Chile's findings reinforce a central conviction: a strong civil society is an essential part of the country's social infrastructure. Civil society organisations bring deep knowledge of communities and territories, respond to diverse social needs and contribute valuable experience to public debate. Strengthening their ability to fulfil this role requires looking beyond individual programmes and recognising the importance of investing in the organisations themselves.

Financial sustainability is an important part of this equation, but it is not the only one. Organisational capacity, strong governance, transparency, evidence of impact and opportunities for collaboration all contribute to building resilient and trusted organisations. This also requires a broader understanding of partnership, where philanthropy, business and government provide more flexible and long-term support and recognise organisational strengthening as an investment in greater and more sustainable social impact.

The findings also highlight the value of connection. No organisation can address complex social challenges alone. Stronger networks and greater collaboration — within civil society and across sectors — can connect local knowledge, resources and different perspectives around shared challenges. For Comunidad de Organizaciones Solidarias, strengthening civil society, therefore, means strengthening both organisations and the relationships between them, creating the conditions for a more trusted, collaborative and sustainable sector that can contribute fully to Chile's development.