NGOs channel EGP 12.714bn in financing during 2026: Minister

Social Solidarity Minister Maya Morsi said financing channelled through NGOs during the current year has reached around EGP 12.714bn, while cumulative financing has exceeded EGP 52.5bn over the past 12 years.

She added that the Fund for Supporting Projects of NGOs and Civil Society Institutions alone has provided EGP 4.9bn in financing, supporting 20,188 projects implemented by 11,373 NGOs and civil society institutions.

“Behind every one of these figures is a project, and behind every project is a village, a family, a child, a woman or a young person whose life has changed in some way,” Morsi said.

She made the remarks during a speech at the closing ceremony of the seventh edition of the Misr El Kheir Award for Pioneering Charitable Giving and Sustainable Development.

“This award has established significant value for itself, beginning with its very name, ‘Charitable Giving and Sustainable Development’, because giving, in its modern sense, has moved beyond simply providing assistance,” Morsi said.

“This is where the value of civil society work in Egypt lies. Civil society has become an essential part of Egypt’s development and social protection system. Today, the national map of civil society includes around 36,000 associations and institutions, a figure that reflects an achievement. But the real achievement is the major transformation that civil society work has undergone in recent years, moving from disparate entities operating without a unified classification framework to a more organised system based on four clear pillars: community support, partnership for development, governance and transparency.”

Morsi said the process of regularising the status of associations under Law No. 149 of 2019 regulating civil society activities had been completed, resulting in a more accurate database of entities that are actually active on the ground.

“Our objective was clear: to protect the freedom of civil society work while, at the same time, building a sector capable of operating efficiently, managing resources and demonstrating its impact. Trust in civil society is built through governance, transparency and results. Egypt today views civil society as a partner in implementing development,” she said.

Morsi said the philosophy underpinning the award is consistent with the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s view of civil society as a fundamental partner in the development process.

Associations and civil society institutions, through their proximity to local communities and their ability to understand their needs, have an important role in turning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from broad objectives into programmes, projects and tangible results in villages, cities and governorates, she added.

The minister said the award’s approach of dedicating each edition to one of the SDGs is particularly important because it helps assess civil society work from a different perspective.

“Goals such as eliminating poverty, health, education, economic empowerment, decent work and development do not exist separately in people’s lives, nor can they be carried by a single institution or ministry. This is precisely the approach the Ministry of Social Solidarity is pursuing. The social protection system, which today supports millions of families, is working in parallel to create another path towards empowerment, employment and production, in close cooperation with civil society,” she said.

“The ministry can build policies, systems and databases, but an association operating in a village knows the family by name, understands the nature of the local market, and knows why a project succeeded in one place but failed in another. This proximity to the community is one of the most important assets of civil society work, and one that must be preserved and invested in,” Morsi added.

“Egypt has a long history, an extensive network of institutions and experiences that deserve to be told. Amid this competition to make an impact, we want to see civil society become more capable of using data and measuring impact, bolder in innovation, and better prepared to enter into genuine partnerships with the private sector, universities, research centres and international institutions,” the minister said.

“What we need in the coming period is to add the power of knowledge to the power of giving, professionalism to enthusiasm, and sustainability to rapid response.”

Morsi stressed that the Ministry of Social Solidarity would continue to support serious civil society organisations and partner with them to develop their capabilities, create broader opportunities for work and integration, and build a strong, organised and transparent civil society system capable of reaching citizens and making a tangible difference in their lives.