STRONG: Sustainable, Target-group oriented, Resilient, and Open NGOs with Good Governance
Civil Society Grants Programme
Funded by the European Union and managed by the Human Rights House Foundation
Call for Proposals
Application deadline: 31 January 2022 at 17:00 CET
The Civil Society Grants Programme supports civil society-led projects designed to strengthen outreach and engagement with citizens and communities as well as to promote and engage in dialogue between civil society and relevant national and international stakeholders.
Successful projects will promote at least one of the following: the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly and the right to be a human rights defender.
The Civil Society Grants Programme has two application tracts: small grants (for up to 10,000EUR in funding) and large grants (for up to 20,000EUR in funding).
Project Eligibility:
- The Civil Society Grants Programme provides support to partnerships of civil society organisations.
- Applications for small grants must include at least two civil society organisations, one of which must be a member of a Human Rights House (unless the project will be implemented in Moldova where there is no Human Rights House).
- Applications for large grants must include at least three civil society organisations from at least two countries and one of the applicant organisations must be a member of a Human Rights House.
- Projects must have at least one of the following components:
- Promote freedoms of expression, association, assembly and the right to be a human rights defender through engagement in dialogue between civil society and relevant stakeholders nationally and internationally;
- Outreach and engagement with citizens and communities.
- Projects supported under the large grants tract must be implemented in more than one country.
Eligible Countries:
- Applications will be accepted for projects in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Applicant Eligibility:
Civil society organisations in eligible countries can apply for grants within the following parameters:
- Applicant organisations can be registered or unregistered. However, they must be able to demonstrate capacity to implement the project in the country or countries of project delivery.
- Eligible organisations might also include grassroots organisations, civic initiatives, and/or independent media organisations.
- The Civil Society Grants Programme does not fund individuals.
- At least one of the applicant organisations must be a member of a Human Rights House (unless the project will be implemented in Moldova where there is no Human Rights House).
- Civil society organisations may submit only one application as a lead applicant. However, they may partner in an unlimited number of applications to the Civil Society Grants Programme.
Human Rights Houses, political organisations, religious organisations, political parties and individuals are ineligible for funding.
Kind of projects which can be funded under the Civil Society Grants Programme:
- Policy research, analysis and engagement in policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and analysis processes, including engagement around national and regional human rights programs and strategies;
- Monitoring, watchdog activities, reporting on human rights policy and decision-making processes, implementation, legislation, and management of public resources;
- Promotion of networks, coordination fora, platforms, etc. to undertake joint sectoral analysis and formulate and implement action plans on the 4 fundamental rights
- Facilitation of experience and knowledge sharing among CSOs at multiple levels and sectors (among CSOs of the target countries, including non-human rights CSOs), including through development of information and communication tools and materials, exchanges of experience and exchange of good practices, peer-learning seminars, twinning between CSOs, development and delivery of trainings
- Promotion of engagement of citizens and communities through organisation of community-based festivals, exhibitions, events, actions;
- Identifying human rights interests, needs and concerns of constituency, including through opinion polls, framing of the issues and communicating to governments at different levels; development and presentation of joint voices and engagement in constructive dialogue with different stakeholders, by also using media in a constructive and efficient manner.
Examples of projects which will not be funded:
- One-off events
- Support to political parties
Funding Available:
The Civil Society Grants Programme is accepting applications for projects up to 12 months and up to the following amounts:
- 10,000 EURO for small grants
- 20,000 EURO for large grants
Selection Criteria:
Priority will be given to projects which:
- Involve smaller organisations from the periphery
- Focus on women’s rights, minority rights, rights of LGBT people, and human rights lawyers.
- Include organisations from outside of the human rights sector.
How to apply
Application templates may be requested at grants@humanrightshouse.org.
Completed applications, which include an Application Narrative, Workplan, and Budget (using HRHF templates), must be submitted through the HRHF grants management portal at hrhf.smapply.org.
Questions?
Organisations are welcome to submit questions in English, Russian, Armenian, Belarusian, Georgian, Romanian or Ukrainian to HRHF at grants@humanrightshouse.org by 24 January 2022.
HRHF will host a virtual Information Session on 25 January 2022, at 12:00 Geneva / 13:00 Kyiv / 15:00 Yerevan, to answer questions about the call for proposals, application documents, and any other related topics. The Information Session will be conducted in English and Russian with simultaneous interpretation. You may register for the Information Session here: https://humanrightshouse-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oYiX9otoR4mxSAPFMpb6cQ.
