Skoll Awards: Core Grant Support and Noncash Award

The Skoll Foundation has announced the opening of the 2013 application process for the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship given out each year to select social entrepreneurs who are solving the world’s most pressing problems. The award gives a core support grant to the organization over a period of three years in addition to a noncash award to the social entrepreneur, which is presented every spring at the Skoll World forum.

As many of the world’s most pressing problems are exacerbated by the inequality existing between the rich and the poor, the Skoll Foundation’s focus is on the issue areas of economic and social equity, environmental sustainability, health, institutional responsibility, peace and security and tolerance, justice and human rights. The awards are offered to the organization and the social entrepreneur for presenting a tested and proven social innovation addressing problems in the above-mentioned issue areas.

The criteria for applicants demands that the applying organizations should have the potential to create an impact; it should have a proven approach that can be applied elsewhere; it should have its own innovation that can lead to address the social and/or environmental problems; it should be able to leverage partnership with the Foundation; it should be led by a visionary social entrepreneur; and of course, there should be sustainability in its institution and its idea.

NGOs across all countries are invited to submit applications. However, organizations such as those inclined towards religious or ideological doctrines, lobbying, film financing, political campaigns etc are eligible to apply.

In order to apply to this opportunity, organizations have to first take up an eligibility quiz available at the Skoll Foundation’s website. If the applicant successfully passes the quiz, then he or she can enter to submit the online application.

The deadline to submit applications is 1 March 2012. For more information, visit this link.

£20m grant fund to encourage social action

The Social Action Fund in the UK is a new grant Fund of over £20 million managed on behalf of the Office for Civil Society. The Fund’s second window opened 9 January, 2012 and will close noon 3 February, 2012. £20m grant fund to encourage social action by North West Regional Youth Work Unit. Second window of new £20m plus grant fund to encourage social action is now open

The Fund aims to motivate organizations to create new social action opportunities through people giving what they have, be that their time, their money, their assets, knowledge and skills.

The Fund will support social action applications that cover the following themes:

•        Encourage people to come together in their locality to support each other: Projects that include plans to scale proven models to regional or national levels, or replicate them in other localities. Some priority will be given to models that encourage those who do not traditionally get involved as volunteers

•        Focus on the different life stages of volunteering

The Social Action Fund’s open to applications to fund social action projects in England from civil society organizations, public sector bodies and businesses with a track record of delivering social action programmes. For further information, visit the link.

Foundation Ensemble’s Small Grants Fund

The Small Grants Fund of Foundation Ensemble represents 15% of the total annual endowment and it is intended to support actions implemented and led by small organizations.

Unlike the Foundation’s Programme Fund, the Small Grants are available for organizations from any part of the world.

The maximum amount of money that will be allocated per project by the Foundation is 30,000 €. The Foundation can provide up to 50% of the total budget.

Proposals must meet the prequalification criteria:

•        The project holder is a small organization.

•        The project must be concrete and improve the livelihood of the target populations and take into account the environmental dimension.

•        The project responds to the needs expressed by the population and/or partners on the field.

•        The budget is clear and the role of each partner is identified.

The Small Grants Fund has two categories of funding:

•        Small Grants Animal Biodiversity

•        Other Small Grants for Water and Sanitation and Sustainable Development

Each of these grants has different application forms and has to be submitted separately.

The deadline to submit applications for Small Grants Fund is 11 March 2012. For more information, visit this link.

Foundation Ensemble’s Programme Fund and Small Grants Fund Call for Proposals

Foundation Ensemble provides grant support to NGOs in areas of water and sanitation, sustainable development and animal biodiversity through its Programme Fund and Small Grants Fund.

The Foundation has issued a 2012 call for proposals for providing funding for projects that will bring multiple benefits in three or more categories of impact among the following:

•        Environmental Impact: Improvement of the main natural resources (water, air, timber, wildlife, fish,…), preservation/enhancement of biodiversity, fight against erosion, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture, soil enrichment, fight against desertification, etc. …

•        Social Impact: Improve food security, health, education, housing, governance, understanding and respect for human rights, reducing the risks of conflict …

•        Economic Impact: Increase and diversification of income, creation of micro-enterprises, job creation, cost reduction (energy, water, …)…

•        Disaster Risks Reduction : Such as landslides, floods, destruction of habitat and means of production, caused by hazards like storms/cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis

This is obviously not about trying to respond to all these issues, but to make interventions which can meet the priority needs of communities in one or several areas, while helping to improve the situation for other aspects.

Allocating over 85% of the its funding for Programme Fund, the Foundation Ensemble intends to support water and sanitation and sustainable development activities in developing countries under this Fund.

For 2012, The Fondation has selected 6 priority countries of intervention:

Benin, Mozambique, Cambodia, Laos, Ecuador, Peru.

The minimum amount allocated per project is €50,000 per year; support is provided for, at least, two years. The Foundation can  provide up to 50% of the total budget for the project, to a maximum subsidy level of € 250,000.

The Foundation is looking for programmes that will make a concrete and lasting improvement to the life of its target population. Supported projects contribute to protecting the environment and rationalizing the use of natural resources. Projects arise from specific findings that take into account both the needs of local populations and those of the land.Projects are selected by a yearly committee meeting. The opinion of the Foundation’s Board of Experts is sought on the occasion of the committee meeting, via a forum.

The deadline to apply is February 12, 2012

For more information about Programme Fund and how to apply for it, visit this link.

Channel 4 Britdoc fund-Puma

DEADLINE- FEBRUARY 27TH

Countries/Region- UK

The PUMA. Creative Catalyst Award is an international documentary development fund with three applications rounds annually offering up to 5,000 euros per recipient.

This is a rapid response fund, providing resources in the early stages of documentary projects, to shoot and edit a film trailer. The fund is open to filmmakers of any nationality and awards will be given on a triannual basis.

When the Foundation invests in a film it fully comes on board as Exec Producers; the project benefits from the editorial expertise, association and the quality guarantee that our involvement promises making it more likely that other co-producers will come on board.

The Issues and themes covered under this opportunity are safe, peace and creative.

If you’re applying for funding from the Foundation for the first time, here’s a run-down of how the process works….

How to apply:

•        All applications MUST be made online using the link on the right. In order to apply for funding, you will need to sign up and choose a password. This system allows to track proposals and means that every proposal will be seen by the whole editorial team.

•        Applications for funding are welcome from filmmakers working together collaboratively but should be made by one director from the team (who will be the main point of contact). It does not accept applications for funding from producers.

•        The Channel 4 BRITDOC Fund is open to British filmmakers living anywhere in the world and filmmakers from anywhere who are living in Britain full-time and have been for at least six months (Irish submissions will also be considered).

•        The PUMA. Creative Catalyst awards are open to emerging and established filmmakers working anywhere in the world. We will ask you in your application for the Continent and Country you are from. Please do fill this in, this helps us to ensure that the message of the PUMA. Creative Catalyst Awards are reaching everyone.

For more information, visit this link