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Funding opportunities

Deadline: October 2019

A J Muste Memorial Institute
Type of project: Grassroots activist projects which support non-violent action for social justice. giving priority to those with small budgets and little access to more mainstream funding sources. We are especially interested in funding efforts to: end the violence of borders and the criminalisation of immigrants; abolish the death penalty, shut down the prison industrial complex, redefine criminal justice; confront institutionalized repression against racial, ethnic, gender-based, and LGBTQ communities; support progressive workers movements and the eradication of poverty; dismantle the war machine, end state sponsored terrorism and expose the dangers of nuclear power.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: Grassroots organisations with annual income of less than $500,000 and with or without 501(c)3 status or a fiscal sponsor may apply.
Grant size: Projects must have expense budgets under $50,000
Closing date: 14 October

The Black Sea Trust
Type of project: Confidence building, improved mutual understanding and reconciliation between populations in territories presently or recently involved in (armed) conflicts.
Projects working in the following areas would be especially appreciated: approaches to build and/or strengthen local, regional and national capacities to promote coexistence and reintegration; cross-border initiatives for youth; approaches to civic education or active citizenship; approaches to reconciliation and peace that incorporate experiences from history and convey them to the younger generation; arts and cultural work to advance peace and reconciliation; the role of media in overcoming stereotypes.
Location: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine
Eligibility: Organisations must be legally registered in one of the above-named countries. Involvement of additional partners (especially those from the EU) is possible and welcome.
Grant size: Average grants will be for $23,000 USD or about €18,000
Closing date: 18 October

Comic Relief Improving Mental Health & Wellbeing in Kenya
Type of project: Proposals should respond to one or both of the programme’s aims and may focus efforts at community, county and/or national level: 1) Tackle stigma and discrimination associated with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities; 2) Improve access to quality mental health services in line with human rights approaches for people living with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. All proposals should also outline how funds will be used to improve the organisational capacity and resilience of the CSOs and representative groups involved.
Location: Kenya
Eligibility: Applications must be led by organisations originating in Kenya with a minimum track record of one year of successful work on mental health issues and a minimum annual income of £75,000. Applications from organisations working in partnership with others, especially with representative groups, are welcomed.
Grant size: 8 - 12 investments of £100,000 to £750,000 for projects lasting 24 months to 42 months.
Closing date: 18 October

Sida Capacity Development in Disaster Risk Management
Type of project: The aim of the programme is to strengthen capacity of individuals and their organisations to manage disaster risk. Change is expected to be achieved within areas such as risk and vulnerability assessments, management of data and response information, risk-informed recovery and mainstreaming of gender and environment. Participating organisations will also have improved cooperation, coordination and information sharing capacities.
Location: Nepal, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia.
Eligibility: Technical experts and middle management staff employed by public authorities, civil society and academia involved in disaster risk management may apply.
Grant size: Sida will cover the costs related to: Participation in the programme, study visits, and scheduled activities; Hotel accommodations; meal allowances; International travel to and from Sweden and regional workshops.
Closing date: 28 October

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
Type of project: supporting species conservation work, recognising leaders in the field and elevating the importance of species in the broader conservation debate
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: anyone directly involved in species conservation can apply to the fund for a grant
Grant size: $25,000 per project. Note that this funder does not contribute to the core running costs of an organisation or administrative overheads
Closing date: 30 October

Global Challenges Research Fund Urgency Grants
Type of project:The Urgency Grants aim to provide an open, responsive mechanism for arts and humanities researchers to respond in an agile way to unanticipated urgent research needs and opportunities which meet a development need or challenge and/or have the potential to support low- or middle-income countries to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, applications must demonstrate the case for urgency, explaining why the research needs to be done within specified time constraints that cannot be supported through other funding routes.
Location: Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC).
Eligibility: Awards will normally be made to a UK research organisation. However, it is recognised that in some urgency contexts it may be appropriate for a significant element of the research to be led or conducted by LMIC or other partners ‘on the ground’ or with relevant contextual / cultural knowledge. As such, there are no limits on the proportions of funding within awards which may be allocated to overseas or other partners.
Grant size: £150,000
Closing date: 31 October

Fondation Fonds Suez
Type of project: Access to essential services (water, sanitation and waste) for disadvantaged populations in developing countries, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. The Fondation looks favourably on participation of the populations concerned in financing the service provided, both in terms of cash contributions and labour, within their capabilities.
Location: Developing countries
Eligibility: Legally registered organisations established for at least 1 year may apply
Grant size: There is no upper limit, but grants can only be award up to 50% of the project’s total budget.
Closing date: 31 October

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Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Type of project: Security and peace-building projects focused on: (1) strengthening Japan-U.S. relationship, (2) expanding Japan's presence in Asia, (3) enhancing understanding of and relationship with Islamic countries, (4) establishing ocean governance, and (5) empowering women.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: Eligible organisations include incorporated foundations and corporations, NPO corporations, universities and other incorporated educational institutions, and private organizations conducting non-profit activities.
Grant size: $ 20,000 - $100,000.
Closing date: 31 October

The Whitley Fund for Nature
Type of project: Whitley Awards are for dynamic mid-career conservationists who are leading wildlife conservation projects in developing countries. Winners tend to be nationals of the country in which they are working and are looking to scale up work that is proven to be effective and would benefit from further funding and profile boost. To be eligible, projects must involve local communities at the grassroots level and deliver practical action that is founded on science.
Location: Any country that is not defined as a High Income Economy by the World Bank.
Eligibility: Grassroots conservationists from locally incorporated NGOs in biodiversity-rich developing countries may apply. Three references in support of your application are required.
Grant size: £40,000
Closing date: 31 October

Deadline: November 2019

The Open Technology Fund's Internet Freedom Fund
Type of project: Projects and people working on open and accessible technology-centric projects that promote human rights, internet freedom, open societies, and help advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks for at-risk users including journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists, and every-day people living within repressive environments who wish to speak freely online.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: Non-profit or Non-government organizations, including U.S.-based NGOs, or foreign NGOs; Non-profit universities or research institutions; for-profit organizations or businesses may all apply. Grant size: Most supported efforts receiving between $50,000 and $200,000. Please note this is a performed based contract with payment issued on completion of stated objectives, activities, and deliverables.
Closing date: 1 November

The Scottish Government's 2020 International Development Small Grants Programme
Type of project: Grants are available for feasibility studies and capacity building initiatives for Scottish based organisations working in International Development.
Location: Projects can be implemented in any country rated as either medium or low in the United Nations Human Development Index, although priority will be given to those working in Malawi, Zambia or Rwanda.
Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to Scotland-based organisations with an annual expenditure of less than £250,000. Grant size: £15,000
Closing date: 8 November

D-Prize
Type of project: D-Prize funds new social entrepreneurs who increase access to proven poverty interventions. D-Prize is funding entrepreneurs to overcome various distribution challenges within the following categories: Girls' Education; Agriculture; Energy; Global Health; Education; Governance and Infrastructure and 'Custom' where you can propose your own challenge.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: D-Prize challenges are open to anyone or any teams from any business model including for profit, non-profit, and everything in between.
Grant size: $20,000
Closing date: 10 November

The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation
Type of project: Conflict resolution. Projects which deal primarily with the causes, circumstances and consequences of violence, and include: protection for civilians, especially displaced persons and refugees; psychosocial assistance and rehabilitation of the victims of war and conflict; projects to prevent and resolve conflicts for people affected by war.
Location: Switzerland, the UK, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Myanmar, Yemen and Syria.
Eligibility: UK and Swiss registered civilian non-profit organisations working in the above stated countries
Closing date: 11 November

