Deadline: 9-May-22
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) is pleased to invite proposals for grants as part of its efforts to support local civil society in Pakistan in protecting civic space and the operational environment for non-profit organizations (NPOs).
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) seeks to support local civil society organizations (CSOs) in Pakistan to expand on these efforts to protect access to resources and operational mobility for Pakistani organizations.
There appear to be particular opportunities at the current time, given changes in government, recent positive court decisions, and willingness among actors like the EAD and Cabinet to consider changes to foreign funding rules.
Objectives
Proposals may be designed around a range of activities designed to achieve the grant’s objective, including, but not limited to:
- Building an effective domestic coalition of NPOs to advocate on issues related to foreign funding access and usage, including capacity-building, dialogue, and advocacy around Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidelines.
- Operationalizing NPO help desks and engagement with the EAD to further secure improvements in the regulatory framework for NPOs.
- Conducting in-depth research, monitoring, and/or data collection with respect to how foreign funding laws are implemented and their impact on the NPO sector, particularly with respect to service, humanitarian, or COVID-19 relief.
- Pursuing systematic engagement and openings with government, and developing new toolkits, strategies, activities, and alliances to advocate for greater access to resources and fewer burdensome restrictions.
- Conducting roundtables, seminars, or informational campaigns to formulate civil society strategies and raise awareness around international standards of free association and access to resources.
- Building narrative and social/multi-media campaigns to promote civil society work and counter negative depictions of NPOs and improve public and government awareness of non-profit sector contributions.
Funding Information
Grants of Up to $20,000 USD are available for projects implemented by a single organization meeting the criteria. Organizations are encouraged to form consortia with other local NPOs, in which case they may apply for a greater amount of funding (up to $49,500 USD).
Eligibility Criteria
Open to any not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in Pakistan.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following factors:
- Compliance with eligibility requirements and application procedures.
- Demonstrated commitment of the applicant to improving civic space and operational constraints in Pakistan.
- Quality of proposed project, including the project’s innovations, the proposed methodology/design, and feasibility of the project (eg, activities are targeted to achieve stated results, and anticipated results are realistic and attainable).
- Likelihood that the proposed project will enhance civic space in Pakistan.
- Proposed budget and value for money.
- Inclusion of reasonable indicators to measure project success.
For more information, visit https://www.icnl.org/wp-content/uploads/Pakistan-Civic-Space-Small-Grant-Call-4.12.22.pdf