Deadline: 12-May-2024
Are you part of a Civil Society Organization (CSO), Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), or Community-Based Organization (CBO) with innovative ideas and a drive to make a difference? Apply for Humana People to People Belize (HPPBZ) small grants program.
The Small Grants Program for Civil Society Organizations is here to support your initiatives! Whether it’s capacity building, forging cross-sectoral connections, or scaling up successful approaches, they’re here to help turn your vision into reality.
The Partnership for Preparing Local CSOs to improve their Ability to facilitate an enabling environment through Training and Service delivery (PLANTS) project implemented by HPPBZ aims to foster an inclusive, participatory, empowered, and independent civil society in Belize, with a specific emphasis on women’s empowerment, gender equality, and youth empowerment. It intends to strengthen the digital skills of CSOs, reduce the digital gender gap, and address other disparities, with a focus on Stann Creek and Toledo District. This district, home to a significant indigenous population (69% Mayans), faces challenges such as limited services for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). The project strives to include and empower PwDs and incorporates environmental protection and climate change components. The project is grounded in human rights, SDG indicators, and the principles of the 2030 Agenda, aiming to strengthen the capacities of rights holders and duty-bearers.
Prioritized Themes/Focus Areas
- Governance
- Institutional capacity building activities of target groups
- Internal policies development of target groups
- Capacity building activities of target groups for internal fund mobilization and resource leverage
- Technical trainings for target groups on local solution promotion
- Promoting stakeholder’s accountability and expand negotiation space
- GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)
- Strengthening anti-Gender Based Violence (GBV) mechanism
- Men and boy’s engagement
- Youth as agents of change
- Implementation of GESI policies, standards and practices
- benefit sharing for women, poor and marginalized
- Leadership of women poor and marginalized
- Engaging indigenous people’s networks to promote local livelihoods of women and indigenous people
- Communication
- Media (electronic and print media) engagement in key issues
- Develop a feed-back mechanism to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of the communication methods and tools
- Capacity building for advocacy
- Strengthened capacities of targeted CSOs in policy dialogue
- Advocacy for change
- Good governance
- Monitoring of key human rights issues
Funding Information
- The size of the grant will be between $10,000 – $22,000 BZD for a single project.
- Maximum duration for implementation of six months.
Eligible Funding Activities
- Community Dialogue Sessions
- This activity can help to strengthen community bonds, increase understanding of local issues, and inform decision-making. The sessions can also allow participants to define problem statements, provide mentoring, and offer resources for developing projects that could be useful in averting social injustices.
- Youth Mentorship Program
- Activity to empower young individuals through mentoring and guidance by connecting experienced community members with youth for academic, career, and personal development.
- Engage Marginalized Communities
- Actively engage with marginalized communities to understand their unique needs, challenges, and aspirations, and incorporate their perspectives into decision-making processes.
- Provide Resources and Support
- Allocate resources and provide support to initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity, including funding for programs, capacity-building efforts, and targeted interventions.
- Empower Marginalized Voices
- Empower marginalized voices within governance structures by creating opportunities for meaningful participation, leadership development, and representation in decision-making.
- Educational Workshops and Trainings
- Organize workshops and training sessions for government officials, policymakers, and community leaders to raise awareness about the importance of inclusivity and equity in governance.
- Capacity-Building Initiatives
- Implement capacity-building initiatives to empower marginalized communities and build their skills and confidence in engaging with governance processes.
- Partnership Development
- Forge partnerships with civil society organizations, academia, and private sector entities to leverage resources and expertise in advancing inclusivity and equity goals. Collaborate on joint initiatives, research projects, and advocacy campaigns to drive systemic change.
- Public Awareness Campaigns
- Launch public awareness campaigns to educate the general public about the importance of inclusivity and equity in governance. Use media channels, social media platforms, and community events to disseminate information and foster dialogue on these issues.
- Diversity and Inclusion Training for Staff
- Provide training programs for government employees and staff members on diversity and inclusion best practices.
- Workshop and Training
- Organize workshops and training sessions for policymakers, development practitioners, and concerned citizens on the importance of strong institutions and how to build them. These workshops and training sessions could cover topics such as institutional design, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation.
- Advocacy and Outreach
- Engage in advocacy and outreach activities to promote the importance of strong institutions and good governance. This could involve organizing public events, publishing articles, and developing social media campaigns.
- Case Studies and Learning
- Develop case studies and learning materials that showcase successful examples of institutional development. These case studies could highlight the challenges and opportunities of institutional development and provide insights and best practices for building strong institutions.
- Partnership and Collaboration
- Establish partnerships and collaborations with governments, civil society organizations, private sector, and international organizations to promote a multi-stakeholder approach to institutional development.
- Civic Education Workshops for Citizens
- If the target community has a lot of immigrants, provide educational workshops for new citizens and citizens on civic rights, responsibilities, and government structures. Cover topics such as immigration laws and services, voting, civic participation, and community engagement. Partner with the Immigration Department, develop interactive workshops, and provide multilingual resources.
- Community Emergency Response Team
- Train community members in emergency response techniques to assist during crises. Provide training in first aid, CPR, disaster response, and community evacuation plans.
- Community Technology Hub
- Launch a community technology hub that could drive technological innovation. Create a technology hub to provide access to computers, the internet, and digital literacy programs. Establish a space with computers, offer technology workshops, and provide mentorship. Partner with libraries or community centers, secure computer donations and recruit tech-savvy volunteers.
- Civic Tech Challenge
- Host a civic tech challenge to encourage the development of innovative technological solutions for community issues. Invite individuals or teams to create tech solutions addressing specific civic challenges. Define challenge themes, provide resources and mentorship, and host a showcase event.
- Community Film and Documentary Project
- Produce community-focused films or documentaries that highlight local stories and issues. Engage filmmakers, capture community narratives, and screen films at community events. This civic engagement project idea will help in the amplification of community voices, increase awareness of local issues, and community empowerment through storytelling.
- Community Public Speaking Workshops
- Launch a community engagement project with a special focus on public speaking. This project will empower community members with effective public speaking skills and confidence. Offer workshops on public speaking techniques, storytelling, and presentation skills.
- Community Legal Education Workshops
- Every citizen deserves to be informed about the laws of the places they are living in. Through the workshops in various thematic areas and collaborating with government agencies, participants will become more aware and empowered to advocate for themselves and for others.
- Community Public Transportation Advocacy
- Advocate for improved public transportation services and accessibility in the community. Raise awareness about transportation needs, engage with local officials, and collaborate with transit agencies. Organize town hall meetings, collect public input, and develop advocacy campaigns.
Project Outputs
- Output 1: Increased opportunity for cooperation between district-level service providers
- Output 2: Increased availability of functional community hubs
- Output 3: Strengthened capacities of targeted CSOs in policy dialogue, advocacy for change, good governance, and monitoring of key human rights issues
- Output 4: Increased public awareness about existing services and access to them
Expected Outcome
- The projects expected outcome is to improve the access to service delivery for rural communities in Stann Creek and Toledo District, Belize.
Geographic Areas
- The geographic coverage for field implementation of HPPBZ funded activities is limited to the Stann Creek and Toledo District. Activities may be implemented at the seven Community Hubs established in Dangriga, Silk Grass, Independence, Bella Vista, Big Falls, Punta Gorda, and San Pedro Columbia or in other locations in the same targeted communities.
Eligibility Criteria
- CSOs (NGOs, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), or Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are eligible to apply.
For more information, visit HPPBZ.