How we are funded

Please note: Progressio has announced closure in March 2017

At a meeting on 14 September 2016 to discuss the conclusions of the recent consultation on Progressio’s future, the charity’s trustees and chair of trustees took the decision to begin proceedings to close Progressio.

Martin McEnery, Progressio’s Chair of Trustees, said:

“This decision has been taken with deep regret, on the basis that we have not been able to secure sufficient levels of income to ensure a viable future post March 2017. It is our intention to as far as possible complete all project and partner commitments through to the end of March 2017 alongside our Global South partners. For the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme our sub-contract will pass back to the ICS contract holder Voluntary Service Overseas. With regards to the other three projects where funding continues beyond the end of March 2017, we are currently working with a few organisations to ensure our current work and existing commitments can be fulfilled after March 2017.

“The decision to close comes despite intensive fundraising efforts and many years of investing to diversify income. Unfortunately, the funding landscape has become increasingly competitive and we have been unable to replace the £2 million unrestricted grant per annum from the Department for International Development which comes to an end in December 2016.

“We, the trustees and myself as Chair, have reached this decision with great sadness. The decision was agreed and supported by all the trustees. We are hugely proud of all that has been achieved since the charity was formed in 1940.

“In particular we appreciate and thank all of our staff, Development Workers and volunteers both in the UK and overseas, as well as all of our supporters like you. Together, your support and dedication have helped our partners and some of the world’s most marginalised communities achieve incredible things, empower themselves and challenge multiple unfair power structures.

“Our thoughts now are with the people we work alongside, such as the Yemeni, Somali and Southern African women struggling to have a voice and working to counter deeply entrenched abuses of their rights and violence targeted against them. They are also with the subsistence farmers across all our country programmes in Central America, Africa and Yemen who are striving for sustainable livelihoods and to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. We will do our utmost to ensure their voices continue to be heard and their struggles supported.

“We would like to thank you all for your support, donations and time. Moving forwards, we are no longer actively fundraising. However, any donations that we receive will go towards our core funding to help us keep providing support to the people and partners we work with in fragile states until March 2017.

“We leave a proud legacy and the foundation of a huge amount of good work that will now be continued by others across many countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. We will seek to ensure that as much of our legacy as possible is captured and that some of our history, achievements and learning are made available to others.”

Fiona Mwashita, Progressio’s Sub Regional Manager of Southern Africa said:

“I would like to thank all the supporters of Progressio who have helped us carry out significant development work through our international programmes.”