UK Aid Match
Type of project: UK Aid Match brings charities, the British public and the UK government together to collectively change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. It is designed to provide opportunities for the UK public to engage with international development issues and to allow you to have a say in how UK aid is spent, whilst boosting the impact of the very best civil society projects to reach the poorest people in developing countries. We’re looking for projects that will help to achieve the SDGs by reaching the most vulnerable populations – with a special focus on projects that support women and girls. Projects will also need to support the department’s wider objectives: Strengthen global peace, security and governance; Strengthen resilience and response to crisis; Promote global prosperity; Tackle extreme poverty.
Location: Countries in the lowest 50 on the UN HDI list or on the DFID high or moderate fragility list.
Eligibility: The applicant must be a UK-registered, non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation with its own UK constitution and independent board of trustees; be registered with the Fundraising Regulator, except CSOs registered in Scotland only; hold no more than three UK Aid Match grants for projects that have more than nine months left to run; Provide published annual audited accounts or financial statements for the last two years. DFID will not consider applications from think tanks, policy institutes, research organisations or academic institutions. Grant size: For every £1 donated to a UK Aid Match charity appeal by an individual living in the UK, the UK government will also contribute £1 of UK aid, up to £2 million.
Closing date: 12 November. Opens August 20th. Full application guidance will be available on from 31 July.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations Round 24
Type of project: Innovative solutions that accelerate the improvement of coverage, reach, efficiency, and effectiveness of health campaigns. Specifically, we are looking for innovations in approaches, practices, or tools that dramatically improve the planning and microplanning, implementation, operations, and monitoring and evaluation that will lead to improved effectiveness of campaigns. A solution should be applicable to campaigns beyond the context in which it is originally tested e.g. applicable in multiple lower- to middle-incomes countries and/or applicable across multiple types of health campaigns such as immunization, NTDs, malaria, or nutrition.
Location:Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Eligibility: Foreign and domestic organizations, including non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions may apply. Grant size: $100,000.
Closing date: 13 November

The Minor Foundation for Major Challenges
Type of project: Innovative communication projects which aim to influence public opinion and increase political support for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and man-made climate change.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: Registered CSOs
Closing date: 15 November

Wellcome Trust International Training Fellowships
Type of project: Nationals of low- and middle-income countries the opportunity to receive training at postgraduate or postdoctoral level.
Location: The host organisation must be based in a Low- or Middle-Income Country, excluding India.
Eligibility: The host organisation must be based in a Low- or Middle-Income Country, excluding India. Grant size: £150,00 to £300,000 for salary, fees and research expenses over 3 years.
Closing date: 21 November

WWF Reforestation Grants
Type of project: Supporting communities in regaining ecological integrity and enhancing human wellbeing in deforested and degraded landscapes through forest restoration. The proposed project must include an active learning, practical skill component, or field-based learning activity that builds skills and knowledge for local stakeholders.
Location: Amazon and Tropical Andes (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname); Borneo and Sumatra (Indonesia); Coastal East Africa (Kenya, Mozambique); Congo Basin (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Dem. Republic of Congo, Gabon, Republic of Congo); Eastern Himalayas (Bhutan, Nepal); Greater Mekong (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam); Madagascar; Malaysia; Mesoamerican Reef (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras); Namibia; Uganda.
Eligibility: Organisations legally registered in the above-named countries are eligible to apply. Grant size: up to $15,000
Closing date: 25 November

UK Aid Direct Small Charities Challenge Fund - Project Grants
Type of project: Successful applications will clearly show how the project will: reach the most vulnerable or marginalised in society; contribute towards the UN’s Global Goals; address DFID’s wider strategic objectives; and support the goals of UK Aid Direct.
Location: Projects are only eligible if they are set up in a country that is ranked in the bottom 50 of the UN Human Development Index or if it is considered of high or moderate fragility by DFID. Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria are the exceptions to this rule and are not eligible project countries for SCCF grants.
Eligibility:Grants are available for UK-registered organisations with an annual income of £250,000 or less. Grant size: £50,000 for projects of up to two years.
Closing date: 28 November

UK Aid Direct Small Charities Challenge Fund - Capacity Development Grants
Type of project: DFID is offering new grants for organisations with the ability to build the capacity of small British charities working in international development. DFID is looking for innovative, evidence-based and ambitious proposals from organisations with a track record of supporting small, grassroot organisations to achieve their ambitions.
Location: Projects are only eligible if they are set up in a country that is ranked in the bottom 50 of the UN Human Development Index or if it is considered of high or moderate fragility by DFID. Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria are the exceptions to this rule and are not eligible project countries for SCCF grants.
Eligibility:UK-registered, not-for-profit organisations or Groups of UK registered not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of less than £10 million may apply.
Grant size: £100,000 for projects of up to two years.
Closing date: 28 November

Deadline: December 2019

United Nations Democracy Fund
Type of project: UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. Projects fall under one of 8 categories: community activism; electoral processes; gender equality; media and freedom of information; rule of law and human rights; strengthening civil society interaction with government; tools for knowledge; youth engagement.
Location: Proposals from all countries as well as regional and global initiatives will be considered. However, strong preference will be given to applicants from countries and regions that are in the transition and consolidation phases of democratization, especially those emerging from conflict, new and restored democracies, least developed countries and low or middle-income countries.
Eligibility: Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations, engaged in promoting democracy are anticipated to receive the bulk of the funding. Formal networks of local NGOs can also apply.
Grant size: A minimum of US $100,000 to a maximum of US $300,000 up to 2 years.
Closing date: Opens mid-November until mid- December

The Waterloo Foundation Tropical Rainforests grants
Type of project: Tropical Rainforest: support for projects protecting tropical rain forest, principally through avoided deforestation.
Location: Tropical forests. We are unlikely to support projects in conflict-affected areas.
Grant size: The majority of grants are for a total of £50,000 - £100,000.
Closing date: 1 December

The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children
Type of project: Solutions that leverage existing and new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, blockchain and virtual reality to enhance detection and response to online child sexual exploitation and abuse and prevent known and emerging threats.
Location: Approximately US$10 million of available funds aim to support solutions which will benefit countries eligible for ODA support. The remaining funds (approximately US$3 million) are not subject to this restriction and can support work in non-ODA countries
Eligibility: There are two funding modalities to this call: (a) project grants and (b) equity-free seed investments. Eligibility is different for both types. For grant funding, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, research institutes and academic institutions may apply. For equity-free seed investments, technology companies working on solutions for the prevention of online child sexual exploitation and abuse may apply.
Grant size: Up to $750,000 per grant and up to $250,000 per seed investment.
Closing date: 6 December

US Embassy's Humanitarian Assistance Programme
Type of project: averting humanitarian crises, promoting democratic development and regional stability, building local capacity, and enabling countries to begin to recover from conflicts
Location: Benin
Grant size: $500,000
Closing date: 15 December

Chrysalis Trust
Type of project: Relief of poverty and disability; Provision of access to shelter, education, healthcare and water
Location: UK & International
Eligibility: The Trust supports local projects in the North East of England, national organisations providing benefit across the UK, as well as, international charities registered in the UK.
Grant size: £1,000 - £10,000
Closing date: 15 December

Embassy of Japan in Botswana
Type of project: Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects seek to fund relatively small socio-economic development projects which have a direct and immediate impact on the well-being of disadvantaged communities at a grass-roots level in areas including but not limited to education, health/sanitation, water/energy, agriculture/indigenous industry, and environment.
Location: Botswana
Eligibility: Registered non-profit organisations such as non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, educational institutes, medical institutes and local governments are eligible to apply. Applicant organisations must have at least 2 years’ experience in the sector of the proposed project.
Grant size: Up to 10,000,000 Japanese Yen per project. Salary costs cannot be funded.
Closing date: 20 December

