Category Archives: International

Amnesty International USA: The Ginetta Sagan Award

Ginetta Sagan was a human rights activist and 1996 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who worked with Amnesty International for many years.

In 1994, Amnesty International USA established the Ginetta Sagan Fund to ensure that her legacy would live on. Winners of the Ginetta Sagan Award receive $20,000 in recognition of their work defending the rights of women and children through dangerous circumstances.

Nominations for 2023 are open until September 2, 2023 and winners will be notified in November. There has typically only been one recipient per year, but there have been as many as three.

Eligibility

Eligible nominees must:

  • Be women
  • Be the Founder and/or Executive Director of an organization
  • Have created significant change in their country, region, or issue
  • Have done exceptional work in human rights
  • Be under threat for their work

Political party leaders and government officials or employees are not eligible.

The Award

Award recipients will receive $20,000 to be used at their discretion. They may also receive up to $5,000 worth of professional development.

The purpose of the award is to:

  • Recognize outstanding work in the field of human rights, often done at personal risk
  • Increase the recipient’s ability to continue her work through financial support and increased international attention to her accomplishments and difficulties
  • Increase international awareness of the region and/or issue in which she works

Nomination Requirements

Each nomination should include:

  • Two letters of recommendation – These can be from anyone who can speak to the nominee’s human rights work and why she is deserving of the award
  • Photograph – A photograph of the nominee, which can legally be used in the media
  • Supporting materials – Supporting materials may include any relevant information such as interviews or articles about the nominee’s work

Million Dollar Round Table Foundation Global Grants Program

The Million Dollar Round Table Foundation is the charitable arm of the Million Dollar Round Table, an association of financial services professionals. Since 1959, they have awarded $40 million in Global Grants to organizations empowering people in need.

All applicants must be endorsed by an MDRT member, but the member does not have to be a volunteer with the organization. Step 1 of the application is to submit a Letter of Inquiry. The Foundation will respond within two weeks; organizations invited to submit a full proposal must do so by September 1st.

Eligibility

This grant is open to registered nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations from anywhere in the world. U.S. based organizations must have a 501(c)3 designation from the IRS.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may not be spent on:

  • Fundraising events
  • Endowments
  • Capital campaigns
  • Scholarships not targeted to members of marginalized communities
  • Faith-based projects
  • Political projects
  • Regranting programs

Open Philanthropy: Request for proposals for growing the community of people motivated to improve the long-term future

Open Philanthropy has issued a Request for proposals for growing the community of people motivated to improve the long-term future. They are looking for:

  • Programs that engage with promising young people
  • Projects aiming at widespread dissemination of relevant high-quality content

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and should receive a response within two months.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to both individuals and organizations in any country.

Project

Projects at any stage in their development are eligible for this grant, including applicants who are uncertain about pursuing their idea. Funding may even be available for three months of full time project development.

Extremely ambitious projects are also encouraged, including ideas that involve annual budgets in the millions and significantly scaling up smaller existing projects.

Program Areas

Programs that engage with promising young people

Projects in this program area will work with young people who have shown that they have the potential to make a positive impact on the future. These projects should:

  • Work with youth ages 15-25
  • Have the potential to impact large numbers of individuals
  • Work with groups that have difficulty gaining entry to intellectual communities

Possible projects include:

  • Summer or winter camps
  • Scholarships
  • Fellowships
  • Workshops
  • Conferences
  • Retreats

Projects aiming at widespread dissemination of relevant high-quality content

The content under this program area should be focused on making long-term improvements to the future lives of a large number of people. This can include the creation of new content or the development of novel ways to disseminate existing content.

Projects in languages other than English are encouraged, especially by native speakers. Potential projects include:

  • Books, including fiction
  • Magazines, webzines, blogs, and media verticals
  • Podcasts
  • YouTube channels
  • Massive open online courses
  • Strategic promotion of existing content