Freedom House inviting Applications for Mini-Grant Competition

Deadline: 31-Jan-21

Freedom House is inviting applications for funding and support for civic initiatives and advocacy campaigns addressing pressing community- or national-level issues in Belarus.

Applications may address any range of issues and themes relevant to local contexts, which seek to achieve the following:

• Address pressing community and/or national-level issues in Belarus (these could include, but are not limited to legal assistance to the public and technology-enabled citizen engagement).
• Foster public discussion and awareness of community and/or national-level issues in Belarus (these could include, but are not limited to, issues related to the environment, public health, culture, history, art, and education).
• Encourage civic activity and volunteerism at community and/or national levels.

Funding Information

• Freedom House will award mini-grants in the amount of $3,500 to $10,000 to support focused projects three to six months in duration.

Selection Criteria

Applicants have broad latitude to design projects under this call, but Freedom House will also be evaluating applications on the following criteria:

• Clear vision – the local or national issue of concern is clearly identified
• Feasibility – the plan to address the issue directly or conduct an advocacy campaign is detailed and feasible in the allotted time
• Partnerships and engagement – project encourages innovative partnerships and modes of cooperation between potential stakeholders, including youth-led grassroots groups, established CSOs, independent media, social media influencers, private sector, cultural groups, etc.
• Audience and reach – project foresees substantial engagement of citizens and suggests outreach and engagement methods to promote diverse participation
• Potential impact – project entails direct or indirect engagement with decision-makers to achieve sustained change, and
• Visibility – project contain a strong publicity component through media and social media

Eligibility Criteria

• Non-commercial organizations, associations, initiatives, foundations and individuals active in Belarus. Initiatives, groups and individuals without official registration are eligible to apply.