Voice Global Sudden Opportunity Grant
Type of project: Projects that can facilitate the rapid coordination of collective action (campaigns, peaceful demonstrations, strategic litigation, etc.) at the national and regional level to: 1) take advantage of unexpected opportunities to advocate for the inclusion of marginalised and discriminated people that can lead to important positive changes in laws or in public attitudes and social norms; 2) address urgent emerging threats that could further jeopardise and limit the basic human rights of groups already marginalised and discriminated against.
Location: Projects can be implemented in any country in West Africa, East Africa and/or Asia considered least developed, low income, and/or in the lower middle-income range, AND in at least one Voice focus country including: West Africa (Nigeria, Niger, and Mali); East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania); Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, and Indonesia).
Eligibility: The applicant must be an organisation (formal/informal) which is governed and managed by members of the rightsholder group(s) and registered in at least one of the countries in the region where their project will be implemented. For example: For a project in West Africa, the lead applicant must be registered in either Niger, Mali, Nigeria or another neighbouring country in West Africa. INGOs may only apply as co-applicants and technical advisors, allowing their local partners to take the lead in the design, management, implementation and evaluation of the project.
Grant size: €5,000 to € 200,000 over 6 – 12 months
Closing date: 31 December

British & Foreign School Society (BFSS)
Type of project: Maximising education for all: projects which will benefit children and young people suffering from the impact of poverty, community disadvantage, social exclusion, special educational needs which are not adequately met and/or who are living in areas that have suffered from conflict or natural disaster. BFSS would particularly welcome applications for projects designed to address the need for re-establishing and renewing education where the provision of education (including facilities, resources and teacher training) has suffered from conflict, natural disaster or neglect.
Location: UK and Worldwide. Examples of countries where projects have been funded are: Afghanistan, Burma, the DRC, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, the UK and Zambia.
Eligibility: UK charitable organisations including Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO); UK schools, colleges or universities with charitable status or which is an "exempt charity". The Funder requires continuous UK accounts for at least three years and can consider proposals for collaborative projects involving international partners and agencies.
Grant size: £3,000 - £40,000 over 1 - 3 years
Closing date: 31 December

Deadline: January 2020

Jean Sainsbury Trust
Type of project:General running costs associated with the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing or release of domestic, wild and exotic animals. Charities that bring animals from overseas to the UK will not receive support unless they are also supporting ongoing work in the country of origin.
Location: Applicants can be working in the UK or overseas.
Eligibility: The Trust favours applications from smaller charities registered in the UK.
Grant size: £1,000 - £10,000
Closing date: 1 January 2020

National Endowment for Democracy
Type of project: Promote civic education, strengthen civil society organizations, promote independent media, Promote and defend human rights and the rule of law, strengthen democratic ideas and values, strengthen democratic political processes and institutions, Strengthen a broad-based market economy.
Location: Worldwide.
Eligibility: UK and Southern CSOs which may include civic organisations, associations, independent media, and other similar organisations can apply.
Grant size: avg. $50,000 over 12 months
Closing date: 10 January 2020

The Fore
Type of project: Development funding and strategic support to early-stage charities and social enterprises. A list of past grantees is available here.
Location: The UK and overseas.
Eligibility: UK-registered charities, community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations and community benefit societies with annual income of less than £500,000. For work implemented overseas, the applicant must be registered in the UK.
Grant size: A total of £30,000 unrestricted funding over 1 - 3 years
Closing date: 13 January 2020 (opens 9 December)

Embassy of Japan in Uganda
Type of project: : Any projects geared towards grassroots assistance are eligible for financing under this call. Particular attention will be given to projects designed to assist the most vulnerable groups such as women, children and the physically disabled. Preferred projects are in the following areas: Primary/secondary education; Vocational training; Primary health care, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS; Water and sanitation; Reconstruction for disaster areas; Agricultural development.
Location: Uganda
Eligibility: Any non-profit organisation, which has been registered with the National Board of NGOs or local governments and has a minimum of two years’ experience in implementing development projects at a grassroots level, and which has full-time paid staff and track record in handling at least 50 % of the requested fund, is eligible to apply. Potential recipients are international or local NGOs, community-based organisations, medical institutions, educational institutions and local authorities/governments. In cases such as IDP or refugee camps where assistance activities are limited, international organisations may also become recipients.
Grant size: Approximately US$100,000 per project. Items which cannot be financed include: consumables (except in case of emergency or humanitarian relief), running and maintenance costs of facilities and equipment, and administrative costs of the recipient organisation.
Closing date: 31January 2020

Deadline: February 2020

Motorola Solutions Foundation
Type of project: : The Foundation focuses its giving in three key areas: Education – Supporting programs that advance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; Public safety – Making our communities safer by using our leadership in public safety innovation to provide resources to first responders and the communities they serve; Disaster relief – Partnering with humanitarian organizations to provide relief to disaster victims and providing vital support to emergency workers who are at the front lines of disaster relief; Employee giving – Providing our employees with matching programs in the United States and globally. All projects must reach marginalised groups
Location: The Foundation strongly prioritizes programs within the United States and internationally that take place in or near the metropolitan area of Motorola Solutions offices.
Eligibility: Organizations located outside of the United States will be required to prove charitable status.
Grant size: $50,000 for 1 year
Closing date: 1 February 2020

The Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation
Type of project: : UK Organisations that are working to influence policy, attitudes and values at a national or international level. These may be single issue groups working to achieve a particular change, or organisations with a broader remit. We only support practical projects when they are clearly of a pioneering nature, with potential for influencing UK national policy.
Location: UK based organisations working nationally or internationally
Eligibility: UK registered charitable NGOs. The Foundation also supports organisations that are not UK registered if they can indicate a UK registered charity that is able to receive funds on their behalf. The Foundation usually supports organisations whose annual income is between c. £10,000 - £500,000.
Grant size: £5,000 - £20,000 per year for up to three years.
Closing date: 28 February 2020

U.S. Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program
Type of project: : small-scale assistance to Zambian organizations to support Zambian-driven development activities at the local level. The proposed project should be a single activity that helps to improve basic economic or social conditions at the local level. Projects should be sustainable, long-lived, and benefit the greatest number of people possible. Substantial community participation is required during the project. Contributions may include labor, materials, equipment, land, buildings, or money.
Location: Zambia
Eligibility: Zambian-Registered Community Based Organizations
Grant size: $500 - $15,000
Closing date: 28 February 2020

Deadline: February 2020

Green Hall Foundation
Type of project: : The objective of the Green Hall Foundation is to sustainably improve lives: among the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged particularly in the UK. Overseas projects are also supported provided that the applicant charity is registered in the UK. Preference is given to appeals where the Foundation can meet a significant proportion of the funding required and to appeals where permanent equipment or building is required as opposed to funding salaries or the charity running costs.
Location: UK & Overseas
Eligibility: The March 2020 cycle is open to UK registered charities in all income brackets.
Grant size: £1,000 to £10,000
Closing date: Opens 1 March 2020 9am UK time and closes when 100 applications have been received.

