GrantStation International Insider - June 2020

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COVID-19 Related Funding

Support for Youth-Led Initiatives Tackling COVID-19
One Young World: COVID-19 Young Leaders Fund
One Young World's COVID-19 Young Leaders Fund supports young leaders around the world who are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines. Funding is provided for efforts focused on the sustainable development goals with a clear connection to combating COVID-19. Examples include producing medical supplies to tackle the infection or symptoms of the virus, providing resources to disadvantaged children to support the continuation of education during school closures, protecting victims of domestic violence during lockdown, providing sanitation resources to help prevent the spread of the virus, and creating work for unemployed persons in vital sectors. Supported activities should impact more than 500 people directly and focus on assisting the most vulnerable in society. Projects founded or managed by young leaders (aged approximately 18-35) are eligible. Applications are currently being accepted. Visit the One Young World website to apply online.

Challenge Seeks to Use Data Science to Promote Inclusive Growth
data.org: Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge
The Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge, an initiative of data.org, is an open call for breakthrough ideas that harness the power of data science to help people and communities thrive, especially in the wake of COVID-19’s economic impact. The Challenge is seeking inclusive growth proposals from anywhere in the world, particularly in the thematic areas of Jobs of Tomorrow—Leave No Worker Behind, Access to Capital—Leave No Entrepreneur Behind, and Cities and Towns—Leave No Place Behind. The Challenge is open to any individual, organization, or collaboration from anywhere in the world, including nonprofit and for-profit organizations, governments, and U.N. agencies. Submissions will be accepted through July 17, 2020. Visit the data.org website to learn more about the thematic areas and register for the Challenge.

Prize Recognizes Digital Solutions for Individuals With Disabilities
UNESCO/Emir Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
The UNESCO/Emir Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the contributions of individuals and organizations in promoting the inclusion of and enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities through the application of digital solutions, resources, and technologies. The 2020/2021 Prize builds on three thematic axes of importance in UNESCO’s work with persons with disabilities, including an immediate response to the COVID-19 outbreak. These include the following: 1) formulating policy, advocacy, co-operation, and partnerships; 2) creating and developing digital solutions, enabling environments, and processes, including tools and resources; and 3) building and strengthening the capacities of people to create, adapt, and use digital solutions in a cost efficient and sustainable manner. A total of $40,000 in prize money will be distributed equally between one individual and one organizational winner. UNESCO's Member States, UNESCO's National Commissions, and non-governmental organizations in official partnership with UNESCO may nominate candidates for the Prize. The nomination deadline is September 2, 2020. Learn more about the Prize by visiting the UNESCO website.

For more grant opportunities, visit our COVID-19 Related Funding page.

Global Funding Opportunities

Grants Aim to Answer Big Questions Facing Humankind
John Templeton Foundation
The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind. The Foundation supports research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and emergence to creativity, forgiveness, and free will. Funding is provided in support of research and public engagement in core funding areas including Science and the Big Questions, Character Virtue Development, Individual Freedom and Free Markets, Exceptional Cognitive Talent and Genius, Genetics, and Voluntary Family Planning. Online Funding Inquiries must be submitted by August 14, 2020. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about each core funding area.

Funding Available for Marine Conservation Projects (in Particular Sharks and Rays)
Save Our Seas Foundation: Keystone Grant Program
The Save Our Seas Foundation is committed to protecting oceans by funding research, conservation, and education projects worldwide. The Foundation focuses primarily on charismatic threatened wildlife and their habitats, with a particular concern for marine chondrichthyan species (sharks, rays, skates, sawfishes, and chimaeras). For the current grant cycle, the Foundation has issued a special call for applications for the Keystone Grant program aimed at supporting projects that promote the recovery of sawfishes, wedgefish, and guitarfish. However, any chondrichthyan projects are welcomed. Grants averaging $25,000 are provided. Stage I applications must be submitted no later than June 30, 2020; the deadline to submit Stage 2 applications is August 31, 2020. Visit the Foundation’s website to apply online.

Support for Women’s Rights Groups Based Outside the U.S.
Global Fund for Women
The mission of the Global Fund for Women is to be a global champion for the human rights of women and girls. The Fund supports women’s rights groups working on freedom from violence, economic justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and leadership. Types of funding include general support grants, travel and event organizing grants, and crisis grants. Groups led by women, girls, or trans people based outside of the United States are eligible to apply; groups do not need to be registered non-governmental organizations to qualify for funding. Organizational Profiles may be submitted at any time. Visit the Fund’s website to learn more about the funding guidelines and application process.

