Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity
Civil Society in Development is offering its Civil Society Fund to support interventions made in partnerships between Danish civil society organizations, their partners and possibly other actors.
By supporting such actors, the CSF aims to increase citizen participation in governance and development processes. This helps give voice to marginalised groups and holds governments accountable, and address pressing social issues like poverty, inequality, discrimination, and lack of access to services. The CSF contributes to a robust and pluralistic civil society by supporting a wide range of formal and informal organisations, movements, and initiatives. This diversity is crucial for a well-functioning democracy.
Funding Information
- Support modalities in the Civil Society Fund:
- Project support: Small Project (up to DKK 150.000) and Large Project (up to DKK 700.000). Project support enables the strengthening of organizations and partnerships.
- Programme Support: Small Programme (up to DKK 4 mio), Medium Programme (up to DKK 15 mio) and Large Programme (up to DKK 27 mio). This modality is only relevant for experienced organisations, who have developed a long-term strategic focus with local partners.
- Co-financing support (from DKK 70.000 to DKK 1 mio) supports your partnerships in cultivating different sources to finance your joint interventions. Co-financing support is aimed at applicants who assess that co-financing enables them to raise funds from another main donor, such as the EU. Co-financing does not need to be a requirement from the main donor, but it should enhance the application to the main donor.
- Support for application processes (up to DKK 50.000) is an opportunity to seek financial support for relevant expenses if you, along with a partner, are seeking support from a donor not financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as a Danish or international foundation.
- Capacity analyses (up to DKK 100.000) are aimed at Danish organisations in need of an external professional assessment of the organisation’s professional, organisational, and administrative capacity and its partnerships. A capacity analysis can provide valuable learning in terms of strategy, management, and capacity development.
- Maximum amounts:
- For first-time applicants, the maximum amount is 500,000 DKK.
- If you’re applying for more than 500,000 DKK, the applying organisation must have existed for at least a year and have completed at least one project worth over 200,000 DKK, or a project of similar scale with reporting requirements similar to those of CISU and/or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Who can apply?
- The Civil Society Fund is available for applications from grassroots organisations based in Denmark (civil society organisations). All interventions must be conducted in partnership with one or more local partners in developing countries.
- Requirements for Danish partner organisation:
- The organisation needs to be private, and it must have legal domicile as well as activities in Denmark.
- The chairperson or most members of its governing body must be Danish citizens or foreigners with permanent residency in Denmark unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark grants an exemption.
- The organisation must have an approved set of statutes.
- The accounts of the organisation, including the annual accounts, must be subject to auditing.
- The organisation must have a minimum of 25 paying Danish contributors for applications up to DKK 500,000, and a minimum of 50 paying Danish contributors for applications more than DKK 500,000. The Danish contributors may be members, volunteers in the association or financial contributors. The contributions must have been given in the current financial year. There are no requirements to the size of the contribution.
- For umbrella organisations, at least one of its member organisations must satisfy the above requirements.
- If the organisation has existed less than one year, it may only apply for a maximum of DKK 500,000.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The CSF is unable to support interventions eligible for support from other organisations or institutions funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark such as the Centre for Church-Based Development (CKU), the Danish Youth Council (DUF), Disabled People’s Organisations Denmark (DPOD), the Danish Refugee Council’s Diaspora Programme and the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD).
- The CSF does not accept applications from organisations that have signed a strategic partnership agreement, fund agreement, or similar agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
- The CSF does not accept applications from foundations engaged in commercial activity, consulting firms, educational establishments or entities set up by law, including folk high schools (højskoler).
Deadlines
- Small Project and Large Project: June 11
- Small Programme: March 5
- Medium Programme and Large Programme: March 26
- Support for Co-funding, Support for Application process and Capacity Analysis: Ongoing
For more information, visit Civil Society in Development.