The Commonwealth Foundation invites applications for its Grant Programme 2024, offering funding up to £30,000 to support projects that promote effective engagement between civil society and governments.
The grant seeks to strengthen the role of civil society in policy development and decision-making, ensuring the voices of communities are heard.
Key Priority Themes for Funding
The grant focuses on projects within the following areas:
- Health Justice
- Freedom of Expression
- Climate Justice
Each project must address at least one of these themes while promoting constructive dialogue between civil society and government bodies.
Partnerships and exclusions are also key considerations for funding, focusing on collaborations and ensuring adherence to eligibility rules.
Grant Details
The grant provides funding between £15,000 and £30,000 annually for a maximum of two years.
Projects must involve civil society organisations (CSOs) registered in eligible Commonwealth Foundation member countries.
The grant amount should not exceed 70% of the applicant’s average annual income over the past two years, which must be below £2.5 million.
Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of three years’ experience in advocacy and participatory governance.
Project Criteria
To be eligible, a project must:
- Be implemented in the country where the applicant is registered.
- Have national, sub-national, regional, or international impact.
- Encourage civil society participation in decision-making processes.
- Integrate gender considerations effectively.
Projects must begin between 1 August 2025 and end of September 2025.
Who Can Apply?
The applicant must be a not-for-profit CSO with a proven track record.
Organisations must be registered in Commonwealth Foundation member countries.
Newly registered organisations, those with less than three years of registration, are ineligible.
Applicants with ongoing Commonwealth Foundation projects that have yet to receive final payments cannot reapply.
Financial Requirements
For grants of £15,000 per year, applicants may submit either their latest audited accounts or annual accounts, which must be signed by a responsible officer of the organisation.
For grants over £15,000, only audited accounts, including both the accounts and the auditor’s opinion, are acceptable. All accounts must be recent and not older than December 2022.
Applicants in India must comply with the Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA) to receive charitable funding.
Application Process
To apply, log in to the SurveyMonkey Apply portal and fill in the online application form.
All applications must include:
- A completed logic model.
- A registration certificate of the applicant organisation.
- Financial documents, as required based on the requested grant amount.
Applications sent by email will not be accepted.
Start your application on the Commonwealth Foundation Grant portal.
For more information, visit the Commonwealth Foundation Grants Programme page.
The deadline to apply is 24 October 2024, 1 pm BST.
Be sure to prepare all required documents and meet eligibility requirements to be considered for this impactful grant opportunity.