The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation
Type of project: : Conflict resolution. Projects which deal primarily with the causes, circumstances and consequences of violence, and include: protection for civilians, especially displaced persons and refugees; psychosocial assistance and rehabilitation of the victims of war and conflict; projects to prevent and resolve conflicts for people affected by war.
Location: Switzerland, the UK, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Myanmar, Yemen and Syria.
Eligibility: UK and Swiss registered civilian non-profit organisations working in the above stated countries may apply.
Grant size: Recent grants have been between 5,000 – 100,000 CHF
Closing date: 9 March

National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
Type of project: : Projects working to advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions. NED is interested in proposals from local, independent organizations for nonpartisan programs that seek to: promote civic education; strengthen civil society organizations; promote independent media; promote and defend human rights and the rule of law; strengthen democratic ideas and values; strengthen democratic political processes and institutions; strengthen a broad-based market economy.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: UK and Southern CSOs which may include civic organisations, associations, independent media, and other similar organisations can apply.
Grant size: avg. $50,000 over 12 months
Closing date: 27 March

United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability
Type of project: : Examples of fundable projects include those which promote greater awareness and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Build capacity of stakeholders to improve livelihoods and well-being of persons with disabilities; Foster knowledge exchange and dissemination of inclusive and accessible policies and practices.
Location: Developing countries
Grant size: Not stated. However, activities which are not eligible for funding include individual assistance, purchase of equipment (e.g. computers, cameras, assistive equipment and vehicles), construction of buildings, payment of rent or utilities, etc.
Closing date: 31 March

Contracting opportunities

Find out more about contracting opportunities and how to apply in our Bidding for a DFID contract guide.

The Department for International Development (DFID) now spends 14% of its total budget (£1.4 billion) through commercial contracts, all of which are open tenders and which any organisation can apply for, including NGOs and local organisations. The formal route for DFID to inform suppliers about new opportunities is through the DFID supplier portal.

Ongoing grant opportunities

Abilis Foundation
Type of projects: supporting people with disabilities to implement their own projects in developing countries
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: Disabled People's Organisations from developing countries

African Women's Development Fund
Type of project: young women, women facing multiple discrimination, and approaches that include engaging the arts, culture, sports and technology. The fund focuses on the following themes: Body & Health Rights; Economic Security & Justice; Leadership, Participation & Peace. The fund also awards capacity building grants that focus on advancing organisational growth and development – for example strategic planning, developing fundraising and communications strategies, strengthening organisational governance systems and human resources management
Location: Africa
Eligibility: applicants must be African women’s organisations which are led by a woman and which have a majority female staff and board. They must also be registered in an African country and have been in existence for at least 3 years. The fund will only consider grants that are less than 50% of an organisation’s annual income

The Alan & Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund
Type of project: education and young people's employment and projects which promote freedom of speech or advance peace and reconciliation
Location: sub-Saharan Africa
Eligibility: registered charities may apply
Grant size: £5,000 - £25,000

The Alborada Trust
Type of project: medical and veterinary causes, research and education, welfare of animals and help with relief to disaster areas worldwide
Location: worldwide.
Eligibility: registered national and international charities may apply
Grant size: the Trust only awards grants of £25,000 or more

The Alchemy Foundation
Type of project: WASH, disability, social welfare, personal reform, medical research and aid especially in areas of blindness and disfigurement, individual enterprise and respite for carers. The Foundation can also fund the cost of fundraisers
Location: UK and Overseas
Grant size: total granting for 2018 totalled £448,925

The Al Fayed Foundation
Type of project: relieving the plight of orphans, refugees and street children abroad
Location: worldwide

The American Express Foundation
Type of project: unsolicited applications can be made under the areas: Developing Leaders within non-profit and social purpose organisations working to solve the world's biggest challenges; and Serving Communities by building the capacity of non-profits to develop, engage and retain community members as volunteers
Location: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Greater China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, UK, USA
Eligibility: non-profit organisations

AngloAmerican Group Foundation
Type of projects: environment, education and training; community development; HIV/AIDS and welfare
Countries: UK, Chile, Peru, India, Mozambique, Brazil, Colombia, China, Mongolia, Zimbabwe
Grant range: unspecified

The Ashworth Charitable Trust
Type of project: humanitarian causes operating locally, nationally and internationally. The underlying principals are: justice; education for all; the need to address the situation of the very poor and of those at the margins of society; that all people everywhere should be able to share the fruits of and be empowered to participate in the construction of a just, prosperous and sustainable society; and that to achieve these aims, it is necessary to build the capacity of individuals, communities and institutions
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: UK-registered charities whose turnover is under £1 million.
Grant size: not usually exceeding £3,000

The Austin Bailey Foundation
Type of project: the relief of poverty and ill-health, and the fostering of opportunities for young people in the developing world
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: registered UK charities only
Grant size: grants for new applicants rarely exceed £400. Grants for charities known to the Trust can reach approximately £4,000

The Blackwood Engineering Trust
Type of projects: education or projects which generally benefit children and young people in need due to poverty, bereavement, sickness or disability which have little funding from statutory bodies are a largely run by voluntary organisations
Location: locations where Blackwood Engineering operates, including the UK, China and around the world
Grant size: £500 - £2000. Larger grants may be considered in exceptional circumstances

The Bottle Top Foundation
Type of project: poverty alleviation schemes and grass roots education initiatives that empower young people
Location: current grantees are working in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa
Eligibility: local offices or affiliates of national or international organisations cannot apply. In most cases grantees have budgets in the £5,000 – £50,000 range
Budget: £3,000 and £15,000

The Bromley Trust
Type of project: There are two focus areas: 1. Human Rights - trafficking & Slavery; Torture & Abuse and Persecution. Within this stream, the Trust does not support international development work, disaster relief, organisations working wholly outside of the UK, domestic abuse or Female Genital Mutilation; 2. Prison reform – this is for projects working in the UK only. The Trust tends to provide unrestricted support (core funding) to specialist organisations. If your overall work does not entirely fit within the focus areas but you wish to apply for a specific project or element of your work that does fit, contact the Trust to discuss.
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: Any UK-registered charity, including those who undertake work internationally may apply. Grantees usually have an annual income of between £100,000 and £1.5m
Grant size: between £5,000 and £20,000 per year for up to 3 years

Britford Bridge Trust
Type of project: poverty relief; education; health and; the arts, culture, heritage or science
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: registered charities may apply
Grant size: £4,000 - £170,000. Most grants are for c. £10,000

The C&A Foundation
Type of projects: accelerating sustainable cotton, improving working conditions, eradicating forced labour, and enabling circular fashion
Location: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkey, Tanzania, Indonesia
Grant size: proposals for under €100,000 can be reviewed by a programme manager. Those that are over €500,000 are reviewed by the Board of Directors who meet twice a year in June and December

Chalk Cliff Trust
Type of project: education, malnutrition or medical related. The grant need not be specifically tied to funding projects. The funding can be used as seed capital, to help with core administration costs, or to help an organisation through a difficult time
Eligibility: Organisations should be based in East Sussex, UK. Donations will normally be made to registered charities, however organisations pending registration or pressure groups will also be considered
Grant size: most grants are in the region of £3,000 - £5,000

Charles Hayward Foundation
Type of projects: clean water and sanitation; basic health programmes; self-sustainability through training in farming skills and income generation activities
Countries: Commonwealth countries of Africa
Grant range: up to £15,000

The Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind (FPH)
Type of project: addressing the following themes: Good Governance & Regional Cooperation; Shared Ethics & Responsibility, including projects focused on conflict resolution and Sustainable Development, including supporting biodiversity
Location: worldwide

Charles Steward Mott Foundation
Type of projects: strengthening philanthropy and the nonprofit sector as vital vehicles for increasing civic engagement and improving communities and societies
Countries: South Africa
Grant range: $15,000 to $250,000

Cisco Foundation Global Impact Cash Grants
Type of projects: innovative approaches to critical social challenges. Organisations and programmes must focus on at least one of the following areas: access to education; economic empowerment; critical human needs. Programmes must serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.
Location: worldwide
Grant size: the maximum request amount for first-time grant recipients is US$75,000

