New grants programme announced

Call for applications opens 3 December 2012

Today the Commonwealth Foundation has renewed its commitment to give a million pounds each year in grant funding by unveiling a new grants programme.

The new grants programme will contribute to sustainable development in the context of effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation. The Programme will broker knowledge and ideas. It will support innovation, share replicable and sustainable models, and promote good practice across the participatory governance sector.

The objectives of the new grants programme are:

• To deliver an efficient and effective programme which is responsive to the development needs of CSOs across the Commonwealth.
• To complement the effectiveness of the Foundation’s projects by providing grants to CSOs beyond those supported through projects.
• To generate knowledge and understanding of participatory governance and its benefits in promoting effective, responsive and accountable governance within the Commonwealth by supporting models of good practice.

At a glance:

• The Foundation will give grants to fund activities or projects of registered CSOs
• Beneficiaries will be from a Commonwealth Foundation member country
• Grants will be up to £30,000 per year
• Grants are available for multi-year funding (up to three years)
• Grant applicants are encouraged to show clear evidence of counterpart resourcing
• Up to 10% of the total grant will fund a monitoring, evaluation and learning element
• Up to 15% of the total grant will fund indirect and overhead costs.

The grants programme has two grant streams which support the outcome areas identified in the strategic plan:

1. Enhanced capacity of CSOs to collaborate with each other and engage in participatory governance
2. Increased collaboration and learning between CSOs and institutions in governance

The grants programme will be particularly supportive of proposals that mainstream the Foundation's cross-cutting outcome areas in their project design:

• Gender equality
• Environmental sustainability
• Cultural respect and understanding

Applications will be accepted online through this website from 3 December.

Deadline for applications is 31 January 2013.