Deadline: 31-Mar-21
Freedom House is inviting applications for funding from local organizations in Turkey that seek to expand civic engagement through building partnerships with municipality offices in Turkey.
Initiatives aimed at strengthening the role of civil society in advancing fundamental freedoms, developing projects on local level as well as engaging with municipalities that are focused on using, developing, or supporting domestic approaches and processes are encouraged.
Priority will be given to local grassroots organizations that have experience in building coalitions and working collaboratively with journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and activists on local level. In addition, priority will be given to those initiatives addressing local- or regional-level issues related to fundamental freedoms.
Objectives
The “Civic Space Empowerment” grants program will serve the following objectives:
- To provide financial support to cross-cutting grassroots initiatives that engage journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, and other activists that seek to strengthen cooperation between local civil society organizations, communities, and municipalities to advance fundamental freedoms in Turkey;
- To provide essential technical support, assistance, and tools to local grassroots initiatives in order to leverage their impact to develop projects in response to openings and opportunities in the aftermath of the previous municipal elections in Turkey;
- To help improve initiatives focusing on promoting fundamental freedoms in Turkey through local community engagement.
Thematic Areas
Applications will be considered in the following thematic areas:
- Raise awareness about human rights issues with local stakeholders in Turkey;
- Engage officials in local civil society organizations and events;
- Encourage dialogue between civil society groups and the government;
- Building allies for civil society on local level;
Funding Information
- Freedom House will select up to five (5) initiatives for up to $10,000 in funding each.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only non-commercial organizations, associations, initiatives, and foundations active in Turkey are eligible for participation in this program. Individuals and government, quasi-government, or commercial agencies and bodies are not eligible for funding.
- Priority will be given to Turkish regional- and local-level small initiatives and campaigns, especially those that focus on engaging the public and developing projects with municipality offices. Applications to this announcement should demonstrate an understanding of main organizational and/or campaign needs and a desire to address them with the support of Freedom House.
For more information, visit https://freedomhouse.org/article/call-applications-civic-space-empowerment-turkey