Civicus Crisis Response Fund
Type of projects: CSOs facing new restrictions on their work can apply for funding for emergency advocacy actions to defend civic freedoms and democratic values. The Fund provides grants to mobilise quick, principled and effective advocacy responses to events that threaten fundamental rights to associate and assemble freely. The fund also supports civil society through resiliency grants, designed to ensure that organisations have greater flexibility and creativity to proactively prevent and mitigate threats against their organizations. Funds are provided where immediate action is required, either to forestall imminent threats or to address new restrictions.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: National CSOs Grant size: 10,000 USD for projects lasting up to 6 months

Cumbria Overseas Aid Trust
Type of project: Projects which contribute in some way to the relief of poverty and which will have some long-term and sustainable benefits to a local community. Trustees also prefer a connection to Cumbria either through individuals involved or the origins of the organisation.
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: UK NGOs may apply
Grant size: usually under £1,000 but can be up to £2,000

Danson Foundation
Type of project: education projects
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: UK NGOs may apply
Grant size: various grants between £1,000 - £150,000

Denise Coates Foundation
Type of project: education and training; disaster recovery/emergency relief; community development; medical research and development
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: UK NGOs may apply
Grant size: in the 2016-17 financial year the Foundation committed to provide £5,964,536 of grants and donations to 21 charitable entities, 19 of which totalled more than £20,000

De la Rue Charitable Trust
Type of projects: educational projects at home and abroad which promote relevant skills, international understanding and bring relief from suffering
Location: the UK and under-developed communities where De la Rue does business
Eligibility: UK registered charities
Grant size: approximate annual fund value is £60,000 with 10-12 charities supported in 2016/17

The Dorfred Charitable Trust
Type of project: relief of third world poverty
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: UK registered charities only
Grant size: £18,000 of grants were awarded in 2016/7

Draper Richards Kaplan
Type of project: Innovative strategies, systems changing approaches, and disrupting technologies seeking to dramatically improve the lives of people and the world. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic ideas and nurture them at the early stages with maximum leverage and total commitment. We concentrate our selection on the capabilities of the founder, the scalability of the model, and the potential impact of the organization on the world.
Location: Worldwide
Eligibility: Individual leaders, domestic (U.S.) and international organizations, non-profit, for-profit and hybrid social enterprises may apply.
Grant size: 3 years of unrestricted capital totalling $300,000

Dubai Cares
Type of projects: school infrastructure; school health; nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools; quality of education
Countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Jordan , Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia
Grant range: unspecified
Overhead recovery: this donor limits overhead recovery to no more than 7% of donations

Dulverton Charitable Trust
Type of projects: 1) Community Development which covers the provision of water and power, the encouragement of farming, enterprise, wildlife conservation. 2) Peace & Humanitarian Support including disaster relief.
Location: Kenya and Uganda
Eligibility: UK charities and charitable incorporated organisations may apply.
Grant size: between £25,000 and £35,000 per year.

Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust
Type of projects: benefit women or orphaned children; demonstrate local involvement in scoping and delivery, except where skills required are not currently available e.g. eye surgeons in remote rural areas; repair damages in post-conflict countries; deliver clean water and sanitation
Location: sub-Saharan Africa, Indian sub-continent including Afghanistan, and projects in Palestine or those supporting Palestinian refugees
Eligibility: UK CSOs may apply
Grant size: £1000 - £3000

Elton John AIDS Foundation
Type of projects: Projects providing tangible impacts on individuals living with and communities affected by HIV Aids
Location: Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Myanmar (Burma), Nigeria, Russian Federation, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Eligibility: UK and Southern CSOs can apply
Grant range: £10,000 - £15,000

F G CHARITABLE TRUST
Type of project: supporting groups who are victims of either: breaches of human rights; any public calamity (including famine earthquake or pestilence); war or civil disturbance; the immediate or continuing effects of lack of natural or other resources; or any other cause of poverty distress or suffering.
Location: Any part of the world but with a particular focus on Africa, South America, the Indian sub-continent and Eastern Europe.
Eligibility: faith-based organisations only
Grant size: £450,000 worth of grants and legacies were disbursed in 2016/7

Ford Foundation
Type of projects: educational opportunity and scholarship; sustainable development; freedom of expression; gender; sexuality and reproductive justice; human rights; economic fairness
Countries: worldwide
Grant range: unspecified

Ford Foundation's JustFilms Grant
Type of projects: artist-driven film and new media projects, and other forms of creative visual storytelling, that explore the rich diversity of the human experience. These stories inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes, and help transform attitudes that perpetuate injustice.
Location: worldwide
Grant range: unspecified

Front Line Defenders Protection Grants
Type of projects: Rapid and practical financial support to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders (HRD) and their organisations improving physical security of an organisation or individual, digital security and communication security; supporting legal fees for HRDs who are being judicially harassed; paying for medical fees for HRDs who have been attacked or who have suffered a medical condition as a result of their peaceful human rights activities; providing family assistance for imprisoned HRDs or family members who are at risk because of a HRD's activities.
Location: Worldwide Eligibility: local organisations and individuals may apply
Grant range: $7,500

FP2020 Rapid Response Mechanism
Type of project: family planning
Eligibility: Registered NGOs, CSOs and INGOs, governments, private and UN organisations are eligible
Grant size: up to US$ 250,000. The vast majority of projects receive less than US$100,000. Please note grants cannot be used to fund: Purchase of contraceptives; Government staff salaries or honorariums; Scholarships to individuals; Fees to attend a conference; Basic research, academic studies or surveys; Capital equipment (such as machinery, vehicles, IT equipment, and office furniture)

The Gibbs Trust
Type of projects: innovative undertakings by Methodist churches and organisations, other Christian Causes, especially of an ecumenical nature, and a wider category in the fields of the creative arts, education, social and international concern
Location: Wales and overseas
Eligiblity: UK-registered charities
Grant size: grants totalling £43,250 were made to international causes in 2016/7. This figure included one £9,000 donation. The remainder were between £1,000 - £3,000
Deadline: the pattern is for the Trustees to meet three times during the financial year: around Easter, in late summer, and after Christmas

The Girl Generation’s End FGM Grassroots Fund
Type of project: supporting local, grassroots organisations in some of the countries most affected by FGM. Projects funded include: educating people about the harmful effects of FGM; promoting community dialogue on and offline; training teachers and healthcare workers, or building a new generation of youth activists to tackle FGM
Location: current grantees are working in Nigeria, Kenya, Somaliland, Sudan, The Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso
Eligibility: local, grassroots organisations in some of the countries most affected by FGM
Grant size: an average of $10,500 per grant

Gisela Graham Foundation
Type of project: alleviating poverty and deprivation among children in less developed countries through care, education, and family support
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: corporate bodies and registered charities
Grant size: grants awarded are normally for sums under £10,000, but most donations are for less than £5,000

Global Fund for Children
Type of projects: innovative, locally-led projects where all children and young people enjoy equal resources and opportunities in society and can live to their full potential
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: legally registered as a local organisation in the country where you operate with youth or child-focused programmes. Most new partners have budgets under $100,000

Global Fund for Community Foundations
Type of project: strengthening community foundations and other local philanthropic institutions, including women's funds, human rights funds and other grassroots grant makers
Location: Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, East and Central Europe, and Central Asia. Applications from community philanthropy organisations representing disadvantaged communities in the global north will also be considered on a case-by-case basis
Eligibility: community philanthropy organisations, including community foundations, women's funds, environmental funds, national public foundations and other grassroots grant makers
Budget: US $7,000–$15,000

Global Fund for Women
Type of projects: gender equality and human rights
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: local organisations working directly in their communities, which are led by historically marginalised groups such as women, girls, or trans people

Global Innovation Fund
Type of project: social innovations that aim to improve the lives and opportunities of millions of people. There are three stages applicants can apply for:

Pilot: Your innovation is still in an early phase. You are testing core assumptions around operational, social and financial viability.
Test and Transition: Your innovation has completed initial testing and is now transitioning to larger scale. You have some information on your operational, social and financial viability. You want to solidify this before you scale.
Scale: Your innovation has solid operational, social and financial viability. You have strong evidence that my innovation improves the lives of those living on less than $5 PPP per day. Now you want to replicate your innovation in new countries and context, reaching millions of people.

