Resources for Nonprofits

From Paragon

Paragon's Resources for Nonprofits

Paragon Philanthropy supports grantmaking institutions around the world, managing the due diligence and documentation behind direct cross-border grants. Its clients are foundations, donor-advised fund (DAF) sponsoring organizations, corporate and government-linked funders, universities, and international nonprofits that regrant, based in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the EU, the United States, and elsewhere. Paragon’s role is screening and documentation: identifying the organization, screening it, and assembling the record a funder needs.

Paragon is positioned between funders and the organizations they support. We are therefore familiar with which questions funders ask and what information they need. The resources below are a reflection of that.

Preparing for Funder Due Diligence

How Foreign Organizations Qualify for U.S. Philanthropic Funding

Identifying and Approaching U.S. Institutional Funders

External sources

Authoritative External References

The resources below track the legal and regulatory environment for civil society organizations by country, including rules that can affect an organization’s ability to receive funding from abroad. Funders reviewing cross-border grants often consult these same sources. Knowing what they say about your country can help you anticipate a funder’s questions and speak to your own operating context directly, rather than leaving them to draw conclusions on their own.

ICNL Civic Freedom Monitor
Country-specific information on legal and regulatory conditions affecting civil society organizations, including restrictions on foreign funding.
https://www.icnl.org/resources/civic-freedom-monitor

CIVICUS Monitor
Country-level ratings and narrative profiles tracking civic space conditions and the operating environment for civil society, commonly used as contextual risk information for cross-border work.
https://monitor.civicus.org/

Working with Paragon

How Paragon Can Help

Paragon does not raise funds for grantee organizations or vouch for them to funders. Its role is limited to due diligence and compliance facilitation. For funders based in the United States, Paragon facilitates Equivalency Determinations (EDs), which are issued by independent qualified tax practitioners, and Expenditure Responsibility (ER) procedures.

If a U.S. funder needs an ED or ER to make your grant, Paragon can manage that process with them. Introduce us early, so the compliance work does not hold up the grant.