Prizes Honor Literacy Initiatives
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes reward excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. In 2020, five awards of $20,000 will be made to individuals or organizations around the world for projects that promote literacy within the theme "Teaching and Learning Literacy: The Role of Educators and Changing Pedagogies.” The focus is on highlighting teachers who are at the frontline of delivering literacy learning, and their contribution to promoting youth and adult literacy, linked to target 4.6 of the Sustainable Development Goal on Education, where literacy is perceived as a continuum developed throughout life. The following prizes will be awarded: 1) the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (two awards) for programs that focus on the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training; and 2) the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (three awards), for programs that promote literacy amongst adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women. National Commissions and non-governmental organizations in official partnership with UNESCO may nominate individuals, institutions, and organizations who are making outstanding contributions to promoting literacy and who request a nomination. (Self-nominations are not accepted.) The deadline to submit applications to nominating entities is June 28, 2020; nominating entities must submit their nominations to UNESCO by July 12, 2020. Visit the UNESCO website to review the 2020 call for nominations.

Regional Funding Opportunities

Grants Improve Lives in Selected Central American and Caribbean Countries
Light a Single Candle Foundation
The Light a Single Candle Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in the greater St. Louis, MO, metropolitan area within the U.S., as well as organizations working in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. In Central America and the Caribbean, funding is provided in the following focus areas: food support, security, and sustainability; social entrepreneurship and microdevelopment; and poverty relief. U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. The remaining application deadlines for this year are June 27 and October 10, 2020. Visit the Foundation’s website to start the online application process by creating an account.

Funds for Collaborative Journalism Projects in the EU
Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU)
Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) is a fund for cross-border investigative journalism in the EU. IJ4EU provides grants to teams of journalists or news organizations in Europe investigating topics of public interest. In 2020, IJ4EU will provide €1 million in direct funding to collaborative projects through two funding schemes: The Investigation Support Scheme provides grants of up to €50,000 for new cross-border investigative projects in Europe, including projects that have only recently begun or new phases of existing projects. The Publication Support Scheme, which awards grants of up to €6,250, provides additional, shorter-term support for the completion of cross-border investigative projects that are already underway. Freelance journalists, staff journalists, and news organizations are eligible to apply for both programs. Applications must be submitted by teams of journalists or news organizations based in at least two EU member states or at least one EU member state and one official EU candidate country. (The U.K. is treated as an EU member state.) The deadline to apply for the Investigation Support Scheme is June 14, 2020. Applications for the Publication Support Scheme will be accepted on a rolling basis until September 18, 2020. Visit the IJ4EU website to learn more about each program and apply online.

Award Honors Education-Related Initiatives or Research in Africa
Al-Sumait Prize for African Development
The Al-Sumait Prize for African Development honors individuals or institutions who help to advance economic and social development, human resources development, and infrastructure on the African continent. The 2020 Prize, which includes a $1,000,000 award, is focused on the area of education. The Prize will be awarded to individuals or institutions who through their research projects or initiatives have made significant advancement within one or more of the following: improving people’s access to basic education, vocational and training programs, or higher education; improving literacy among all members of society; and decreasing the dependence of children’s education on the socio-economic status of their parents. Nominations are accepted from universities, institutes, and scientific research centers; regional or international organizations; UN organizations; former Prize winners; and former evaluation members. (Self-nominations are not accepted.) Nominations must be submitted by June 30, 2020. The online nomination form is available on the Prize’s website.

Youth Mental Health Initiatives Funded
Grand Challenges Canada: Global Mental Health
The aim of Grand Challenges Canada’s Global Mental Health Program is to seed and scale up high-impact innovations that support individual mental health needs in low- and middle-income countries. The Program has issued a request for proposals (RFP) in search of bold ideas to meet the mental health needs of the most vulnerable young people aged ten to 24 years. Support is provided for innovative approaches to enhance mental health literacy or provide youth-friendly services while accounting for the complex social and environmental factors that contribute to young people’s mental health and well-being. Approaches should be culturally sensitive and community driven. Around 15 seed grants of up to $250,000 CAD over 18 to 24 months will be awarded to develop and test innovations. The submission deadline is July 17, 2020. Visit the Grand Challenges Canada website to download the RFP in one of several languages.

