Category Archives: International

Khyentse Foundation Trisong Grant

The Khyentse Foundation was founded in 2001 to support Buddhist study and practice in all traditions. Although headquartered in San Francisco, CA they have assisted people and organizations in more than 30 countries.

The Trisong Grant funds programs that use Buddhist wisdom as a foundation for promoting mental health and well being. Programs do not have to be explicitly Buddhist in nature but they must use traditional practices and views in creative ways.

Applications are accepted each year from March 1-31 and September 1-30. Most awards are around $5,000 but larger amounts may be available based on the scope and need of the proposal.

Eligibility

The Khyentse Foundation does not limit who may apply. According to their website, they have accepted applications from, “Buddhist teachers, students, scholars, translators, practitioners, and retreatants, following all traditions, and from all parts of the world.”

They also note on the Trisong Grant page that the majority of applications are from Buddhist practitioners and groups, implying that this is common but not required.

Example Programs

Applicants are encouraged to take an innovative approach to bringing Buddhist teachings and practices into the field of mental health. Potential programs include:

  • Using Buddhist concepts to help people with substance misuse disorder
  • Visiting schools and talking to students about managing their emotions
  • Offering a group meditation program to incarcerated individuals
  • A depression and anxiety support group based in Buddhist concepts
  • A family-based meditation program

The Audacious Project

The Audacious Project is an initiative of TED, which supports bold ideas to solve urgent problems anywhere in the world. There is no minimum or maximum request amount, but past projects have had an annual operating budget of $1 million or more.

Ideas may be submitted on a rolling basis, but are reviewed in set cycles. The deadline for the current cycle is March 15, 2024. A select number of applicants will be asked to submit a full application from which 8-10 finalists will be chosen. Audacious will work with finalists to develop a multi-year plan, which will be presented to private donors.

Eligibility

Applicant

This funding opportunity is open to any individual 18 years of age or old working with a nonprofit organization, NGO, institution, or a collaborative group of eligible organizations.

Project

Audacious is interested in funding projects in a wide variety of topic areas from climate change to social justice and education to global health. All projects must, however:

  • Be bold and unique, challenging the status quo
  • Address an urgent issue
  • Have the potential to make a significant impact in a matter of years
  • Have evidence of that potential based on the applicant’s track record, demand for the project or solution, and sustainability
  • Have a vision for how this project will impact the world

Lush Charity Pot Grants

Lush awards grants funded through sales of their Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion to grassroots organizations around the world. They support causes that are often overlooked and underfunded in the areas of Animal Protection, Environmental Justice, and Human Rights.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis for requests up to $15,000.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Registered and unregistered nonprofit organizations and NGOs
  • Indigenous groups
  • Community groups

Applicants must have an annual revenue of $500,000 or less.

Funding Limitations

Grant funds may not be used for:

  • Air travel
  • The cost of attending a training, meeting, or other event
  • Non-vegan or vegetarian food
  • Scholarships
  • Event sponsorships
  • Bail

Urgent Action Fund Security Grants

The Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism supports women, non-binary, and trans activists as they fight for justice. Security Grants provide up to $8,000 in funds to respond to critical safety threats.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis and decisions made within 1-10 days. Grant periods are three months.

Eligibility

Organization

This grant is open to organizations that:

  • Are Woman/Trans/Non-binary led
    • Are focused on Women’s, Trans, and Non-binary human rights
  • Are supported by a network of other organizations in the human rights field
  • Are experiencing an unexpected and time sensitive situation
  • Have an annual operating budget of less than $1 million

Applications will not be accepted from non-activists or organizations led by cisgender men.

Geography

This grant is open to organizations in:

  • The Balkans
  • Canada
  • The Caucasus
  • Central Asia
  • Europe
  • The Middle East
  • The United States

Organizations in other regions of the world can apply to:

Allowable Expenses

Security Grant funds must be used to protect the safety and security of activists. They cannot be used for:

  • Planned projects or programs
  • Annual operating expenses
  • Scholarships
  • Capital projects

NextWorldNow Community Investments

NextWorldNow envisions a world where everyone’s basic needs are met. To make that dream a reality, they fund small, but meaningful projects through their Community Investments.

Notifications of Interest are due by March 1, 2024. Organizations invited to submit a full application will be notified in April. Applications for up to $10,000 will be due in May.

