JUNTOS!Porto: Strengthening Civil Society for a More Resilient Future

JUNTOS!Porto, a collaborative initiative by the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal and the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, is empowering civil society organisations (CSOs) through capacity-building and inclusive participation. A recent baseline study, covering 195 CSOs in Porto, sheds light on their strengths, challenges, and the urgent need for strategic planning, leadership renewal, and financial sustainability. With most CSOs relying on public funding, the study highlights the importance of training and partnerships to build a more resilient and proactive civil society.

Civil Society

Rui Gouveia | 17 March 2025

JUNTOS!Porto is a platform of organisations representing different sectors of civil society that work together to strengthen the capacity, impact and sustainability of civil society organisations (CSOs) and promote civic and community participation through inclusive and collaborative approaches. It’s a joint initiative between the Aga Khan Foundation and the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation that stems from the experience of the JUNTOS!Moçambique Programme, which hais being implemented in the Porto district since 2023. One of the outputs of JUNTOS!Porto is the baseline study characterising Civil Society Organisations in the district of Porto, allowing the needs and capacities of the organisations to be identified. The study was carried out by the Transversal Area of Social Economy (ATES) of the Portuguese Catholic Universityna public presented on 29 January 2025.The study covered 195 CSOs and revealed a significant profile of the organisations, where the majority are characterised as associations and operate predominantly in social services, with 60% of CSOs focused on this area.The study highlighted CSOs’ positive perception of the functioning of their executive bodies, although it identified challenges related to leadership renewal and the need for more robust strategic planning. In addition, CSOs expressed the need for training, especially in the areas of strategic management and fundraising, preferring formats such as short-term workshops.The challenges faced by CSOs are significant, with financial sustainability being one of the main points of concern, since 76.9% of the organisations said that their main source of funding is public funding, which makes them vulnerable to changes in government policies. Despite the increase in partnerships, only 15.4 per cent of CSOs feel they are in active leadership positions in the networks and platforms they are part of, which highlights the need for greater proactivity in collective learning and the sharing of good practices.The study’s recommendations include strengthening training in the areas identified and promoting partnerships that encourage collaboration between CSOs, aiming for a more cohesive and resilient civil society.

Baseline de caracterização das organizações da sociedade civil do distrito do Porto (document in portuguese)