Development Education (DE) Grants Fund 2012

Introduction As part of its commitment to poverty elimination, Concern recognises the importance of engaging with civil society groups here in Ireland, to promote and build support for efforts that achieve long term, sustainable change for the world’s poorest people.

Through the work of our Development Education programme we seek;

1. To support and encourage people in Ireland to reflect on the current challenges of human development worldwide.

2. To inform and stimulate that reflection and to offer opportunities for expanded positive engagement with the issues.

The provision of funding, through the Concern Grants Fund, to groups engaged in development education activities across broad sectors of the Irish public is an acknowledgement that development co-operation is an undertaking that must involve society as a whole.

Grant Funding

As part of its Development Education (Active Citizenship) programme, Concern Worldwide is establishing an annual development education grants scheme which in 2012 will amount to €160,000. We invite organisations and groups to submit proposals to this fund within the parameters and guidelines outlined below.

The overall aim of the fund is to support initiatives in development education that highlight the following values and approaches:

 The central importance of human dignity, human development and human rights in the overall development agenda

 A specific and demonstrable focus on the needs and rights of the world’s poorest people and on those groups most vulnerable and excluded

 An explicit social justice agenda

 A commitment to encouraging discussion and debate, followed by considered action and direct appropriate engagement with the issues

1 | P a g e  A focus on priority development issues such as hunger, health, gender, climate justice etc.

Concern will support initiatives that can demonstrate direct links and relevance to the above values and issues. Proposals can be submitted for all types of activity including events, campaigns, education resources and stimulus activity.

Proposals can be submitted by organisations and groups undertaking development education activities including development education groups, youth organisations, community groups, schools and third level student societies. In order to keep administration to a minimum, Concern will keep the process as simple as possible while also requiring successful applicants to maintain basic reporting and accounting procedures.

In 2012, Concern plans to award grants in the following scales:

 3 grants of not more than €20,000

 20 grants of not more than €500

Scale 1: Grants up to €20000 will be considered from organisations or groups undertaking an extensive programme of development education work as part of their core function.

Scale 2: Grants up to €10000 will be considered from organisations or groups undertaking a specific development education project as part of their core function

Scale 3: Grants up to €5000 will be considered from organisations or groups undertaking a development education project or activity and where development education is not necessarily part of their core function.

Scale 4: Grants up to €500 will be considered from a wide range of groups undertaking an event or activity on an issue related to development or any of the values and issues listed earlier and where development education is not necessarily part of the group’s core purpose.

Multiple applications from the same organisation cannot be accepted. A small voluntary committee of individuals from relevant backgrounds to adjudicate on the proposals has been established; their decision is final and Concern cannot enter into individual discussions with unsuccessful applicants.

We believe that important and strategic work can be supported by the fund. Concern will review our experiences with the fund on an annual basis and consider how best to proceed and develop it in the future.

What the grants scheme will not fund

2 | P a g e The fund cannot support the purchase of capital or equipment costs.

Concern does not envisage grants being used simply as a ‘back-stop’ where the applicant has failed to secure core funding from other donors.

We do not envisage the fund being used to support salaries or travel costs other than as an appropriately scaled element of a proposed activity.

The scheme will not be used for fundraising or for organisational promotion activities or for projects that do not address international development issues.

The scheme is open only to groups on the Ireland of Ireland and who can demonstrate proper accountability procedures.

Application Process

The application process is simple. We invite proposals which clearly describe a planned activity or set of activities under the following headings:

 Title of project and details of organisation proposing it including the name and details of the person responsible (who agrees to be the project link person)

 Overall aim of the project and how it relates directly to the scheme guidelines and what it intends to achieve (vaguely described activities and links will undermine an application)

 Specific activities to be undertaken, with whom and when (projects with identifiable partners and participants will gain additional points)

 People engaged in designing and delivering the project

 Project budget.

Groups seeking grants between €5,000 and €20,000 will use Application Form A provided below.

Groups seeking grants between €500 and €5,000 will use Application Form B provided below

Groups seeking grants of up to €500 will use Application Form C (also provided below)

Application Deadline:

APPLICATION FORM A: the scheme application deadline for 2012 is August 31st (COB)

Applicants will be notified of the success or rejection of their application within three weeks of the deadline

APPLICATION FORM B: deadline is August 31st , 2012 (COB)

3 | P a g e APPLICATION FORM C: is an open call and groups can apply at any time of the year

Applications can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by post to Head of Active Citizenship, Concern Worldwide, 52-55 Lwr Camden St. Dublin 2

Successful applicants will be required to sign a declaration form committing them to submit an appropriate report including a signed financial report. In some instances where the applicant is not known to Concern references will be sought.

Please note: Concern Worldwide is initiating this scheme to support development education in Ireland, we do not have extensive administrative capacity for the scheme and depend on the professionalism and integrity of applicants in order to ensure the scheme is a success.

4 | P a g e Application Form A Development Education Grants Scheme

To be used by groups seeking grant funding from €5,000 to a maximum of €20,000

Section 1: Project Details Name of Organisation:

Contact Details: Address: Town/City: Phone: Title of Project:

Duration of Project: Start Date: Completion Date:

Name of Contact Person:

Section 2: Project Purpose Overall aim of the project, what it hopes to achieve and how it relates to the Concern Grants scheme guidelines: (Max 300 words)

5 | P a g e Section 3: Project Activities Specific activities to be undertaken, with whom and when (projects with identifiable partners and participants will gain additional points) (Max 200 words)

Section 4: Project Personnel People engaged in designing and delivering the project (please give name(s), title(s) and experience related to delivering equivalent projects

Section 4: Project Budget Please detail how the money will be spent in budget format:

The scheme application deadline for 2012 is August 31st at 17.00. Applications can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by post to:

Head of Active Citizenship Concern Worldwide 52-55 Lwr Camden St. Dublin 2

6 | P a g e Application Form B Development Education Grants Scheme

To be used by groups seeking grant funding from €500 to a maximum of €5,000

Section 1: Applicant Details Name of Group: Name of Contact Person: Contact Address: Town/City: Contact Phone: Section 2: Activity/Event Description of the activity being undertaken. Who is the audience, when will the activities take place and what will be achieved. (200 words)

Section 3: Budget How will the money be spent? Please be specific

7 | P a g e Form B applications can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by post by August 31st to:

Application Form C Development Education Grants Scheme

To be used by groups seeking grant funding up to €500

Section 1: Applicant Details Name of Group: Name of Contact Person: Contact Address: Town/City: Contact Phone: Section 2: Activity/Event Description of the activity being undertaken. Who is the audience and what will be achieved. (100-200 words)

Section 3: Budget How will the money be spent? Please be specific (e.g. rent of hall €100, printing of posters €150, etc.)

8 | P a g e Form B applications can be submitted at any time by email to [email protected] or by post to:

9 | P a g e