will be no significant increase in the budget for financing all projects.

The standard rule remains that Wilde Ganzen will give a 50% premium on the action results you have achieved. Thanks to the subsidy, this premium can be increased in a few specific cases. This applies to certain campaigns, such as Wilde Week, projects focused on gender-sensitive working, and initiatives in Ukraine. The applicable premium percentage depends, among other things, on the amount requested and is therefore determined separately for each application.

No, a 100% premium on the action result is definitely not the new standard. The higher premium on the action result only applies if your project fits within the substantive focus of CivicFocus and a specific scheme (e.g. participation in a campaign such as Wilde Week, thematically focused on gender-sensitive working or a Ukraine appeal). All other projects remain subject to the regular premium model. In addition, a higher premium percentage is always subject to a maximum amount.

No, you have no influence on this. The application is submitted via Wilde Ganzen, which then decides from which sources Wilde Ganzen will finance it. In particular, projects in Ukraine, projects participating in Wilde Week, and projects that explicitly focus on gender-sensitive working will be submitted for funding under this subsidy framework of the Ministry.

The grant fits in seamlessly with Wilde Ganzen’s central objective: to strengthen private initiatives in the Netherlands that are committed to reducing poverty in DAC countries.

Within this, the emphasis is mainly on establishing a clear link with the support base here in the Netherlands through communication, actions and campaigns ( via Wilde Week ), on strengthening gender-sensitive working, and on initiatives in Ukraine.

The regular Wilde Ganzen priorities within this programme remain in force: local ownership by the local partner, the separation and distribution of responsibilities, and strong participation by the community.

Wild Week is a central part of the CivicFocus programme. In April 2025, the campaign was still fully funded by Wilde Ganzen’s own resources, with an increased premium on the campaign results for participating foundations: the multiplier. From 2026 onwards, the subsidy can be used to finance Wild Week, and can make use of a 100% premium on the campaign result , via the Wild Week campaign platform. Naturally, the Wilde Ganzen conditions also apply here, and doubling the campaign result is always linked to a maximum.

Registration for Wilde Week from 10 to 17 April 2026 is closed, but from October onwards it will be possible to register your project for Wilde Week 2027.

Within CivicFocus, an average of €1 million per year has been set aside for projects in Ukraine. PDIs that focus on restoring facilities, supporting local organisations and strengthening communities in Ukraine may be eligible for a 100% bonus on their fundraising. Suitable initiatives are therefore being actively sought, and some of Wilde Ganzen’s conditions for initial cooperation are being applied more flexibly in order to facilitate entry.

No, Wilde Ganzen’s general basic conditions remain in force: you are a small-scale, largely voluntary organisation, you work with a local partner in a DAC country, and your project contributes to poverty reduction and community strengthening.

In addition to potentially higher premiums on action results, CivicFocus invests heavily in training and networking activities for PDIs – and in some cases local partners. An ambassadorship on certain themes will also be introduced to promote peer-to-peer exchange.

The training courses and events that take place within this framework are still being developed so that they are optimally aligned with the grant.

A number of topics are planned: Climate-sensitive working, Gender & Intersectionality, Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) : Measuring the results of your project, Storytelling, Target group-oriented communication, Facilitating collaboration with your project partner, Diaspora Masterclass, Strengthening fundraising capacity, Organisational strengthening, and Legislation and regulations.

For local partner organisations, the Change the Game programme will be available: Local Fundraising, Mobilising Support, and Social Accountability. A new training course on gender-sensitive and transformative working is being developed and, in addition, a learning and exchange event focusing on community participation will be held in several focus countries.

There are certainly opportunities. The training courses and events are free to attend for all (prospective) PDIs in the Netherlands.

However, Wilde Ganzen will continue to apply its regular working methods for the funding stream, and this programme is in line with the current conditions and cooperation agreements.