The Small Grants Program 2005 : Guidelines for Civil Society Organizations

The World Bank Office, Beijing

About the Program

The Small Grants Program (SmGP) complements and facilitates the social development agenda of the World Bank through its 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.

Outcomes of Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement can...

• Promote public consensus and local ownership for reforms and for national poverty reduction and development strategies by creating knowledge-sharing networks, building common ground for understanding, encouraging public-private cooperation, and sometimes even diffusing tensions;
  
• Give voice to the concerns of primary and secondary stakeholders, particularly poor and marginalized populations, and help ensure that their views are factored into policy and program decisions;
  
• Strengthen and leverage impact of development programs by providing local knowledge, identifying potential risks, targeting assistance, and expanding reach, particularly at the community level;
  
• Bring innovative ideas and solutions to development challenges at both the local and global levels;  
  
• Improve public transparency and accountability of development activities, contributing to the enabling environment for good governance.

Who Can Apply?

• Civil society organizations registered in China and working on issues of development can apply for a grant.  
  
• Civil society organizations must be in good standing and have a record of achievement in the community and record of financial probity;
  
• Priority will be given to organizations not supported by the Program in previous years.

What Kind of Activities are Supported?

The Small Grants Program 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 policymaking 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.

What Kind of Activities are not Supported?

Small Grants cannot fund: Research programs, formal academic training programs, operational projects, provision of basic services, ongoing institutional core support (such as equipment), 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 Bank's regular programs.

What Size of Grants are Awarded?

Most grants are in the range of $3,000 to $7,000 with a  maximum of $10,000.   Grant sizes vary according to the needs outlined in the applications.  The Small Grants Program rarely funds more than half of the proposed budget for an activity, and therefore prefers that its  grants help leverage additional contributions from other sources.  Applicant organizations are asked to describe how a grant from the World Bank might help them to raise matching funds from other donors.

How to Apply for a Grant?

The World Bank Office, Beijing administers the Small Grants Program in China.  Applications may be submitted in either English or Chinese.  The deadline for application is February 28, 2005.  The Small Grants Committee will meet and make a decision on grants in late March or early April.  

Applicants are advised to read the criteria and the application form carefully before submitting an application.  Applicant organizations should apply at least four to six months in advance of the date of the grant activity.  

The World Bank Small Grants Program is able to fund only a very small percentage of the requests it receives.  Many requests are declined, not because they lack merit, but because they do not match either the current objectives, or the criteria of the Small Grants Program. Your activity may fall within the objectives and criteria, but the demand far surpasses the availability of funds.  Applicants are advised to read the Guidelines carefully before submitting an application.  

Applications should be sent by mail, fax or e-mail to: