The Central America Donors Forum 2025, held in Guatemala City under the theme “Resist, Unite, and Rebuild in Times of Change,” brought together more than 800 participants from nearly 500 organizations representing 29 countries on October 6 and 7, 2025.
Sebastián Hernández Mora, Senior Consultant, Colectivo META
The Central American Donors Forum: A Gathering to Think about the Region
During two days of dialogue and intensive work, the discussions converged on a common idea: the region is going through a democratic crisis and a sustainability crisis for civil society, but also a moment of opportunity to reinvent collaboration through networks that can serve as common ground for organizations in the region.
At the Central American Donors Forum, participants discussed the effects of authoritarianism and the closing of civic space, the forced exile of defenders and journalists, the reduction of international cooperation funding, and new funding models that could emerge in this situation, as the changes that have occurred this year have left many organizations without financial support to carry out their activities.
In response to this situation, CADF 2025 featured the sharing of experiences in local resilience, trust-based philanthropy, and multi-sector alliances that seek to uphold democratic values and social action in adverse contexts.
Crisis as a Turning Point
In recent years, Central America has faced a series of overlapping crises:
- Democratic erosion,
- Structural violence,
- Climatic impacts, and
- Forced migration
The Central America Donors Forum didn’t just analyze these challenges —it also offered a new way of looking at them: crises can serve as catalysts for change and spark resilience at every level.
Panelists agreed that resistance means rebuilding from the grassroots: strengthening local leadership, refreshing democratic narratives, and building alliances that cross borders. When everything feels uncertain, collaboration stands out as the most powerful tool we have for resilience.
Networks that sustain collective action: The key message from the Central America Donors Forum
One of the strongest messages from CADF 2025 was that no organization can survive alone or isolated at a time when the closing of civic space fragments struggles and creates legal, financial and security challenges.
Scarce resources, eroded community bonds, and political repression can only be tackled by building broad networks of mutual support around a shared vision—one that’s strategic, not just reactive.
The examples of collaborative philanthropy discussed at the Central America Donors Forum showed that when trust becomes the foundation, the results are more sustainable and transformative over time. What’s more, partnerships between communities, donors, and local actors don’t just multiply impact—they rebuild the trust that’s essential in times of crisis.
The Challenge of Sustainability for Civil Society: Analysis from the Central America Donors Forum
The closure or reorientation of international cooperation agencies, combined with increasingly bureaucratic funding processes, has limited the capacity of hundreds of local organizations that face mounting requirements to access funding—requirements that demand huge investments of financial, human, and organizational resources.
Rethinking Funding
Moving from short-term support to strategic, flexible, multi-year investments that strengthen structures, leadership, and autonomy while responding to the changing needs of communities across Central America.
Participants also emphasized that sustainability isn’t just financial—it requires strengthening collective capacities, organizational innovation, and spaces for peer learning where organizations and networks can share experiences and learn from each other in safe environments that foster shared agendas.
COMETA and Building Key Alliances
At COMETA, we share the conviction that the region’s future depends on building collaborative capacity among the diverse actors that make up civil society—those willing to work together toward high-impact goals.
Our experience in strategic planning, institutional strengthening, financial resilience, and facilitating collective processes has taught us that the most lasting change comes from networks and groups that rethink their strategies, build regional alliances, and expand their capacities.
At COMETA, we’re committed to being that connection point between those resisting on different fronts today and those working to build alternatives for the future.
Ultimately, the 2025 Central American Donors Forum made it clear that the region needs more than resources: it needs trust, coordination, and shared vision. In times of change, thinking strategically, building alliances, and generating new learning are essential.