Government Funding Opportunities

Program Promotes Economic Empowerment for Women in South Asia
Department of State
The Women’s Empowerment Through Economic Inclusion program seeks to fund an expandable regional pilot project in South Asia focusing on women's empowerment through economic advancement. Areas of assistance likely may include strengthening the capacity of women business owners, support for regulatory and tax reforms, increasing access to finance, and increasing access to local, regional, and global procurement markets and technology needed to sustain and grow businesses. The closing date for applications is June 28, 2020.

Funding to Produce Content for Young Europeans
European Commission
The European Commission has issued a call for proposals entitled "A European Public Sphere: A New Online Media Offer for Young Europeans.” This call seeks proposals of consortia gathering at least five media organizations from at least five EU Member States to produce daily, thought-provoking content from across Europe around current affairs, particularly targeting young Europeans. The total available budget for this call is 2.5 million euros. Applications must be submitted by July 22, 2020.

PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional.

The Collaborative: Virtual Sessions
Do you work in the nonprofit space? Are you looking to adapt to today's landscape while growing your organization during these uncertain times? If so, Classy's free online conference "The Collaborative: Virtual Sessions" may be just what you are looking for. Held from June 9 to 12, 2020, this conference is a virtual experience designed exclusively for nonprofit professionals to gain insights, strategies, and inspiration. Examples of topics covered include fundraising and marketing, organizational priorities and finances, current technology, leadership in times of crisis, and resilience.

Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Live Webinars

Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars,
are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.

Writing Capacity Building Grants
Capacity building grants are unique. While many best practices in writing operational or program grant requests apply to developing capacity building grant requests, there are some critical differences that need to be addressed to create the strongest application possible. During the 90-minute webinar, Alice Ruhnke will define and discuss the fundamentals of capacity building grant requests, highlight the key components that differ from "regular" grants, and outline ways to identify funders who provide capacity building grants. Throughout the session, common mistakes in writing capacity building grant requests will be discussed and remedied. This webinar is appropriate for individuals who have a basic understanding of grant fundamentals and would like to apply those concepts specifically to capacity building grants. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

How Social Service Agencies Can Win National Funding (NEW)
Does your social service agency want to win grants from national funders? It is important to understand that not every agency is set up to deliver what national foundations want when they make grants for social services. Because almost all social service work is local or regional in nature, national funders look to local philanthropy to support those efforts. Instead, national funders tend to see their role differently: they're generally looking to contribute to the knowledge base, advance innovation, or scale promising solutions. With this in mind, social service agencies seeking national funding need to ask themselves specific questions about what they are doing that other organizations can learn from and replicate. (And if it is worth it, given that their ongoing programs are what most need funding.) In this webinar, Alayna Buckner, CEO and Founder of Elevate, will address these types of questions, and offer strategies to help your organization plan programs that attract attention and interest from national funders. Elevate works with many social service clients that attract these investments, and Alayna will share the patterns and insights they've gleaned from seeing what wins funding (and what doesn't). The webinar will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2020.

Power Writing for Grants…and More! Fast and Easy Tools for Writing (NEW)
Clear, compelling writing is vital to all your on-the-job writing projects—not just grant proposals. In this fast-paced hands-on webinar, Maryn Boess will offer simple, powerful techniques that will have you writing more clearly, quickly, and confidently right away. Our focus: Presenting your message in a way that makes it as easy as possible for your reader to understand—so you get the results you want. Topics in the webinar include the big myths and misconceptions that could be sabotaging your writing without your even knowing it; three fundamental strategies for writing so clearly your reader cannot possibly misunderstand your message; key techniques and tools to help you organize your material for maximum impact; ten steps for busting through the deadly 12-12-12 scenario and bringing your writing to life; figuring out who your readers are, what they need from you, and how to make sure you deliver; and advice from the top writing pros on editing, proofreading, and revising. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation.

Grantmaker of the Year
The Grant Professionals Association (GPA) has released a call for nominations for the 2020 Grantmaker of the Year.

Funding Alerts
Don't forget to check out the additional Funding Alerts on our homepage—you don't want to miss them!

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Editor: Diana Holder
Contributing Writer: Ashlyn Simmons