Donor Conditionality: Does It Serve Development or Obstruct It?

A critical essay on the patterns of conditions international donors attach to supporting Palestinian civil society organisations, and how some of those conditions end up distorting national priorities.

Author

Pal-Think research team

Date

2025-07-28

Key points

• More than 60% of civil-society funding is tied to donor agendas, not beneficiaries' priorities.
• The non-violence conditionality is imposed to exclude legitimate peaceful-resistance approaches.
• Conditional funding creates institutional fragility when project cycles end.

Recommendations

• Demand flexible structural funding aligned with national strategies.
• Develop self-financing mechanisms that reduce dependence on international donors.
• Build a civil-society coalition for collective negotiation with donors.