Global South Locally-led Pooled Funds Database
Database of locally-led pooled funds in the Global South
About the Database
First published in May 2026, this database maps locally-led pooled funds operating across the Global South. It covers 63 funds active as of May 2026, documenting governance structures, geographic reach, thematic focus, funding sources, and management models. The vast majority of funds included are governed by local and national civil society organisations from the regions and communities they exist to support. A small number of entries reflect alternative local governance models, including one state-established national financing mechanism, which is included to represent the full range of locally-rooted pooled fund architectures in the Global South.
The database was developed to support NEAR’s work on locally-led financing architecture and to make this landscape visible to donors, researchers, practitioners, and fund managers across the sector. It is, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive mapping of this specific landscape currently available, though it is almost certainly an undercount – particularly in the Pacific, francophone Africa, and informal financing mechanisms.
Defining locally-led pooled funds
NEAR defines locally-led pooled funds as a mechanism that pools resources from multiple sources and direct grants to local and national actors, where governance and decision-making sit with Global South individuals and institutions.
How to Use this Database
The database is organised into five sections:
- Core Details
- Geographic Coverage
- Objectives & Priorities
- Financial Information
- Governance, Management & Relationships
Filters can be applied across any column.
A note on data quality
All entries are drawn from publicly available sources accessed between October 2025 and May 2026. Data quality is uneven – some entries are comprehensively documented, others reflect the limits of what is publicly available. Where information could not be confirmed, fields are marked “Not Publicly Available” rather than left blank or estimated.
The database does not include informal or community-based financing mechanisms, which also play an important role in local resource mobilisation across the Global South.
NEAR has direct relationships with a number of funds in the database. This is disclosed in the interest of transparency.
Help us keep this database current
This is a living resource. NEAR commits to publishing an updated version incorporating corrections and new entries on a quarterly basis. If your organisation manages a locally-led pooled fund not included here, or if you identify an entry that needs updating, please contact us at solutions@near.ngo. Funds are encouraged to submit corrections directly.
How to reference this database
Database of Global South Locally-Led Pooled Funds. May, 2026. NEAR. URL: https://near.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026.06.03-LLPF-Database-PUBLIC-.xlsx
Note to Donors and Partners
For institutional donors, philanthropic partners, and researchers, please consider this database as an evolving landscaping tool rather than a final, exhaustive statistical record. Funding parameters, registration status, and governance models reflect publicly available information at the time of publication and may change. We encourage users to verify information directly with funds when using this data for strategic planning or funding decisions
Accompanying analysis
A policy brief, Locally-Led Pooled Funds in the Global South: What the Evidence Shows, accompanies the database. It draws on the mapping to make the case to funders and investors for why this landscape matters, what it reveals about the gap between locally-led governance and financing, and what needs to change.