Eligibility

This funding opportunity is open to international communities working on development projects that require a modest amount of capital.

NextWorldNow encourages partnerships with Rotary International and may request that applicants reach out to their nearest club.

Review Criteria

All applications are reviewed based on:

  • Feasibility
  • Impact
  • Sustainability
  • Relevance
  • Creativity
  • Outcomes
  • Strength
  • Engagement
  • Financial

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation supports organizations working with or impacting children and youth from low-income, urban communities in the United States, India, and South Africa.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis for requests of $50,000 or more in Education (all), Health and Wellness (U.S.), and Family Economic Stability (India, South Africa, Central Texas, and Greater Boston).

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Governments
  • Social enterprises
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Charitable trusts
  • Community foundations
  • Private foundations
  • Schools
  • Educational organizations
  • Religious organizations

Focus Areas

Education

Projects submitted under Education should concentrate on:

Health and Wellness

Image by congerdesign

Health and Wellness projects should concentrate on:

  • Healthy Communities
  • Healthy Food

Family Economic Stability

Projects under this focus area should concentrate on:

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may not be spent on:

  • Computers, tablets, or other hardware
  • Endowments
  • Fundraisers or event sponsorships
  • Lobbying
  • Medical research
  • Infrastructure

Request

Requests must be for $50,000 or more. However, the Foundation typically does not fund more than 25% of a project or 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

U.N. Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery provides assistance to the more than 40 million people enslaved worldwide. Through their grants program, they fund civil society organizations who provide humanitarian, psychological, social, legal, medical, and financial help to survivors.

Applications are accepted annually from January 15th – March 1st for projects to occur the following calendar year. Awards range from $15,000 – $35,000. Organizations may submit requests for continual funding for up to five years, but they must submit a new application each year. Applications may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish.

Eligibility

This grant is open to civil society organizations with at least two years’ experience working in the of contemporary enslavement.

Governmental, parliamentary or administrative entities, political parties, and national liberation movements are ineligible.

Allowable Expenses

The primary focus of grant funds should be on providing direct assistance to survivors of contemporary enslavement and their families. No more than 15% of the award should be used for administrative costs and grant funds should not exceed 2/3 of the total project budget.

Funds may be used for training and seminars to improve professionals’ ability to assist survivors of enslavement. Speakers’ fees cannot be paid with grant funds, but pre-agreed fixed honoraria for trainers can.

Priority Areas

Priority consideration will be given to projects that focus on:

  • Reparations
  • Empowerment
  • Integration through the provision of direct aid such as medical, legal, and educational assistance

Application Requirements

Applicants who have not previously received a grant must include:

  • Curriculum vitae of staff to demonstrate that they have relevant experience
  • Statutes and organizational structure
  • Valid legal registration certificate of the organization (if available)
  • Proof of nonprofit status (if available)
  • One reference letter and contact details for two additional references
  • Bank statements from the previous three months
  • Most recent annual report
  • List of principal members of the directorate or board of trustees
  • Five case studies of individuals recently assisted or to be assisted

All budget numbers should be in U.S. dollars.

USAID: Advancement of LGBTQI+ Rights

The U.S. Agency for International Development has issued an invitation to submit Concept Notes for projects to advance LGBTQI+ rights. Countries in the Global South and East where USAID has a presence are especially encouraged to apply.

USAID intends to issue up to three awards of $500,000 – $10 million over as many as five years. This is subject to change based on available funding and the quality of submissions. Concept Notes must be emailed to lgbtqi@usaid.gov, with JRS-APS@usaid.gov copied by March 15, 2024.

Eligibility

This invitation is open to nonprofit organizations in any country. Civil society organizations in countries where USAID has a presence are highly encouraged to apply.

Applicants may collaborate to submit a single Concept Note, but one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.

