The Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF) is a social development fund that was established in 1996 as a joint initiative of the European Union and the Kenya Government.  Until 2007, the Fund, which operates outside the government structure, was solely funded by the EU.  In 2007, the legal framework of the fund was amended to open up for funding from other institutional donors, following which the Royal Danish Embassy (RDE) has already signed a financing agreement for channeling development funds through the CDTF, thus becoming the Funds second donor.

CDTF supports poverty reduction initiatives in Kenya through funding of sustainable community-based development projects focussing on welfare of vulnerable groups and management of the environment.  This is done through activities under the following core areas:

• Social Improvement: Support of initiatives that promote and increase level of education, quality of health and economic engagement of communities, both in rural and urban areas
• Environmental sustainability: Support of initiatives that promote and increase environment conservation and restoration of threatened ecosystems; solid waste management; and environmental awareness and advocacy
• Capacity Building: Increasing the participation of the beneficiaries in their own development activities and strengthening their abilities to take charge of their own development. 

These broad areas of support are in line with the government’s strategy for spurring development, which recognises that no real development can occur where poverty levels are high.  Therefore, a comprehensive and integrated framework that encompasses well targeted poverty alleviation programmes for the most vulnerable groups in Society as well as reducing the threat to our natural resources, which are important for sustaining life.

Our approach to development

CDTF believes that sustainable development can only fundamentally occur within an all inclusive environment, where there is strong partnership with the users.  CDTF has therefore embraced such partnerships in all its projects by allowing demand by the user communities to guide key intervention that it funds, and further involving the community members in project responsibilities such as resource contributions and service management, which includes administration, operations and maintenance. 

Therefore, the CDTF operates as a flexible delivery system, whereby funds are transferred directly from the Trust Fund to the approved projects, allowing the beneficiaries to manage their own development.  This approach also provides them with opportunities, through capacity building, to improve their project management skills, in a manner which upholds principles of collective decision making, gender inclusion, and promotes transparency and accountability.