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Core Grants for civil society organizations in the MENA Region

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انقر هنا لقراءة هذا الطلب باللغة العربية

Minority Rights Group is accepting applications from human rights and minority rights nonprofit organizations based in Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco and Palestine for core grants. These grants are available for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that want to invest in their organizational development, organizational infrastructures or to effectively develop their institutional capacity. As part of our project Minorities, Accountability and Civic Space (MACS), the core grants aim to enable grassroots social organizations to improve the organizational infrastructure of organizations to allow them to operate efficiently and hence allow them to advance their work in democracy and human rights. 

 Budget available and timeframe 

The amount available for each grant is up to 11,000 euros.  

The duration of the grant may last between 12-18 months. 

How to apply: Organizations wishing to apply to these grants should submit an application form and a budget in Arabic, English or French to the following email: macs@minorityrights.org 

Deadline: 17/9/2023. If your organization is based in Morocco, the deadline has been extended until 1/10/2023

*Important* All applicants will be required to complete a capacity assessment questionnaire for their application to be considered. If you haven’t been contacted by MRG before to fill the questionnaire, you will receive it after submitting this application. 

Eligibility  

For your application to be considered, applicants must: 

  • Be a human rights or minority rights organization. 
  • Be a non-for-profit civil society organization (official registration is not necessary).  
  • Be based in one of the project countries: Lebanon, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia. 
  • Be a community-based organization and/or an NGO that has a track record of working with disadvantaged ethnic, religious, or cultural minorities or marginalized groups such as migrants, refugees, LGBTI, or persons with disabilities, and rooted in these marginalized communities.  
  • Be committed to involving various minorities and other marginalized communities in their broader activities. 
  • Must have basic skills in project management, risk management and financial management. 
  • Be an organization that has no public debt, complies with anti-corruption measures, and proves absence of conflict of interest. 
  • Have the ability to receive funding, either through their own organization or an agreed upon alternative arrangement which aligns with approved protocol. 

Eligible costs  

This grant will cover costs that contribute to the organization’s development and its infrastructure including (but not limited to): 

  • Developing the digital and institutional infrastructure of the organization  
  • Establishing and/ or updating operational systems 
  • Improve financial management systems and accounting 
  • Digitalization of operations 
  • Purchase of office equipment  
  • Staff development and training  
  • Revision of internal system policies and processes 
  • Paying staff and/ or consultants time to develop institutional capacities 
  • Improve digital security systems of the organization  
  • Administration and registration costs (for unregistered organization) 

Selection Criteria 

  • Organizations will be selected based on their demonstrated need for institutional capacity building and infrastructural development. 
  • A thorough explanation of the needs of the organization that the core grant is aimed to address.  
  • The proposal should demonstrate clearly how this grant will increase the organizational capacity, efficiency, and function of the organization. 
  • The proposal should have a clear logic explained through; stated objectives, outcomes, and implementation strategy. 
  • Clearly justifying a budget that represents value for money and efficiency. 
  • The proposal should show how the grant will ensure the sustainability of the organization even after the intervention is over. 
  • The proposal should highlight how the organization ensures gender and minority rights mainstreaming in its work. 
  • Intersectional aspects of the organization’s target groups will be considered. 
  • The granted organizations must commit to the following if accepted for this grant: 
  1. Must have undertaken the organizational capacity assessment questionnaire prior to applying for the grant.  If not, the organisation, if accepted, commits to completing the organizational capacity assessment questionnaire. 
  2. Must commit to undergoing institutional capacity training.  
  3. Must commit to engage their employees in the organizational mentoring program. 
  4. Must commit to attending the in-country workshop and meeting for subgrantees.

Submission Process 

Please send the completed applications to macs@minorityrights.org. You can complete the applications in Arabic, English or French. 

For any additional queries, please contact the same email address. 

Anticipated Timeline 

18/8/2023: Call for proposals

17/9/2023: Application deadline

29/9/2023: Shortlisted applicants finalized and notified

6/10/2023 : Contracts and Welcome package sent

20/10/2023: Transfer 1st tranche of funds

15-16 months: Distribution of funds

2 weeks after end of grant: Final narrative and financial reports due

Treatment of Information 

The data will be treated confidentially in line with GDPR policies. Only MRG and its implementing partners will have access to the information provided in order to facilitate the selection process. These include The Civic Forum Institute in Palestine and Attalaki in Tunisia.

Minority Rights Group is an international human right organization working to ensure that disadvantaged minorities and indigenous peoples can make their voices heard

Attalaki is the leading organization in Tunisia working on freedom of religion and belief and a key player in defending the rights of religious minorities and making their voices heard.

Civic Forum Institute (CFI) is a Palestinian non-governmental focused on building democracy and developing democratic institutions in Palestine. 

This program is funded by the European Union.

Download the application form here

Download the application budget template here

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