Objectives

This funding opportunity is an addendum to the Justice, Rights, and Security (JRS), Annual Program Statement. It’s objectives are:

  1. Advance the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals and communities to access education, professional development, livelihoods, and employment opportunities
  2. Advance the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals to access quality basic health services, including mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS)
  3. Advance the ability of regional/multi-country organizations and/or coalitions to effectively respond to and counter anti-rights actors

Potential Activities

Project activities might include:

  • Creating and distributing anti-bullying campaign materials and resources
  • Determining key obstacles to employment for LGBTQI+ individuals and working with employers, trade unions, chambers of commerce, etc. to promote inclusivity
  • Establishing and training peer led support groups
  • Creating resources in local languages to help health providors better understand care for intersex, gender non-conforming, and transgender people
  • Creating or supporting the creation of resources in local languages and contexts to counter the misinformation of anti-rights groups

Transformative Care Agendas in the Global Majority

Transformative Care Agendas in the Global Majority is a program from the SAGE Fund. It supports projects that address the way the care economy is subsidized by women, girls, and gender nonconforming people at the expense of their own educational and professional goals. The lack of investment in care systems also negatively impacts those who need those services and who lose their agency and autonomy as a result.

SAGE expects to award 8-12 grants of $100,000 – $150,000 each for project periods of 12-18 months. Initial applications and concept notes are due by January 29, 2024 and must be completed in English. The Fund will then work with applicants on the short list to develop a full proposal.

Projects must focus on the Global Majority, which is defined as, “the group of people in the world who do not condier themselves or are not considered to be white.” More than 80% of the world’s population are part of the Global Majority.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to legally registered charities or organizations who have designated a legally registed charity to serve as their fiscal agent. This may include:

  • Civil society organizations (including NGOs)
  • Community-based organizations
  • Worker organizations
  • Networks, coalitions, and partnerships
  • Research centers or think tanks in the Global Majority with strong links to activism

Geography

Image by Albrecht Fietz

Projects must take place in Africa, Asia, Latin America and/or the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

SAGE is unable to fund projects in:

  • Afghanistan
  • Belarus
  • Cuba
  • India
  • Iran
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • Syria
  • Ukraine (Russian-Occupied Territories)
  • Yemen

Objectives

Program

The Transformative Care Agendas in the Global Majority program aims to:

  • Promote the value and importance of care through public investment and support/provision from the state, community care, and for-profit institutions
  • Shift care systems to provide economic security and protections to care workers through labor laws, policies, and regulations
  • Strengthen coalitions within the care sector and with other movements (e.g. labor, feminist, migrant, and environmental) to advance a care agenda at all levels

Projects

Image by Sam Chen

Funded project should achieve at least one of the following:

  • Advance new models to support care systems and economies that increase the role of the state, invest in community care systems, and/or regulate for-profit care providers
  • Address structural barriers to care worker protections, such as economic security, safe working conditions, and social protections
  • Identify and engage with social movements to form alliances which can advance the care agenda

The 2024 Ashden Awards

The Ashden Awards support climate innovation in the United Kingdom and countries in the Global South receiving Official Development Assistance. Winners receive up to £25,000, access to funders, and a promotional film made about their work.

Applications are due by January 25, 2024 and may be submitted in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Eligibility

Applicant

This award program is open to:

  • For-profit businesses
  • Charities/NGOs
  • Government/public sector entities
  • Social enterprises
  • Community groups

Applicants must be able to demonstrate good governance and management

Project

To qualify, projects must:

  • Be based in work that is already available to clients, customers, or beneficiaries
  • Have an innovative approach
  • Have the potential to make a significant impact through either expansion or replication

Award Categories

Photo by Nitin Sharma: https://www.pexels.com/photo/windmills-in-mountain-viewing-lake-under-orange-skies-2861857/

The categories for the 2024 Ashden Awards are:

  • Ashden Award for People’s Energy – UK
  • Ashden Award for Energy Innovation – UK
  • Ashden Award for Energy Innovation – Countries receiving ODA
  • Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions – UK
  • Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions – Countries receiving ODA
  • Ashden Award for Powering Refugees and Displaced People – Countries receiving ODA
  • Ashden Award for Powering Futures in Clean Energy – Countries receiving ODA

Application Process

  1. Submit application and all requested information by January 25
  2. Applicants who are shortlisted will be contacted in early February and asked to provide more information about their project and financial viability
  3. Finalists will receive a request for a virtual assessment which will include meetings with the chief executive, financial officer, project head, and other employees

Review Critera

All applications will be reviewed based on:

  • Decarbonization, material use reduction, and environmental protection
  • Resilience and adaptation
  • Boosting green skills and work
  • Reducing inequality
  • Participation and democratization
  • Communications potential