Background

ICNL is  pleased to invite applications from civil society organizations (CSOs) for Lifeline grants to support short-term, discrete advocacy initiatives that seek  to support civil society law reform.  Grant  amounts may not exceed $20,000.   Applications should be submitted directly to ICNL as specified below.

ICNL is an international not-for-profit organization that  promotes an enabling legal environment for civil society, freedom of association,  and public participation around the world. ICNL has provided technical and  research assistance to support the reform of laws affecting civil society  organizations in over 100 countries. We draw upon a worldwide network of  partners and experts to produce innovative research and analysis on legal  topics affecting civil society.

ICNL is part of the civil society  consortium led by Freedom House implementing Lifeline: the Embattled CSO Assistance Fund.  This call for applications is issued pursuant  to the Lifeline Fund.

Application  Instructions

To apply for a  grant, applicants must submit the following items in English or Spanish:

• Resume, curriculum vitae (CV), or other statement of work  history and education (no more than three pages); and
• Proposal (no more than three pages).                 

Content  of Proposal

In  three pages or less, please describe how you plan to support the reform of laws  affecting civil society (i.e., the freedoms of association and/or assembly).  The advocacy activity may relate to efforts  to advance enabling reform or to address a restriction or threat against  civil society.  Please address the following  topics:

• Your experience on issues relating to civil  society law;
• The country or countries covered by your  proposed activity;
• The proposed activity plan and timeline,  recognizing that the grant support is designed to support targeted, short-term  activities;
• The legal reform challenge or opportunity that  your proposed activity seeks to address;
• How the proposed activity plan will help advance  enabling reform or address a restriction or threat against civil society; 
• Specific goals and how you will measure results;  and
• The plan to sustain reform efforts beyond Lifeline  Embattled NGO Fund grant support.

Please also attach a line-item budget (which does not count  toward the 3-page limit for the proposal).                 

Eligibility  Requirements

The Small Grants Program is open to civil society  organizations engaged in civil society legal reform.  A civil society organization (CSO) is defined as a  group of two or more activists.  It does  not need to be officially registered but must be able to document its history  of activism. The Lifeline supports a variety of CSOs, many of whom conduct  advocacy, promote and protect human rights, and/or act in a watchdog capacity.

Selection  Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the  following factors:

• Compliance with eligibility requirements and  application procedures;
• Demonstrated commitment of applicant to  promoting the right to associate or civil society law reform (e.g., through  past or present experience as a lawyer, academic, government official, or civil  society organization leader working on these issues);
• Quality of proposed project, including the  significance of the issue, the proposed methodology/design, feasibility of the  project (e.g., activities are targeted to achieve stated results, and  anticipated results are realistic and attainable);
• Likelihood that the proposed project will alleviate  threats and restrictions against civil society;
• Proposed budget and apparent value for cost;  and
• Proposal includes reasonable indicators to  measure project success.

How to Apply

Interested applicants may  apply by submitting their Application in English to Aparna Ravi by one of the  following methods:

• Email to [email protected];
• Fax to : 202-452-8555;       or
• Mail to 1126 16th       Street NW, Washington, DC, 20036.

Terms  of Reference

All grant recipients must submit a final report on the  use of funds, activities conducted, and outcomes of their projects prior to receiving their final grant  disbursements. All grant recipients must finalize their projects by August  31, 2013.

Deadline

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis  until all grant funds are awarded.