Beyond Training: Building a Stronger Civil Society to Finance and Scale Landscape Restoration through the CS4LDN Project

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the globe are restoring degraded landscapes, protecting biodiversity and supporting communities to build resilience to climate change. They are often the first to test innovative approaches—working directly with local communities and demonstrating practical and achievable restoration solutions. However, despite their wealth of knowledge and commitment to restore landscape, these organisations often struggle to gain access to the long-term investment and partnerships needed to scale their work.  

Recognising this challenge, the Strengthening Civil Society's Role in Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (CS4LDN) initiative is helping shift the conversation from project-based fundraising towards long-term investment for restoration. Supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by IUCN, Drynet and Both ENDS, CS4LDN is strengthening civil society's ability not only to implement restoration activities, but also to mobilise finance, build strategic partnerships and become a stronger partner in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).  

Building Skills to Finance and Scale Restoration

Building on this vision, CS4LDN hosted three regional Business Development and Investment Planning workshops in Türkiye, Kenya and Peru this summer. The workshops brought together more than 58 representatives from 28 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The sessions focused not only on writing strong funding proposals but also facilitated participants in exploring how to position their organisations as credible long-term partners capable of delivering restoration outcomes, building sustainable partnerships and mobilising diverse sources of finance. Participants developed practical business development and investment planning skills while strengthening their understanding of donor expectations, stakeholder engagement, financing opportunities and organisational sustainability.  

Workshop participants highlighted stronger confidence in developing investment-ready initiatives, such as integrating business planning into organisational strategies and improving resource mobilisation. Many also committed to sharing these approaches with colleagues, extending the impact well beyond the workshop participants themselves.  

Building Partnerships for Greater Impact

Beyond skill-building, these workshops also served as a crucial location to build partnership to strengthen restoration on a regional and global stage. Ahead of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) taking place in August of 2026, each workshop was attended by government representatives responsible for coordinating implementation of UNCCD. These speakers shared national experiences from each of the three host countries in addressing Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), opening dialogue on how civil society can contribute more effectively to national and global restoration efforts.  

The workshop also brought together representatives of the UNCCD Civil Society Panel, strengthening connections between local organisations and the broader civil society mechanisms supporting engagement within the Convention. Their participation reinforced the importance of collaboration, demonstrating that civil society is most effective when organisations coordinate their efforts, learn from one another and speak with a stronger collective voice.  

Beyond UNCCD, the workshops fostered new relationships among participating organisations themselves. As experiences were exchanged and complementary expertise emerged, several organisations began exploring opportunities to develop joint proposals and future collaborative initiatives. These partnerships have the potential to unlock larger funding opportunities and increase the collective impact of restoration efforts across regions, transforming the workshops from a one-off training activity into a growing learning community. Instead of training a limited number of organisations, the initiative is creating a multiplier effect that will enable many more civil society organisations to strengthen their ability to mobilise finance and contribute to landscape restoration.

Looking Ahead: From Training to Action

By connecting civil society organisations with one another, strengthening dialogue with governments, engaging the UNCCD Civil Society Panel and fostering a culture of peer mentoring, CS4LDN is helping build the enabling ecosystem needed for locally led restoration to thrive.

The journey does not end here. In 2027, CS4LDN will build on these achievements through a new series of Business Development and Investment Planning trainings, proposal development write-shops and a Civil Society–Donor Roundtable, creating even more opportunities for organisations to strengthen partnerships and access finance for restoration.

To learn more about the workshops and the larger CS4LND project, explore participant video reflections or visit the CS4LDN/IUCN website.