Grant Guidelines - Overview

The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) seeks to strengthen the participation of Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in the advancement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at country level in the Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and Eastern Europe/ former Soviet Union (fSU).

The 2013 “Advancing Rights for All” grant cycle consists of two grantmaking rounds:

1. Round One: The first grantmaking round, which includes a now closed Letter of Interest (LoI) process for DPOs in India (States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu or the National Capital of Delhi only) and Ukraine as well as a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for DPOs in Haiti, Indonesia, and Lebanon - described in more detail below. The deadline for the RFP is March 18, 2013.

2. Round Two: The second grantmaking round, directed at DPOs in Bangladesh, Ghana, Peru, Pacific Island Countries, Rwanda, and Uganda and consisting of both a LoI and RFP process, will be publicized in mid-2013.

Explanation of the Request for Proposals process follows:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (For applicants from Haiti, Indonesia, and Lebanon as well as invited applicants only from India and Ukraine)

a) Single organizations or partnerships for Small Grants OR

b) Mid-Level (state, regional, provincial, or district) DPO-led coalitions for Mid-Level Coalition Grants OR

c) National DPO-led coalitions for National Coalition Grants

SMALL GRANTS

The Small Grants funding stream helps organizations to build a broader movement to advance the CRPD at state and local levels. Organizations can use funds from DRF to broaden or diversify their membership, strengthen their capacity with respect to the CRPD, participate more actively in decision-making processes, or address specific articles of the CRPD. While DRF welcomes applications from any disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs), we encourage grassroots, emergent and more marginalized groups to apply. Small Grants are one-year grants ranging between USD 5,000-20,000 which support activities under the following priority areas:

(1) Increase DPO skill in addressing the CRPD by

     (a) Building more inclusive organizations or partnerships; and/or

     (b) Internal capacity building; and

(2) Rights-based advocacy and monitoring through:

     (a) Increasing DPO participation in decision-making processes regarding the CRPD at state or
          local levels; and/or 

     (b) Directly addressing implementation of CRPD Articles.

Download more details about the Small Grants and the Application Form here. (MS Word) 

MID-LEVEL COALITION GRANTS

The new Mid-Level Coalition funding stream supports civil society coalitions at levels other than the national level, to ensure that national legislation and policy is implemented at more local levels. Mid-Level Coalition grants enable grantees to collaborate at state (in a federal system), provincial, regional, or district levels. Mid-Level Coalition grants are two-year grants ranging between USD 30,000 – 40,000 per year for 2 years (USD 60,000 – 80,000 over the course of 2 years) and must be conceived and led by a DPO. These grants support activities under the following priority areas:

Development of a State (or regional, provincial or district) platform to work on:

(1) Passage of specific legislation or policy to accord with the CRPD

(2) Achievement of governmental budgetary measures to implement the CRPD

Download more details about the Mid-Level Coalition grants and the Application Form here. (MS Word)

NATIONAL COALITION GRANTS

The National Coalition funding stream supports advancement of the CRPD at national levels through lobbying for legislative changes (including but not limited to CRPD ratification), monitoring and reporting on implementation of the CRPD or other international human rights mechanisms, or following up on the recommendations made by UN human rights mechanisms to States in regard to implementation of the rights of PWDs. This stream is intended for organizations that are prominent in the disability movement at the country level. Because of the importance of joint advocacy at this level, only coalitions of three or more organizations will be funded. Applicant organizations should be disabled persons organizations (DPOs), while partner organizations can be either DPOs or other civil society organizations active in the promotion of human rights. National Coalition grants are two-year grants ranging between USD 30,000-$50,000 per year which support activities under the following priority areas:

Development of a national platform to work on:

(1) Ratification of the CRPD and/or the Optional Protocol (where not ratified)

(2) Passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD

(3) Production of and follow up of a parallel/alternative report to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

(4) Production of and follow up of a report to be submitted to other UN human rights monitoring mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Human Rights Council or to other Committees of Experts from other human rights treaties.

Download more details about the National Coalition grants and the Application Form here. (MS Word)

DRF supports projects that demonstrate a clear ability and commitment to contribute to the advancement of the human rights of persons with disabilities. Grants provide one- or two-year, project-specific support. Cross-disability and other partnerships in-country are strongly encouraged, as are projects which address particularly marginalized sectors of the disability community.