The World Bank in Zimbabwe is calling for proposals for its 2009 Social Development Civil Society Fund Program (CSF). This year, the CSF has a grant of US$30,000 to allocate to 3 – 5 project proposals presented by eligible civil society organizations drawn from throughout the country. The theme for the 2009 Program is: Civic Participation and Capacity Building
The deadline for accepting proposals is March 31, 2009 The Social Development Civil Society Fund Program (CSF) was created in 1983 to complement and facilitate the social development agenda of the World Bank by providing grants to civil society organizations (CSOs) through Country Offices with a focus on civic engagement. Civic engagement is defined as citizens, either individually or as organized groups, interacting with the public sector to strengthen mechanisms for inclusion, accountability and participation in order to enhance and influence development outcomes. Who Can Apply? - Civil society organizations based in Zimbabwe and working on issues of development;
- Civil society organizations must be in good standing and have a record of achievement in the community and record of financial integrity;
- Priority will be given to organizations not supported by the Program in previous years (organizations are not eligible for more than three grants from the Small Grants Program within a five-year period).
What types of Activities Are Supported? The SmGP supports activities whose primary objective is civic engagement. In addition: - Activities may include, but are not limited to workshops and seminars to enhance civic engagement skills and/or knowledge; appropriate communication campaigns to influence policy making or public service delivery; or innovative networking efforts to build the capacity of the particular sector.
- The activity should be completed within one year of the date the grant is awarded and;
- The Small Grants Program rarely provides funds more than half of the proposed budget for an activity, and therefore encourages grantees to use the World Bank grant to leverage additional contributions from other sources.
What Types of Activities are NOT Supported? Small Grants does not fund:  Research programs, training programs, operational projects, provision of basic services, ongoing institutional core support (such as equipment), overhead costs (such as rent, maintenance, office supplies), construction of facilities, infrastructure projects, full time salaries of employees, scholarships, fellowships, study programs, individuals applying on their own behalf, or non-legal entities. Proposed activities should not compete with or substitute for regular World Bank instruments; the activity should be clearly distinguishable from the Banks' regular programs. Application Process Applicants are advised to read the criteria and the application form carefully before submitting applications. The World Bank SmGP is able to fund only a very small percentage of the requests it receives. Many requests are turned down, not because they lack merit, but because they do not match either the current objectives, or the criteria of the program as closely as the selected proposals. Your activity may fall within the objectives and criteria, but the demand far surpasses the availability of funds. The applications should cover the following points: - Proposal objectives
- Planned activities
- Implementation arrangements
- Estimated cost of project
Additional information is available from the World Bank website: www.worldbank.org/smallgrants Selection Criteria  - Effectiveness: Does the proposal address the objective of civic engagement? Specifically, does the activity support citizens, either individually or as organized groups, interacting with the public sector to strengthen mechanisms for inclusion, accountability, and participation in order to enhance and influence development outcomes?
- Feasibility: Is the proposed approach practical? Are the timeline and budget adequate?
- Organizational capacity: What skills do the organization’s staff and board bring to the project? Are they relevant to the project’s aims? Has the organization succeeded in similar endeavors of equal size and scale to what they are now proposing?
- Organizational credibility: What kind of reputation does the group enjoy within its community and beyond?
- Importance: Is the project significant? Will it make a difference in the community it purports to aid or resolve the issue it addresses? Given your other opportunities for funding, is it the right one to support at this time?
Applications will be screened by a CSF Committee, convened in the World Bank Zimbabwe Country Office. The CSF Program gives full consideration to all proposals. The review will be done within a month, and awards made by May 15, 2009. The winning organizations will be contacted directly. Given the very large number of requests, personal visits and phone calls to the World Bank Office by the grantees are discouraged. CSF guidelines and application forms can be downloaded from our website www:worldbank.org/smallgrants or picked from:
The World Bank Zimbabwe Country Office
88 Nelson Mandela Avenue
Old Lonrho Building
Harare Completed application forms (proposals) and supporting documents should be sent to:
Civil Society Fund Program 2009
The World Bank
88 Nelson Mandela Avenue
Old Lornho Building
P.O. Box 2960, Harare or emailed to: mmatewa@worldbank.org |
RSS