Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group

What Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group does

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a non-profit civil society coalition founded in 2004 and headquartered in Kampala, Uganda. It brings together 100 civil society organizations — 45% of which operate at sub-national level — to influence Ugandan government decisions on resource mobilization and public expenditure for equitable development. Its core operational model combines a 10-Thematic Working Group structure (Health, Education, Agriculture, Energy, Justice Law and Order Sector, Accountability, Roads, Trade and Tourism, Water and Environment, Social Development), 9 Regional Budget Coalitions, and 1,200 citizens organized into Participatory Budget Clubs across 40+ local government districts. CSBAG holds formal seats in multiple government public finance management bodies including the Public Finance Management Committee, Gender and Equity Taskforce, Presidential Advisory Committee on Budget, Budget Transparency Initiative, and the Parliamentary Forum on Public Finance Management.

CSBAG's product portfolio is a mix of advocacy methodologies and knowledge publications rather than commercial software. Core offerings include the Participatory Budget Model framework, Citizens' Guides to the Budget, Sector Budget Fact Sheets, annual Position Papers to Parliament, Budget Monitoring Reports, and citizen monitoring tools for health centres and UPE schools. It also operates the Economic Hub (economichub.csbag.org), a digital resource for debt, revenue, and expenditure analysis. The organization is the host of the East Africa Budget Network (EABN), a regional civil society platform covering 6 East African Community states, established in 2018–2019 and operationalized with a Kampala-based Secretariat in February 2021.

The organization employs 34 staff and is funded by a diversified base of international development partners including USAID, GIZ, the European Union, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Oxfam, Diakonia, and Education Out Loud. It does not sell products or services commercially and has no disclosed pricing model; revenue is grant-based with supplementary in-kind membership support. The organization is governed by a 7-member board chaired by Claudia Apio and led by Executive Director Julius Mukunda, who also serves on the World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum Working Group. CSBAG's track record includes 353 alternative budget proposals adopted by Parliament of Uganda over FY 2014/15–FY 2023/24 (28% uptake rate), 4+ million petition signatures mobilized in 2015, and contribution to UGX 3 trillion in COVID-19 budget refocusing in FY 2020/21.

Name

Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group

Legal name

Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group

Website

https://csbag.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CSBAG is a Ugandan non-profit coalition founded in 2004 that unites 100 civil society organizations and 1,200 citizens to influence government budget decisions on resource mobilization, public expenditure, and public finance management across Uganda and the East African Community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Finance Advocacy and Budget Transparency

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Finance, Treasury, Budget & Procurement (BPAIACAC), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Budget advocacy
• Public finance management
• Fiscal transparency
• Citizen participation
• Civil society coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CSBAG operates as a non-profit coalition funded by international development partners and donors. The organization accepts donations and receives grant funding from development partners including USAID, GIZ, EU, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Oxfam, and others to support its budget advocacy and citizen empowerment programs.
2. Membership Contributions: CSBAG has a membership of 100 CSOs with 45% from sub-national level, suggesting some form of membership contributions or in-kind support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a non-profit coalition formed in 2004 that brings together 100 civil society organizations at national and district levels to influence Ugandan government decisions on resource mobilization and public finance management. Its core work includes research and publication of alternative budget proposals, organizing citizens into Participatory Budget Clubs (PBCs) across 40+ districts, producing sector budget fact sheets and citizens' guides, submitting position papers to Parliament, and operating the East Africa Budget Network (EABN) as a regional advocacy platform covering six East African Community states.

Product overview

The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a non-profit coalition formed in 2004 that brings together CSOs at national and district levels to influence government decisions on resource mobilization and utilization for equitable and sustainable development. CSBAG does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of advocacy services, publications, and methodologies. Its core offerings include the Participatory Budget Model (which organizes citizens into Participatory Budget Clubs), Sector Budget Fact Sheets, Citizens' Guides to the Budget, Position Papers for Parliament, and Budget Monitoring Reports. The organization also operates the East Africa Budget Network (EABN) as a regional sub-brand and maintains Regional Budget Coalitions across nine Ugandan regions. CSBAG's work spans sectors including Agriculture, Education, Health, Water, Energy, Justice, and Trade through thematic working groups and partnerships with local government structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• East Africa Budget Network (EABN): A civil society platform that influences for prudent fiscal policy, monetary policy and budget accountability that advance economic integration of East African Community. Established in 2018/2019 as a regional expansion of CSBAG's work.

Products and services

• Participatory Budget Model

Quantifiable outcome

• 353 CSO alternative budget proposals adopted by Parliament over 11 financial years (FY 2014/15–FY 2023/24)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• DiakoniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakonia collaborates with CSBAG on the GRACE (Gender Responsive Accountability and Citizens' Empowerment) project in Alebtong and Amolatar districts, funded by EU under DINU programme.
• East African Civil Society Organizations Forum (EACSOF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBAG is registered with EACSOF and serves on the Governing Council representing Uganda. EABN, hosted by CSBAG, is also registered with EACSOF.
• Office of the Prime Minister (OPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBAG collaborates with OPM on the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) programme, coordinating civil society engagement in local government accountability.
• Parliamentary Forum on Public Finance ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBAG partnered with like-minded MPs in 2016 to establish this Parliamentary Forum for prudent Public Finance Management reforms.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SEATINI Uganda: Ugandan chapter of the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade and Information Negotiations Initiative, working on economic governance, trade policy, and public finance accountability. Directly comparable as a Uganda-based CSO coalition engaged in fiscal policy advocacy.
• Tax Justice Network: Independent international network focused on tax havens, harmful tax practices, and pro-equity tax reform. Comparable to CSBAG in advocating for fair tax policy and influencing fiscal legislation through research and coalition advocacy.
• International Budget Partnership: Global non-profit focused on budget transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in public finance management. Directly comparable to CSBAG in mission and methodology, including its role in the Open Budget Survey that CSBAG's Treasurer supports as Uganda researcher.
• Publish What You Pay: Global civil society coalition promoting transparency and accountability in the extractives and public finance sectors. Comparable to CSBAG in operating as a coalition with national chapters pushing for budget and revenue transparency reforms.
• African Tax Justice Network: Pan-African network advocating for fair tax systems, public finance accountability, and pro-people fiscal policy across the continent. Comparable to CSBAG in targeting tax-policy outcomes (e.g., Mobile Money and agricultural input taxes) and operating through national coalition chapters.
• Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT): Multi-stakeholder action network promoting open, accountable, and responsive public financial management globally. Comparable to CSBAG in driving fiscal transparency norms and engaging both government and civil society actors.
• Uganda National NGO Forum: Umbrella body coordinating civil society organizations in Uganda, including those working on governance and accountability. Comparable to CSBAG's coalition convening function; CSBAG's Board Chairperson also sits on the NGO Forum Board.

Broad incumbents

• ActionAid Uganda: Large international NGO with a Uganda country office working on rights-based governance, public finance accountability, and women's rights. Overlaps with CSBAG in citizen participation and pro-people budget advocacy, but operates a much broader programme portfolio.

Regional players

• Diakonia Uganda: Swedish international development NGO partnering with CSBAG on the EU-funded GRACE project in Northern Uganda. Comparable in thematic focus on gender-responsive accountability and citizen empowerment, and operates as a regional funder/implementer in East Africa.

Emerging players

• African Health Budget Network: African network advocating for increased and better-tracked health sector financing; the CSBAG Executive Director serves on AHBN. Comparable as a sector-specific budget advocacy network with overlap in Uganda's health sector working group engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSBAGUGANDA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@csbaguganda1
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSBAG.UGANDA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civil-society-budget-advocacy-group-csbag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group