Location: developing countries.
Eligibility: for-profit firms, non-profit organisations, researchers, and government agencies may apply. Less than 10% of applicants are invited to submit full proposals.
Grant size:

Pilot projects: The maximum per project is $230,000 USD.
Test and Transition: The maximum per project is $2.3 million, although the average investment size is smaller
Scale: The maximum per project is $15 million, although the average investment size is much smaller

Global security challenges
Type of projects: combatting global security challenges, with particular focus on countries affected by conflict and fragility and to support relevant analyses and the development of situational awareness
Location: regions in North Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia
Eligibility: NGOs (Norwegian, international and local, including non-commercial foundations), the UN system and other multinational organisations

Hazel’s Footprints Trust
Type of project: improving the quality of education. Funding can be requested for capital expenditure and/or project running costs
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: Only UK registered charities may apply. Applications must be submitted by mid-February to be considered at the May meeting or by mid-August to be considered at the November meeting
Grant size: £1,000 - £10,000

The Headley Trust
Type of project: access to safe water, promoting better use of water resources and sanitation projects; sustainable farming and livelihood development; helping girls to continue their education beyond primary school, students’ access to secondary and tertiary education and projects to improve the quality of teaching; trachoma prevention and treatment programmes in Ethiopia and care for mothers and infants in sub-Saharan Anglophone Africa; projects tackling the aftermath of conflict
Location: sub-Saharan Africa
Eligibility: registered charities may apply
Grant size: small grants of c £1,000 or larger grants of £20,000 - £60,000

The Hemraj Goyal Foundation
Type of project: promoting education, women and children’s rights and putting an end to human trafficking
Location: UK and overseas with a focus on Asia

Her Voice
Type of projects: meaningful engagement of adolescent girls and young women in national youth related policy and program processes supported by or linked to the Global Fund
Location: Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Eligibility: registered or unregistered group, network or community-based organisation of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) or young people; or a community-based organisation implementing programs for AGYW and/or youth
Grant size: £2000

The International HIV/Aids Alliance Challenge Response Grant
Type of project: projects impacting both of the following: 1) the people/person you intend to help is/are experiencing discrimination or threats to their health, life or security that impact their access to HIV services and; 2) it is critical that activities take place within the next few months to address barriers that prevent them accessing HIV services
Location: various countries in Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean
Eligibility: Civil society organisations that are led by, or work with, LGBT people or MSM. Organisations can apply to support individuals whose situation meets the criteria stated above
Grant size: up to $20,000

The International HIV/Aids Alliance Emergency Response Grant
Type of project: urgent situations where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) and men who have sex with men (MSM) are facing stigma, discrimination and threats of violence that impact their access to HIV services
Location: various countries in Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean.
Eligibility: Civil society organisations that are led by, or work with, LGBT people or MSM. Organisations can apply to support individuals whose situation meets the criteria stated above
Grant size: up to $20,000

IUCN's Save Our Species Rapid Action Grants
Type of project: Projects which enable and support conservation of threatened species across Africa requiring urgent measures and rapid action at the local level to protect the species and their habitat.
Location: Sub-Saharan continental Africa, not including South Africa
Eligibility: Legally registered non-profit making organisations may apply, including local or international non-governmental organisations. Local and national CSOs , including indigenous or community-based organizations, will be favourably considered. International NGOs will be required to work closely with national stakeholders, local communities and with the consent and all required authorizations from the government.
Grant size: €25,000

The Jephcott Charitable Trust
Type of project: four main areas of funding: population control, the natural environment, education and health.
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: a registered charity or properly constituted organisation whose administrative expenses do not form more than 15% of their annual income
Grant size: £2,000 to £10,000, and in exceptional cases only, up to £20,000

The JJ Charitable Trust
Type of project: environmental projects, especially community-based agriculture initiatives, which aim to help people help themselves in an environmentally sustainable way
Location: sub-Saharan Africa
Eligibility: registered charities may apply
Grant size: in 2017, the trust made 4 grants totalling £179,000 in this category

The Joffe Charitable Trust
Type of projects: the underlying causes of poverty and the advancement of human rights. The fund work in two areas: (a) building a fairer economy, with a focus on fighting corruption and promoting tax justice, and (b) strengthening small charities that have great potential
Location: Anglophone Africa
Eligibility: normally only UK-based charities but in exceptional circumstances will fund non-charities
Grant size: £5,000 to £30,000 per year for up to three years

John Ellerman Foundation
Type of projects: advancing the wellbeing of people, society and the natural world by focusing on the arts, environment and social action. The fund is willing to be flexible, and may venture outside it funding criteria if a different approach would be more effective
Location: UK and UK Overseas Territories
Eligibility: UK CSOs with an income between £100,000 and £10m
Grant size: up to £100,000

The John Lewis Foundation
Type of projects: investing in disadvantaged communities that support the John Lewis business throughout the world to acquire the relevant skills required for meaningful employment and improve social inclusion
Location: the project must benefit communities in which there is a John Lewis store, supplier, manufacturer, distribution hub, call centre etc.
Eligibility: groups and organisations that are registered with the appropriate Charity Commission or where the grant is for an exclusively charitable purpose. Funding cannot support building renovation or other capital expenditure or consumables

Just Trust
Type of projects: addressing the difficulties of some of the most disadvantaged sections of society in some of the least advantaged parts of the world
Location: worldwide (not UK)
Eligibility: UK-registed charities
Grant size: in 2017, the trust made 45 grants ranging from £300 to £5,000 and totalling £62,800

Kitchen Table Charities
Type of project: primary education; health, sanitation and clean drinking water; child and mother care, including street children and maternity services; poverty alleviation, especially revenue generating projects
Location: Africa
Eligibility: UK or locally registered CSOs may apply. No part of any grant should be spent in Britain on administration - including salaries and advertising campaigns.
Grant size: grants rarely exceed £10,000

Lennox Hannay Foundation
Type of project: health or the saving of lives; arts, culture or science; education; religion
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: only UK registered charities may apply
Grant size: most grants do not exceed £20,000

The Marr Manning Trust
Type of projects: two focus areas: 1) education, including access to education by marginalised groups; Quality of teaching; equality for female and disabled students and; 2) Livelihoods projects including secure employment; Access to finance, support to entrepreneurs; market access
Location: sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Sub-Continent and South East Asia
Eligibility: registered, independent charitable organisations and NGOs with an annual income of between £25,000 and £1m
Grant size: 14 grants were supported in 2017/8 with a total value of £372,888

Medica Mondiale
Type of project: combating and preventing sexualised and gender-based violence against women in war and conflict zones
Location: south-eastern Europe; the African Great Lakes Region; Iraq, especially Central Iraq; West Africa
Eligibility: women-led organisations working in collaboration with other human and women’s rights movements who are formally registered as non-governmental and non-profit organisations
Budget: €10,000 - €15,000 per year

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
Type of project: serving children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, family economic stability (including microfinance) and childhood health.
Location: USA, India, South Africa
Eligibility: generally, the foundation does not provide grants to support: individuals, medical research projects, event fundraisers or sponsorships, lobbying of any kind or endowments
Grant size: the foundation generally will not fund more than 25 percent of a project’s budget or more than 10 percent of an organisation’s total annual operating expenses

