Here are more grants available for local civil society organisations in Myanmar/Burma. Advocacy, strategic planning, capacity building: activities many funders do not ordinarily go for. Apply!
http://www.afao.org.au/view_articles.asp?pxa=ve&pxs=102&id=298
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The AFAO International Grant Scheme
The aim of AFAO’s international grant scheme is to promote and strengthen community-based and non-government organisations in Asia and the Pacific to respond to the HIV epidemic by incorporating the full involvement of communities and populations most at risk of HIV infection.
The objectives of the grant scheme are:
To promote the participation, visibility and central role of people living with HIV in all responses to the HIV epidemic
To promote the participation of affected and vulnerable communities in all responses to the HIV epidemic, and
To promote community responses to the epidemic through strengthening the capacity of community-based and non-government organisations to play an active role in responses to the epidemic.
What will AFAO fund?
AFAO’s international priority work areas
In this the sixth round of the international grant scheme, AFAO is calling for applications to the international grant scheme from community-based (CBO) and non-government organisations (NGO) only from select Asian countries and Papua New Guinea.
The scheme will provide for financial and/or technical support to CBOs and NGOs to implement HIV/AIDS projects that fall within AFAO’s international priority work areas.
For this funding round, AFAO is interested in funding projects from peer-based PWHA, MSM (men who have sex with men) and drug user organisations. Applications from such organisations must show full participation by people living with HIV, MSM or drug users in the design and implementation of projects. This will be a compulsory criterion for PWHA, MSM or drug user organisations applying for funding.
Alongside the required criteria for participation of PLWHA in project design and implementation, the following priority work areas only will form the basis of AFAO funding to CBOs and NGOs:
HIV/AIDS related policy development (e.g. internal organisational policy, GIPA [greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS] principles, harm reduction, stigma & discrimination)
Advocacy (e.g. influencing and contributing to national/regional/local policy or programs, developing effective partnerships between community and government)
Organisational strategic planning (for small size grants up to AUD $5,000 only)
Organisational capacity development and institutional strengthening (which contributes to, and supports, your organisation’s mission and programmatic goals)
Legal and regulatory responses to HIV/AIDS
AFAO will NOT fund proposals for:
Scholarships or conference attendance
Evangelical activities
HIV prevention education (e.g. safe sex messages, condom promotion and distribution, behaviour education campaigns, mass media ampaigns)
Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) or other counselling services
Treatment and care and support services (e.g. respite or day care facilities)
Study tours
Individual staff professional development training or courses
Major capital equipment costs
Building or other major construction costs
Scientific research
Vaccine or microbicide development
The purchase and distribution of antiretroviral treatments or other medicines
AFAO will not accept applications from:
Individuals
International NGOs
Government departments or agencies
Research institutions
Who can apply for funding?
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for funding, organisations must meet all of the following criteria:
Be a local community-based or non-government organisation
Include participation by people living with HIV, MSM or drug users in the organisation’s project design and implementation
CBOs or NGOs must be based in one of the following countries:
Burma Cambodia China
Timor Leste Indonesia Laos
Malaysia Papua New Guinea Philippines
Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
Be able to report to a donor in the English language
Have access to email, phone and fax
Have computer access and skills for reporting (including financial reporting in Microsoft Excel) to a donor
Provide two written references from previous donors. If your organisation has not previously received financial donor support, AFAO will accept two references from organisations or government agencies that you have collaborated with, or are a member of (from your own country). References must comment on your organisation’s history of HIV work, financial management of funds, and project reporting to donors. Reference letters must be on the official letterhead of the organisation of the individual writing the letter, and must include a signature and job title of the individual.
Be able to open a bank account in the name of the organisation, exclusively for AFAO project funds.
How much money can you apply for?
CBOs and NGOs can apply for funding up to the value of Australian dollars AUD $5,000 or a larger grant between the value of AUD $5,000 - $50,000.
Please note, AFAO accepts project proposals in your local currency only. As a guide, to ensure that your grant amount is within the AFAO grant scheme allocation, please use the online currency converter at www.xe.com/ucc/, to convert local currency to Australian dollars.
Organisations can submit one grant application per funding round only. Please note, the application criteria and documents are the same for all grant amounts.
1. Applying for a grant up to the value of AUD $5,000
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Grants up to $5,000 are designed to assist organisations to implement discrete projects over a short period of time
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Typically AFAO funds small projects implemented over a period from two to six months only
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AFAO does not fund multi-year projects
2. Applying for a grant between the value of AUD $5,000 and $50,000
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Typically AFAO funds large projects implemented over a period of up to twelve months only
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AFAO does not fund multi-year projects
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An AFAO staff member typically visits an organisation in country that it is interested in funding prior to approving of funds
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Grants for greater than AUD $50,000 will not be considered
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The application process: what you must include in your application
AFAO accepts emailed applications only. Reference letters may be faxed if they cannot be scanned to email.
Applications will not be considered if any of the relevant information has not been submitted. Applications will only be accepted in the format provided below.
All organisations must submit the following documentation with their application regardless of the grant amount.
