Introduction
Freedom Now is a US-based non-partisan non-governmental organization working globally to protect individuals and communities from government repression. Applying a unique blend of legal and political advocacy, our work over the last twenty years has focused on ending the politically-motivated detention of individuals whose wrongful imprisonment is indicative of government repression and intolerance. We have helped more than 200 wrongly imprisoned individuals around the world, restoring their freedom and their voices. To learn more about Freedom Now, please visit our website.
Small Grants for Middle East/North Africa Region
Freedom Now is pleased to announce that for 2023, we will be accepting proposals for funding from civil society organizations in the MENAT region. Applicants may submit proposals for general or project support (up to one year) with funding amounts between $2,000 and $10,000. We are only accepting proposals focused on one or more of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and/or Yemen. Applicants do not need to be based in the country of focus; however, preferential consideration will be given to those that are based in the region.
Applications will be accepted from Applicants that share common values with Freedom Now by seeking to uphold democratic norms, promote the rule of law, and protect fundamental human rights. We are particularly interested in innovative proposals that utilize non-traditional activities or engage often ignored constituencies.
Successful Applicants will demonstrate how the funds provided will be used to address serious issues of human rights abuses, corruption, or malicious governance by working with various sectors of civil society, domestic and international governments, and other stakeholders.
Ineligible Projects
Freedom Now will not provide funding for:
- Individuals;
- Lobbying activities;
- Proposals that allocate more than 10% of the budget to equipment costs;
- Annual fundraising drives, capital campaigns, capital projects or endowments; or
- Any political campaign activities on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
Please be aware that Freedom Now is unable to transfer grants to organizations based in countries that are subjected to US, EU, and/or UN sanctions. If you are uncertain if this restriction applies to your organization, please contact Freedom Now using the instructions below for further guidance.
Proposal Requirements
The proposal narrative should be a minimum of 2 pages and a maximum of 5 pages. Although there is no set proposal template, the outline below is designed as a guide for project-specific proposals. General support proposals should follow a similar template, but explain the various activities the proposal will fund.
Executive Summary
Provide a brief description of the project.
Background
Provide a brief overview of the organization’s structure, mission, history, and accomplishments.
Project Description
Describe:
- The problem your project seeks to solve and the goal
- The project’s intended audience and beneficiaries
- Proposed tactics and activities: What activities will you undertake? How will these tactics lead to achievement of your project goal? What is the intended impact of the project?
Desired Outputs and Outcomes
Describe your desired outputs and outcomes, and how you plan to measure progress along the way.
- Outputs – What are the products that will result from your activities? Examples of outputs include reports, meetings, sign-on statements, etc.
- Outcomes – What are the specific changes that you expect to result from your activities and products? In other words, what will be the specific outcomes, at what pace do you expect to achieve them, and how will these move you toward your project goal?
Project Implementation
Describe the implementation of the proposed project, including:
- Paid Project Participants – Please list the key paid project participants or staff who will carry out the project
- Budget Narrative – a basic description of the expenses and revenue associated with the proposed project
- Timeline
Required Attachments (does not count towards page limit)
- Proof of charitable registration
- Detailed project budget in U.S. dollars. Please include a budget for the entire project, and clearly identify which parts/line items of that budget our funds would cover.
- Current annual operating budget
- List of current and past funders or other financial support received for the past five years
- List of Board of Directors and brief biographies
Submission Instructions
Applicants should submit a proposal in English by email to [email protected]. At this time, we do not have significant capacity to review applications in languages other than English. Proposals received in other languages, such as Arabic, will be subject to delays in consideration, thus, we strongly advise to submit in English if possible. Materials may be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
Submissions are due by 20 February 2023.
Questions about applications or the submission process may be directed at [email protected]. Due to the overwhelming volume of applications we expect to receive, please understand that we may not be able to respond to all enquiries.