The CDP3 supports poverty reduction initiatives in Kenya by working with disadvantaged communities countrywide so as to improve their access to basic social and economic facilities.  This is achieved by making grants and technical support available to deserving communities to implement poverty reduction and development activities in areas such as basic social and economic infrastructure, health and education services, water supply and sanitation, agriculture and livestock production, and environmental management. Such activities must represent priority needs identified by the community and involve the full participation of the concerned community members.

Specific initiatives may include construction of facilities for schools and dispensaries and equipping them, water supplies, minor irrigation schemes, feeder roads and bridges, among others.

CDP3 has demonstrated considerable success in empowering communities to participate in the provision of basic infrastructure by fully devolving the administrative, management and financial responsibilities to community groups.  Experience has shown that this approach not only enhances community sense of ownership and stakeholder participation but also increases the cost efficiency and sustainability of development projects, thus generating wider impact on local development in the longer term.
 
The CDP3 has two funding levels, which apply depending on the type of project as follows:

Small projects: These are Projects, that can be implemented within Ksh 5.0 million budget, usually targeting a single facility or infrastructure such as school improvement, dispensary or health center, small and medium sized water projects, bridges etc. Most CDP projects will fall under this category.

Integrated projects: that involve more than one inter-related development sector, with sub-projects, which can be implemented within a Ksh 21 million budget. An example may be a Health center, which requires tapping water or electricity from some slightly far distance, rebuilding/equipping and improvement of the road leading to the dispensary, inclusive of a bridge, so as to allow better access to the dispensary.  

Cluster projects: are those that involve more than one community setting and therefore usually serve large geographical areas (e.g. a road or piped water supply scheme serving a number of villages as opposed to only one village) and can be implemented within a Ksh 21 million budget