Grants for research and campaign support 2020 – CALL open to all members

Background and context

We are opening this year’s call for research and campaign grants amidst unprecedented troubled times for all of us, characterised by a multitude of local responses and rising needs to avert the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. Access to the internet is vital for an informed, cooperative and people-centred global response. It plays a crucial role in enabling a flow of information and sustaining communities in times of crisis, as we outline in our recently published APC position paper on COVID-19.

Many of you around the world are responding in creative ways to this emergency: fighting misinformation by building curated local content hubs, or organising online volunteering activities to help the elders and campaigns to fundraise for the most impacted (e.g. communities of trans persons and sex workers).

Many more have expressed the urgent need to support your communities, by:

• Delivering information to completely disconnected people in need

• Obtaining reliable sources of information and fact checking

• Mitigating xenophobia and online violence related to COVID-19

• Mapping resources in the area, such as the availability of masks

• Carrying out research and campaigns around the violation of privacy and other human rights and attempts to limit communications rights in the name of saving lives, etc.

Especially those who remain unconnected today are in the direst need of access to critical information and communication.

We estimate that this is a situation that will stay with us for quite a while and we are taking this into consideration in adapting the criteria for this year’s small grants call.

Research and campaign sub-grants call

This is a rolling call and will be open until 30 September 2020. It is open to all APC organisational members. Five out of the total 21 grants are available for those members who are located in countries outside the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s list (see the 2020 DAC list here).

These grants are for research and campaign activities that are aligned with any of the outcomes identified in APC’s Strategic Plan 2020-2023. 

APC 2020-2023 outcome areas:

1. Harness collective power of communities

Outcome 1: The collective power of communities within and beyond the APC network is harnessed through existing and new relationships built around transformative actions and our shared visions.

2. Enable digital inclusion for the most vulnerable

Outcome 2: People affected by exclusion, discrimination and inequality are able to meaningfully use and shape the internet and digital technologies to meet their specific needs.

3. Co-creating a feminist internet

Outcome 3: Women and people of diverse sexualities and genders participate in, shape and co-create the internet and digital technologies that reflect and respond to their lived realities.

4. Advocate for human rights online and offline

Outcome 4: People, especially those facing discrimination and oppression, have greater power and autonomy through digital technologies to exercise their full range of human rights online and offline.

5. Promote governance of the internet as a global public good

Outcome 5: The internet is recognised and governed as a global public good in an inclusive, transparent, democratic and accountable manner.

6. Mobilise collective action for environmental justice and sustainability

Outcome 6: APC’s collective action and activism contribute to environmental justice and preservation of the earth, and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of the internet, digital technologies and the digital economy.

The grants will continue to support local campaigns that contribute to members’ advocacy work and also enable members to participate in APC-wide campaigns.

At the same time, we welcome applications that are related to urgent responses to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposals can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provision of online communications and other services for our members; rapid response.

• Support to individuals and organisations needing help in working and living online, including safety and security.

• Activities addressing human rights violations at this time.

• Advocacy for rights-based and feminist responses, including policy proposals, to the pandemic.

• Research and campaigns on misinformation, growing gender-based violence online, and other issues.

Ideally, supported initiatives should promote meaningful collaboration in implementing our strategic priorities.

Important information to keep in mind

Eligibility

• Members can submit proposals for up to USD 5,000 per grant.

• A member cannot receive more than one of each type of grant in a single annual cycle.

• Please note that all activities for the research and campaign grants must be completed and all funds spent by 31 December 2020. No extensions will be possible.

• Only APC organisational members in good standing can avail of APC grants (this means members must not owe APC any of the following: dues or other outstanding funds, contractual work paid for but not yet delivered, financial or narrative reports from activities previously supported by APC, including travel supported by the APC METF).

Selection

• The evaluation and selection of successful proposals will be carried out within a month of the submission.

• Applicants will be informed about the evaluation of their proposals through email.

• Successful proposals will be published on apc.org.

We look forward to receiving your proposals! If you have any questions please contact grants@apc.org

Assistance with submitting the application

In order to assist with the planning of your proposal, we have prepared a template for your use. To avoid losing your content it is highly recommended that you develop your proposal offline (i.e. using the template provided) and only copy the content into the online application form once you are done. Make sure to keep your local copy as backup.

Please also find here the template for the proposal’s budget.

We will also hold a webinar to answer possible questions about the call. You will be notified via email about the details.

We invite you to also check the research and campaign grants Frequently Asked Questions.

Submit your application (in English) using the online form here.

You will need a username and password to access the form. Please write to rox@apc.org if you can’t access it.