Commonwealth Foundation’s Grants for Civil Society Organizations

The Commonwealth Foundation has announced a new grant opportunity for civil society organizations for projects to be implemented in Commonwealth developing countries. The Foundation’s grants programme contributes to sustainable development in the context of effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation.

There are two types of grants: Commonwealth Theme Grants and Participatory Governance Grants. Commonwealth Themes grants will open for applications in 2013 while the Participatory Governance Grants can now be applied for. Grants will be given to selected organizations for a period of 3 years amounting up to £30,000 per year.

Objectives of the grant programme:

• Deliver an efficient and effective programme which is responsive to the development needs of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) across the Commonwealth
• Complement the effectiveness of the Foundation’s projects by providing grants to CSOs beyond those supported through the projects
• Generate knowledge and understanding of participatory governance and its benefits in promoting effective, responsive and accountable governance within the Commonwealth by supporting models of good practice

Registered civil society organizations in Commonwealth developing countries can propose projects (of no more than 3 years) that address one of the Commonwealth Foundation’s short-term outcomes. Applying organizations should have their project activity less than £30,000 per annum.

Organisations based in non-Commonwealth Foundation member countries can apply for a grant, provided the activity or project is taking place in an eligible country.

Applications have to be submitted online through the Commonwealth Foundation’s website.

The deadline to apply for the Participatory Governance Grants is 31 January 2013. For more information, visit this link.

Czech Embassy Grant Opportunity for Small Local Projects

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi has announced a call for proposals as part of its funding for local projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in 2013.

Small Local Projects (“SLPs”) are the development projects financed by the Government of the Czech Republic, identified by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi (hereinafter “Embassy”) and after the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic also administrated by the Embassy.

Projects purpose is to support positive changes in the country. The scope of content might vary from equipment supply (schools, hospitals, training institutions), development activities implementation, educational and training activities, capacity building, environmental protection, agriculture development etc. SLPs should also contribute to visibility of the Czech Republic and improve understanding of the Czech Republic as a donor country. Small local project can be a part of bigger (e.g. international) project.

SLPs are carried out by local subjects qualified to realize development cooperation projects (NGOs, cooperatives, administrative-territorial entities, local institutions, local communities etc. working in the areas of education, health, culture, development etc.). There is a need to prove 3 years of existence of applicant’s organization and experience with past cooperation with international donors.

Complete applications (identification form and budget proposal) are to be sent by email by 13 December 2012. For more information, visit this link.

United Nations Democracy Fund: Seventh Round of Funding from 15th November 2012 onwards

The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) is going to open its Seventh Round of Funding from 15 November 2012 onwards. The Fund will provide grants ranging from US $50,000 to US $400,000 for projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes.

The primary purpose of this UN body is supporting democracy through empowering civil society. UNDEF projects exist in developing countries, in societies in transition and in challenging environments, and are in six main areas: Community development; rule of law and human rights; tools for democratization; youth; empowering women; and media.

Among these, NGOs and civil society organizations are expected to receive the bulk of funding. Besides, UNDEF allocates 70% of its programmable resources in each funding round for projects that take place in one country while the rest of the 30% is for global/regional projects. This means that local NGOs have better chances of receiving grants for their projects than international organizations working in different regions.

Applicants from all countries can submit project proposals, but UNDEF will give strong preference to proposals submitted from countries and regions where the challenges of democracy are more critical, such as countries emerging from conflict, new and restored democracies, the Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries and Middle Income Countries.

Applications have to be submitted online through the UNDEF website. The deadline to submit applications is 31 December 2012. For more information, visit this link.

MIUSA’s Empower Partnerships: Opportunity to collaborate with US organizations

MIUSA (Mobility International USA) has launched the ‘Empower Partnerships for Inclusive Communities Professional Exchange Program’ which seeks to reduce barriers and forging sustainable international partnerships to promote inclusive communities.

The Empower Partnerships project is a two-way international exchange program for organizations working on or interested in working on disability-related issues and inclusion as articulated in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This project aims to create sustainable organizational partnerships between U.S. and international organizations, expanding the capacity of each organization to promote disability inclusive communities, and to advance disability rights. MIUSA will select and match organizations from the U.S. and 20 other countries, and will provide ongoing technical assistance, opportunities for international exchange, small grant support to implement collaborative projects, and foster long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.

The objectives of the Empower Partnerships project are to:

•        Remove barriers to community opportunities and resources;

•        Support the ability of individuals and organizations to serve as leading disability advocates and promote policies and programs benefiting people with disabilities;

•        Promote civil society by enabling individuals and organizations working with people with disabilities to share best practices and facilitate cross-sector cooperation through two-way professional exchanges;

•        Ensure that people with diverse disabilities and their families and communities benefit from the transformational power of international exchanges; and,

•        Build or expand sustainable networks of individuals and organizations serving people with disabilities.

Twenty partner teams will be selected by MIUSA and each will include three organizations: one U.S. organization and two organizations from another country. Non-U.S. organizations will include one focused on disability inclusion such as a Disabled People’s Organization (DPO) and one non-disability-specific institution for which disability inclusion is a priority. The 20 international partner teams will share knowledge and expertise through reciprocal exchange programs to maximize outcomes of collaborative projects and ongoing partnerships.

Participating Countries- Australia, Argentina, Albania, Algeria,  Burkina Faso, Brazil, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, China, Cyprus, Croatia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Japan, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Morocco, Mali, Malaysia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Mexico, Mongolia, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan, Romania, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, Thailand, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Ukraine, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen and USA.

The deadline to apply is 7 January 2013. For more information, visit this link.