You will need to submit all of the following documents:
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Checklist of relevant documents for grant application (Microsoft Word)
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Project proposal (Microsoft Word)
* Project budget in local currency (Microsoft Excel workbook)
sheet 1 budget proposal (compulsory)
sheet 2 financial narrative (compulsory)
sheet 3 individual staff work plans (only complete if staff salaries are requested in the budget proposal)
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Activity schedule (Microsoft Excel workbook)
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Appraisal questionnaire (Microsoft Word)
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* Provide two written references from previous donors. If your organisation has not previously received financial donor support, AFAO will accept two references from organisations or government agencies that you have collaborated with, or are a member of (from your own country). References must comment on your organisation’s history of HIV/AIDS work, financial management of funds, and project reporting to donors. Reference letters must be on the official letterhead of the organisation of the individual writing the letter, and must include a signature and job title of the individual.
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Quotes for any budget items greater than AUD $1,000 (see project budget form for further information)
When is the deadline for applications?
The deadline for applications is:Friday 15th September 2006.
Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
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When can you expect to hear from AFAO regarding your organisation’s application?
AFAO will usually contact organisations within 6 weeks of the grant scheme closing date. Emails will only be sent out to organisations that submit a grant application by the deadline of Friday 15th September. Organisations will either receive an email advising that their application has been short-listed, or that their application has not been successful.
Short-listed applications will then be reviewed and assessed based on the grant funding criteria, as well as the total amount of funding available for the current funding round. Short listing will take up to an additional 6 weeks.
As with previous funding rounds that AFAO runs, AFAO typically has more short-listed applications than it has funding to support.
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When can successful organisations expect projects to commence?
Please submit your organisation’s grant application with the following dates in mind:
Your project proposals should reflect a start date anytime from January 29th 2007.
Please ensure that your organisation’s grant application, which includes a project proposal, project budget and activity schedule all reflect the above mentioned project commencement date.
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Factors AFAO will consider when selecting projects for funding
In addition to your organisation’s application, AFAO will consider the following factors when making a decision about grant funding:
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The role and visibility of people living with HIV, MSM, drug users or other vulnerable groups in the project design and implementation
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The size of the HIV epidemic in the geographical region that your organisation operates
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The impact of the HIV epidemic on the local community, and vulnerable and at risk populations
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Your organisation’s history of implementing HIV/AIDS projects
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Your organisation’s history of working with your designated target population
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The core work of your organisation
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Other funding support that your organisation is receiving
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Whether the project design is in line with the objectives of AFAO’s grant scheme
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Whether your organisation is from the designated country list for this funding round
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Where to send your application and further information
Grant applications should be emailed to the:
International Programs Officer
aturner@afao.org.au
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that grant proposals are emailed to AFAO by the grant scheme deadline. If your organisation’s application includes documents which are unable to be emailed, please ensure that they are faxed to the International Programs Officer at AFAO by the deadline. All faxes should be marked to the attention of the International Programs Officer. Late applications will not be considered.
Fax number: +61 2 9557 9867
For further information or inquiries about AFAO’s grant scheme or the relevant application documents, please email the AFAO International Programs Officer well before the grant deadline at aturner@afao.org.au
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All the forms that you need to complete
You will need to submit all of the following documents:
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Checklist of relevant documents for grant application (Microsoft Word)
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Project proposal (Microsoft Word)
* Project budget in local currency (Microsoft Excel workbook)
sheet 1 budget proposal (compulsory)
sheet 2 financial narrative (compulsory)
sheet 3 individual staff work plans (only complete if staff salaries are requested in the budget proposal)
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Activity schedule (Microsoft Excel workbook)
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Appraisal questionnaire (Microsoft Word)
Plus
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Provide two written references from previous donors. If your organisation has not previously received financial donor support, AFAO will accept two references from organisations or government agencies that you have collaborated with, or are a member of (from your own country). References must comment on your organisation’s history of HIV/AIDS work, financial management of funds, and project reporting to donors. Reference letters must be on the official letterhead of the organisation of the individual writing the letter, and must include a signature and job title of the individual.
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Quotes for any budget items greater than AUD $1,000 (see project budget form for further information)
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Common reasons that applications to the previous funding round were not successful
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All relevant forms were not completed, or not fully completed.
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The project design did not meet the AFAO priority work areas as outlined in the application information.
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Unreasonable or unexplained budget proposals.
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Budget line items were not broken down into smaller detailed costs.
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Reference letters were not written on letterhead with contact details of the referee.
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Quotes for budget items greater than AUD $1,000 were not completed.
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Applications which were received after the deadline.
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No funding amount requested.
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Funds requested were greater than the maximum grant amount of AUD $50,000.
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Tips to help in preparing your application
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Ensure that the project design meets the priority work areas identified by AFAO.
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Complete all forms.
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Meet the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
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State the funding amount requested, ensuring it is within the maximum grant amount available, and that it is in local currency.
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Ensure both referee’s letters are on organisational letterhead with contact details to ensure verification of referees by AFAO.
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The two referees must be from different organisations.
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Budgets should be realistic, justified and reflect value for money.
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A financial narrative should be attached to the budget to explain budget costs.
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Provide as much detail as possible for budget expense items. For example do not submit a budget proposal for ‘resource production $5,500’. Instead break down the $5,500 into smaller costs to show how the budget will be spent.
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Submit three quotes when required. If the quote is not provided in English, please provide a written explanation attached to the quote.
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Provide as much detail as possible when describing project activities and in completing the organisational questionnaire. The more information provided, the more information AFAO has when reviewing your organisation’s application.
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Forms should be completed and returned via email. Reference letters will be accepted via fax if they cannot be scanned onto the computer. AFAO does not accept posted applications.
http://www.afao.org.au/view_articles.asp?pxa=ve&pxs=102&id=298