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Digital Fund
Type of project: the Fund is looking at how it can enable digital specialists to offer free assistance to small organisations
Location: the UK
Eligibility: small voluntary sector organisations can get in touch to find out more about this initiative

The Noel Buxton Trust's African Grants
Type of projects: hard-to-fund community-led organisations working to build local sustainable livelihoods, such as small business support and training and microfinance in both urban and rural settings
Location: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan
Eligibility: trustees tend to offer grants to smaller, grass-roots organisations. The trustees welcome applications from diaspora-led organisations based and registered in the UK. The trust is also considers direct applications from registered civil society organisations in Africa
Grant size: maximum grant is £5000 per year for up to three years

The Oak Foundation
Type of projects: there are six main programmes are: Environment, Child Abuse, Housing and Homelessness, International Human Rights, Issues Affecting Women and Learning Differences. There are four national programmes: Brazil, Denmark, India and Zimbabwe
Location: worldwide
Grant size: there is an annual grant-making budget of more than $200m. Except in special circumstances or in Zimbabwe, the foundation generally does not provide programme grants under US$25,000

OCHA Fund for investigations into sexual exploitation, abuse, and sexual harassment
Type of projects: contract investigative staff or to commission an investigation by a qualified company; reimburse a provider of investigative services where investigation is provided by a partner organisation; fund auxiliary investigation costs including travel, translation services in country of investigation
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: IASC organisations and affiliated partners that do not have dedicated investigations capacity, or have limited investigations capacity
Grant size: expected between $30,000 and $60,000

The Old Dart Foundation
Type of project: initiatives to improve health, literacy, education and employment opportunities among impoverished women, children and young people
Location: Peru, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Chile
Grant size: grants ranged from £5,000 - £500,000 in 2017

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
Type of projects: those which enhance livelihoods by addressing challenges in areas such as education, energy poverty, food security, public health, water supply and sanitation, which may not be directly funded through other financing windows. Projects supported include technical assistance for small-scale social schemes, research, and humanitarian aid. In addition, OFID runs special programs for health, Palestine and energy poverty
Location: priority is given to low-income, least-developed countries
Eligibility: intergovernmental organisations such as UN agencies and international, national, regional and non-governmental organisations. Individuals, private entities and OFID Member States -Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela - are not eligible to apply for assistance.
Grant size: unspecified. In 2016, OFID funded to US$11.7m over 42 projects. Half of all its commitments went to African countries in 2016

Open Society Initiative for East Africa
Type of projects: health and rights; freedom of expression and information; justice and human rights
Countries: East African countries
Grant range: $10,000 to $200,000

Patagonia world trout grants programme
Type of projects: working to restore and protect wild, self-sustainable trout, salmon and other fish species within their native range. This includes both indigenous freshwater and saltwater fish
Location: United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark, Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic
Eligibility: small, grassroots, activist organisations with charitable status (or with a fiscal sponsor with such status)
Grant range: $5000 - $15,000

Paul Hamlyn Trust Open Grants Fund, India
Type of projects: health, education, governance, livelihoods, and empowerment. The fund assists NGOs to consciously design and develop programmes which assist communities to build on their strengths, ensure that their rights and entitlements are not usurped and help them deal with the critical factors that make them vulnerable. Such groups might include: Ultra poor families in mixed communities; Dalit communities; Tribal communities fighting for or dispossessed of their land and resources; Women; Disabled people, particularly children; Communities with little or no access to health services or education; Unorganised labour
Location: only in the Indian states of: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal & Assam
Eligibility: organisations supported must be local Indian NGOs with Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration. Non-Indian organisations or locally registered branches of non-Indian organisations are not supported
Grant size: There is no minimum or maximum grant size. The funder does not usually fund 100% of the amount requested. They can support overheads and running costs; applicants must be able to explain how these costs are calculated

Paung Sie Facility
Type of project: responsive financial and technical support to demand-driven, catalytic initiatives which promote social cohesion in Myanmar
Location: Myanmar
Eligibility: local, national and international organisations are eligible but applications from local initiatives and organisations are particularly encouraged
Budget: $5,000 - $200,000

Pollination Project and Levi Strauss Company
Type of projects: grassroots environmental projects; conserving, protecting, restoring and/or advocating for the ecosystems upon which our civilisation depends
Countries: worldwide
Grant range: $1,000 to $5,000

The Positive Action for Children Fund (PACF) - Grant Programme
Type of project: support for organisations working to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Location: special attention is given to Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya

The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation
Type of projects: the primary areas of interest are the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, young people and education, and global sustainability
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: UK registered not-for-profit organisations that support grassroots community-based projects
Grant size: average £1500, maximum £5000

Pro Victimis Foundation
Type of projects: bringing about lasting changes in the lives of the most vulnerable communities by supporting primarily the victims of forgotten or unrecognised disasters, including extreme forms of exploitation, chronic consequences of armed conflict, natural or industrial disasters, etc. Priority is given to issues which receive little or no international attention and innovative approaches
Location: Africa: Algeria; Burundi; Liberia; Morocco; Rwanda; Sierra Leone. Asia: Cambodia; Laos; Nepal. America: El Salvador; Guatemala; Nicaragua; El Salvador; Guatemala; Nicaragua
Eligibility: hard to fund national or international NGOs with recognized expertise and a proven track record

The Queen Anne's Gate Foundation
Type of projects: making potentially unproductive lives productive
Location: predominantly the UK and Asia
Grant size: total grant funding for 2017 was £204,049

Rhododendron Trust
Type of projects: the education, social development and medical well-being of young people
Location: UK and overseas
Eligibility: generally smaller charities
Grant size: grants totalled £123,000 in 2018

Rivers Foundation
Type of projects: Social welfare and humanitarian aid projects both in the developing world
and the UK. The Trust prefers to support charities which benefit people affected by multiple factors of inequality including poverty, disability, age, gender, ethnic status, or the poor medical, welfare or educational infrastructure in their country.
Eligibility: Charities registered in the UK may apply
Grant size: £500 - £1,500. In 2017-18, grants totalled £58,000. £27,000 went to charities which work in the developing world.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung
Type of projects: The Foundation is open to receiving short summaries of new project ideas, provided they are in line with their strategic and funding principles. These are: Education; Society (including Civil Society; Migration; Youth & Democracy); Health (including chronic disease care); International Relations; Science & Research.
Application procedure: The procedure is a two-stage process. Firstly, you submit your project idea. The idea summarizes the content and financing of the envisaged project. The Foundation will contact you to confirm whether they can pursue your idea further and if so, you will be invited to submit a comprehensive project application.
Location: Worldwide
Type of projects: The Foundation does not accept proposals for building projects, investments, manufacturing facilities, ongoing infrastructure costs, projects that have been proposed in the past, Printing costs, Evaluation measures outside the scope of projects carried out or supported by the Foundation.

