Application Deadline: October 29 2013
The Commonwealth Foundation grants programme contributes to sustainable development in the context of effective, responsive and accountable governance with civil society participation.
The programme brokers knowledge and ideas. It supports innovation and sharing of replicable and sustainable models, whilst promoting good practice in participatory governance.
Participatory governance grants
Participatory governance is about how the state, the market and civil society interact to effect change. These interactions involve the inclusion of civil society in decision-making processes, enabling citizens to exercise voice and vote, and engage in policy formation.
By awarding grants to support participatory governance across the Commonwealth, the programme aims to:
- Deliver an efficient and effective programme which is responsive to the development needs of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the Commonwealth
- Complement the effectiveness of the Foundation’s projects by providing grants to CSOs beyond those supported through the projects
- 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
- Up to £30,000 per year
- Multi-year funding available (up to three years)
- For civil society organisations
- Funding for new projects delivered in Commonwealth Foundation member countries
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
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if you meet all of the following criteria:
a) Your organisation is a registered Civil Society Organisation (CSO) and you can provide a copy of your registration document to verify this
b) Your project addresses at least one of the Commonwealth Foundation’s short-term outcomes
c) Your project or activity budget is for no more than £30,000 per annum
d) Counterpart resourcing is available for the project
e) The duration of your project or activity is three years or less
f) You do not currently have an existing grant with the Commonwealth Foundation at the time the call is announced1
The Commonwealth Foundation uses the following definition of a CSO:
Civil society organisations are registered entities, who work within the law, but outside heart a commitment to democratic values and the equal treatment of all people. Civil society organisations are diverse and include: volunteer organisations, indigenous peoples’ organisations, non-governmental organisations, social enterprises, community-based organisations, labour unions, faith-based organisations, charitable and philanthropic organisations, professional associations and foundations and parts of media and academia. All CSOs must provide proof of registration.
How do I apply for a grant?
This is a two-stage process and civil society organisations will have approximately four weeks to submit a preliminary application when the grant call opens. This will then be followed by a short listing process.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full application within a month of notice and will be emailed a link to an online application form. At this stage, applicants will be expected to submit a logic model, a full budget and a project plan with templates supplied along with a link to the full application form.
a) To facilitate your application, please read the following documents carefully before proceeding:
Grants application guidelines
How to prepare your grants application
Commonwealth Foundation logic model
b) You will need to register or sign in and complete the eligibility questionnaire before starting a new application. To register, you will need to supply an email address and a password.
c) In addition to your application form, you will need to submit
a copy of your organisation’s registration certificate
a copy of your organisation’s most recent audited annual accounts or annual report
a copy of the registration certificate and most recent audited annual accounts/report for any joint applicant organisations
Application dates
A new call for applications will be launched on 1 October with new guidelines and supporting documentation.
It is a two-stage process and civil society organisations will have approximately four weeks to submit a preliminary application when the grant call opens. This will then be followed by a short listing process.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full application within a month of notice and will be emailed a link to an online application form. At this stage, applicants will be expected to submit a logic model, a full budget and a project plan with templates supplied along with a link to the full application form.
Below are the dates for the submission of the preliminary application form:
1 October 2013 – 29 October 2013
4 February 2014 – 3 March 2014
2 September 2014 – 30 September 2014