A Study on SMOs: Their Operations, Funding, and Impact

Click HERE to download the study in PDF Format. | Click HERE to download the study in Word Format.

Small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs) play a crucial role in international development and public engagement across Canada. Specialized, well-connected, and flexible, SMOs directly reach and engage with Canadians. They operate in our cities and communities. Their impact stretches beyond our borders and into the poorest countries in the world.

This study, recently commissioned by the Inter-Council Network of Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation (ICN), considers the value and contributions of small and medium-sized Canadian civil society organizations in their role as development actors. The paper also surveys the impact of changing funding structures and political climate on the ability of SMOs to conduct their impactful work. By outlining where SMOs sit in the Canadian international development sector, this paper will spark a discussion about re-engaging SMOs in Canada’s development efforts at home and abroad and will strengthen calls for a funding mechanism for SMOs at a national level.