Overview and Eligibility
The Global Fund for Community Foundations makes grants to organizations and programmes to strengthen and promote community foundations and other local philanthropic institutions in the Global South and in the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe as an emerging and significant global movement and an essential part of the infrastructure for sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and citizen participation.
Most grants are awarded through an open competitive process, although the Fund also takes a role in initiating projects and proactively inviting applications in accordance with its strategic objectives. All funding decisions are advised by regional advisers and are finally approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees.
The Fund provides one-year grants up to an amount of U.S. $50,000 (although most grants are in the range of U.S. $5,000 - $30,000) to emerging and more established community foundations, philanthropy support organizations and community foundation networks and associations.
The Fund is currently inviting letters of intent for its main grants round in 2009 in the following areas:
- To support exploration, capacity building and experimentation among individual community foundations, local philanthropic institutions and start-up initiatives (Deadline for letters of intent has now passed)
- To promote collaborative approaches and develop and strengthen networks of community foundations and other philanthropic institutions, nationally, regionally and internationally. (Deadline for letters of intent has now passed)
- To support and promote research and thinking around policy development, advocacy and ways strengthening the linkages between community foundations and local philanthropy with the efforts of governments and international donor institutions to promote community-driven development. (No date restriction)
