Deadline: 31-Jan-21
Do you have an initiative that stimulates independent and critical media, or one that sustains or promotes a strong, and just democratic state? Does your project match on of pillars fundamental rights and freedoms, vigorous democracy, commemoration and remembrance, truth-seeking or media innovation? Then, you are welcome to submit a project proposal.
The objectives shaped the foundation’s current mission: to invest in strong, critical media and a strong, just democratic state based on the rule of law. The Democracy and Media Foundation provides financial support to organizations, projects and other initiatives that promote this mission. The foundation can also provide (external) organizational advice and/or bring different initiatives together.
With this call for proposals the Democracy and Media Foundation (DMF) gives especially priority to initiatives that reinforce democracy and rule of law in the Netherlands in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Hereby the focus lies on:
- Initiatives that critically question the (accelerated) use of technology to fight the coronavirus;
- Journalistic projects and other initiatives that reflect critically on powerful public and private institutions as they respond to COVID-19.
Types of Projects
Types of projects that the Democracy and Media Foundation supports include (but are not limited to):
- Media productions (long-form) journalistic articles, books, documentaries, podcasts and web or TV series);
- Digital journalistic platforms;
- Strategic awareness campaigns;
- Policy advocacy;
- Strategic juridical litigation;
- Lectures and debates (as long as they are rooted in a broader adaptation strategy);
- Trainings/capacity building.
Pillars
The Foundation has divided the two key elements from current mission in five pillars. The key element independent, critical media comprises the pillars:
- Truth-seeking;
- Media innovation;
- Fundamental rights and freedoms;
- Vigorous democracy;
- Commemoration and remembrance.
Funding Information
- The average grant allotted within the general call for proposals is €15.000.
- Furthermore, applications within this call for applications are considered up to a maximum amount of €50.000 per project (year).
Geographical Scope
- The foundation prioritizes projects and organizations with clear added value in the Netherlands. Within the Netherlands, preference goes out to projects with an international or national outlook, as well as local initiatives that are part of a broader strategy for change.
- Projects taking place outside the Netherlands are granted support only rarely. The foundation limits its support to organizations located in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. Priority is granted to projects in countries were freedom of press and/or the democratic state based on the rule of law is under pressure.
Grounds for Exclusion
Applications that do not qualify for funding include (but are not limited to):
- Initiatives that do not match the objectives, pillars and core values as defined by the Democracy and Media Foundation;
- Initiatives outside the geographical scope of the Democracy and Media Foundation;
- Initiatives with primarily (party) political or religious objectives;
- Government initiatives or initiatives from institutions affiliated with governments;
- Standalone debates, lectures and similar events that are not embedded in a broader strategy;
- The development or improvement of websites or applications without substantial impact improvement;
- Normal business costs related to a project, such as production costs or other expenses for a publisher when publishing a book;
- Applications aimed exclusively at purchasing materials or inventory;
- Initiatives with purely commercial objectives;
- Initiatives with disproportionately high expenses in comparison to the benefits;
- Initiatives from organizations with sufficient financial resources to cover the project expenses by alternative means;
- Investments in real estate;
- Initiatives concerned with remembrance without a clear link to the present, unless they are directly involved with the history of Het Parool.
For more information, visit https://www.stdem.org/en/call-for-proposals/