Book excerpt: This report presents the findings from a six-country study of access to AIDS funding by civil society organisations in southern Africa. Focusing on the period 2001-2005, when funding for AIDS increased dramatically in the region, it examines the AIDS funding environment through a civil society lens, drawing upon data collected from more than 400 organisations in the region, as well as interviews with donor institutions and community-level case study research. It depicts a complex picture of a changing resource environment, characterised by efforts to channel funding closer to the ground, but continuing difficulties on the part of small organisations to access resources in forms and amounts suitable for their institutional needs.