About
The Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) was established in 2000 with the goal of helping citizens to fight corruption and meet citizen demand for good governance. At PTF we believe that improved governance – greater accountability, responsiveness to citizens and transparent public activities – is critical to achieving participatory governance and improved development outcomes. PTF envisions societies where citizens succeed in making their government free of corruption.
Civil society has an important role to play in the development of anti-corruption and good governance programs, and it can play this role more effectively if it is independent, financially, from government or direct bilateral or multilateral funding. This is where PTF adds value to the process. Through technical and financial support, PTF empowers Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to play an effective role in the design, implementation and monitoring of anti-corruption activities.
PTF views CSOs as important innovators, agenda setters, mobilizers, and monitors in achieving this vision. Our goal is to work with CSOs to pilot new mechanisms and approaches to improve transparency and accountability of public agencies. PTF supports projects that give voice to civil society, demonstrate the value of constructive partnerships between government and civil society, and result in capacity building through action learning.
Approach
The PTF model is unique. We are an organization of senior, highly experienced volunteer governance specialists retired from various development institutions, NGOs and Government Agencies. We recognize that for civil society to play a key role in holding governments accountable to their public, CSOs must be financially independent both from government and from other powerful vested interests, including major donors.
Organizations receive small grants ($25,000 – $40,000) for projects that are results-oriented, time-bound (typically 12-18 months) and evaluated on completion. PTF will only support projects that (1) will have a direct and sustainable impact on reducing corruption, (2) as far as possible have a measurable and sustainable outcome and (3) involve direct interaction with public agencies. The latter is important. Anti-corruption campaigns work best when targeting an environment of corruption rather than the wrong doings of individual public actors. To this end PTF does not support groups who wish to “name and shame” corrupt politicians or bureaucrats. Rather, we seek to encourage innovative projects that pilot new and replicable anti-corruption tools in country specific contexts that can foster buy-in from government officials, offices and agencies.
PTF’s advisers work with CSO grantees on project design and grant management as well as providing general coaching and mentoring. Adviser support throughout a project’s lifecycle helps to build strong bonds with grantees and often times allows for the continuation of successful endeavors, ushering in additional project phases and bolstering the organization’s impact.
Governance
Our Board of Directors is comprised of individuals with experience in running CSOs, managing development aid and hailing from: Bangladesh, Germany, India, Kenya, Netherlands, Russia, US, UK and Uruguay. Our group of advisers is even more geographically and experientially diverse.
Funding
We have received support from the United Nations Development Program, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Government Agencies from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Netherlands, Sweden, as well as private sector foundations and firms.
Please Read the Annual Reports of PTF’s DFID Funded Citizens Against Corruption Program