Saga Charitable Trust
Type of projects: education, training, healthcare and income generation
Location: developing countries that host Saga holidaymakers
Grant range: up to £20,000

The Said Foundation
Type of projects: the Foundation has a long-term commitment to supporting the needs of children and young people with disabilities. The current priority is supporting Syrian children in Jordan and Lebanon, and the host communities that support them
Location: Jordan and Lebanon
Eligibility: the Foundation welcomes new proposal applications, however the humanitarian crisis in Syria has resulted in resources being heavily committed to existing partners and projects. Before submitting a grant application they recommend that you contact them for the most up to date information about funding priorities

Segal Family Foundation
Type of project: SRHR and secondary & tertiary education.
Location: organisations are more likely to be considered for a grant if they: 1) Operate in a country where the foundation currently has several other grantee partners; 2) Operate in a country that is not currently involved in armed conflict and 3) Operate in countries where the foundation is actively growing our portfolio: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Malawi.
Eligibility: priority organisations are: small and early stage; have an annual budget ranging between $50,000 and $500,000; demonstrate at least two years of operations and successful fundraising to support such operations; have paid staff and a board of directors or advisory committee; are legally registered as a non-profit organisation in the country of operations. The foundation does not support local affiliates of international organisations

Tanzania Development Trust
Type of projects: combating poverty and disease among the people of Tanzania by the development of education, health and other social services, the improvement of water supplies, other communal facilities, and the promotion of self-help activities
Location: Tanzania. Priority is given to projects in these regions: Dodoma, Kagera, Kigoma, Lindi, Mara, Mtwara, Pemba North, Pwani, Shinyanga, Singida, Simiyu and Tabora
Eligibility: the Trust does not fund grants to: individuals; purchase, maintenance and running costs of transport; salaries, allowances, per diems; or running costs of an organisation. However, it may consider training costs in order to develop and assist a project in its implementation and sustainability
Grant size: less than £6000

Thackery Medical Research Trust
Type of project: supporting international charitable medical supply organisations. This may include establishing sustainable supply chains for the production, distribution and use of medical equipment in areas of the world that are poorly supplied. Projects which relieve and prevent disease and sickness in under-developed countries by supporting appropriate research and manufacture of medical products will also be considered
Location: UK and developing countries
Grant size: the Trust has an annual budget of £30,000 and aims to offer grants to more than one organisation

The True Colours Trust Small Grants Programme Africa
Type of projects: promoting and developing palliative care for adults and children in Africa, including improving access to appropriate pain relief
Location: Africa
Eligibility: local African and UK organisations may apply
Grant size: £500 - £5000

Trafigura Foundation
Type of project: Programmes that achieve effective and lasting impact in the Foundation’s two focus areas: Fair and Sustainable Employment and Clean and Safe Supply Chains. Programmes must contribute to our commitment to help people reach their full potential. As such, we favour programmes that demonstrate strong ownership, build local capacities and clearly articulate how to increase the autonomy of beneficiaries.
Location: Countries where Trafigura Group has operations. For the full list please see here.
Eligibility: Small- to medium-sized NGOs or small projects within larger NGOs are eligible.

UBS Optimus Foundation
Type of projects: child health, education, child protection and/or early child development
Location: Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, South Africa, Bangladesh, China (including Hong Kong), India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom

UNDP Small Grants Programme
Type of projects: biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation and sustainable forest management, international waters and chemicals
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: local communities including indigenous people, community-based organizations and other non-governmental groups may apply
Grant size: the programme provides grants of up to $50,000

The Urgent Action Fund Asia and the Pacific's rapid response grant-making programme
Type of project: protection and support to women, non-binary (e.g., lesbian, Trans) human rights defenders or organisations that face urgent risk in their advocacy to uphold women’s human rights and human rights. There are two funding streams: 1) Security and Well-being Grants and 2) Resourcing Resilience Grants.
Location: Asia and the Pacific
Eligibility: women/non-binary people must be the primary beneficiaries of the grant, preferably channelled via a women’s rights organisation
Grant size: up to USD $5,000

Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
Type of project: responding to security threats or unexpected advocacy opportunities experienced by women, transgender, or gender non-conforming, activists and human rights defenders
Location: Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the South Caucuses, and the following countries: Canada, Turkey, United States, and Russia. There are separate Urgent Action Funds for Africa and Latin America
Eligibility: applications must be Women/Trans-led. Women/Trans people must be the primary decision-makers in the organisation, group, or action.
Grant size: applicants for Security Grants can request up to $8,000 USD for immediate needs (for use within 3 months). Applicants for Opportunity Grants can request up to $8,000 USD for activities that will be carried out within the next 6 months

USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures fund
Type of project: DIV is USAID’s open innovation programme that tests and scales creative solutions to any global development challenge, funding products, technologies, services, or applications that can scale breakthrough solutions to critical global development challenges
Location: any country in which USAID operates
Eligibility: DIV accepts applications from U.S. and non-U.S. organisations, non-profit and for-profit entities
Grant size: three tiers of start-up financing: Stage 1: Proof of Concept ideas can receive up to $200,000 in seed funding over 3 years. Stage 2: Testing and Positioning for Scale applicants can get $200,000 to $1,500,000 in supporting grants for 3 years. Stage 3: Scaling solutions can ask for $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 in investments over 5 years

USAID’s Engagement for Equity Programme
Type of project: conducting complex advocacy and awareness campaigns in cooperation with stakeholders from diverse segments of society and government; engaging in formulation of policy recommendations on select democracy and governance and economic empowerment issues, drawn from consultations with citizens and other stakeholders; monitoring and tracking the implementation of targeted legislation, reforms, and initiatives of high importance to vulnerable and marginalised groups. Awards will be made in five thematic areas: Women in Governance and Economy; Empowering Women through Enhanced Awareness of Women’s Property Rights; Increased protection and awareness of vulnerable populations’ rights; Expand Participation of Persons with Disabilities (PwD); and Expand Youth Participation
Location: Kosovo
Eligibility: legally registered Kosovo-based non-profit and non-governmental entities may apply. Public international organisations are ineligible
Grant size: up to $25,000

ViiV Positive Action for Girls and Women Small Grants Programme [PDF]
Type of project: community-led interventions that address either: sexual violence; harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM); early and forced marriage; sexual and reproductive health and rights for underserved and vulnerable girls
Location: resource-limited settings
Eligibility: non-governmental and either not-for-profit or have a social purpose
Grant size: £5,000 - £25,000 per year for 2 years

Apply here [PDF]

Vitamin Angels
Type of projects: Vitamin Angels gives grants of selected micronutrient commodities, especially vitamin A, to non-profit organizations working with underserved populations globally
Grant range: gift-in-kind

The Wallace Global Fund
Type of project: priority areas: 1) challenge corporate power; 2) defend and renew democracy; 3) protect the environment; 4) promote truth & create freedom in the media; 5) advance women’s human rights and empowerment
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: US and international organisations with or without a US fiscal sponsor may apply

The Waterloo Foundation world development main grants programme
Type of projects: sexual and reproductive health, nutrition
Location: developing countries
Eligibility: UK-based charities prioritised, many of whom work in close partnership with smaller local NGOs based in the countries in which they operate. The funder can consider providing some support towards the capacity-building of local NGO partners as part of a grant to support project delivery. Local CSOs will need to provide a reference
Grant size: £50,000 - £100,000 over 1-3 years

The Waterloo Foundation world development small grants programme
Type of projects: nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, education and WASH
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: grants will be prioritised for small UK charities led by committed individuals, especially those based in Wales, which are working to deliver projects in developing countries
Grant size: under £10,000 over a one to two year period

The Watson Family Charitable Trust
Type of project: medical and for humanitarian purposes
Location: Northern Ireland and Uganda
Grant size: £1,000 - £20,000

The Weeden Foundation Quick Response Biodiversity Fund
Type of project: critical habitat acquisition projects
Location: South America
Eligibility: non-profit conservation organisations may apply
Grant size: $10,000 - $50,000

Wellcome Trust Innovator Awards
Type of project: Innovator Awards are open to researchers who are developing healthcare innovations that could have a major and measurable impact on human health working in any scientific discipline and on any type of technology
Location: worldwide
Eligibility: individuals and teams from not-for-profit and commercial organisations can apply. Collaborations are encouraged
Deadline: apply online at any time. Shortlisting meetings happen every three months
Grant size: up to £500,000, or up to £750,000 for multidisciplinary collaborations