Deadline: 23 September 2019

The Civil Society Fund is currently accepting applications from Irish and invited international civil society organizations for grants for development projects of between one and three years duration.

The Civil Society Fund (CSF) is Irish Aid’s main project funding scheme.

Grant Information

The minimum annual grant is €50,000 and the maximum annual grant is €400,000, subject to the limit of 60% dependency on the Department.

Eligibility Criteria

The following eligibility criteria apply:

• Country of Registration: The applicant organization must be either Irish, or a non-Irish organization which has received an invitation to apply for funding.
• Charitable Status: Irish applicant organizations must hold a Registered Charity Number for a minimum of two years as of 23 September 2019. International NGOs must be in receipt of a relevant invitation from the Civil Society Fund and must also be registered as charities in the countries of their headquarters since 23 September 2017.
• Organization Focus: Irish applicant organizations must have ongoing operations in Ireland that relate to the management and oversight of overseas development projects. International NGOs must have HQ operations that include responsibilities for the management and/or oversight of overseas development projects. Missionary organizations and religious orders are not eligible to apply.
• Independence and Added Value: If the organization is part of a larger international family, it must have its own constitution or governance document and an independent board of trustees (i.e. the board must be locally appointed and be free and able to make independent decisions on strategic and operational issues).
• Tax Clearance Certificate: Irish organizations must submit a Tax Clearance Certificate with the Eligibility Form. Non-Irish organizations must provide an equivalent assurance.
• Funding Status: Applications cannot be accepted from any organizations which have been approved by the Department to receive a grant in 2020 from either the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Civil Society Fund or Programme Grant.
• Focus of Work: The areas of intervention by the organization must meet the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) definition of Official Development Assistance and take place in a country or countries classified by the OECD DAC as eligible for assistance.
• Accounts: The Eligibility Form should be accompanied by full audited accounts for the two financial years prior to application. Accounts must also be available on the organization’s website prior to the eligibility deadline.
• Record of Compliance: Applicants with a record of non-compliance with the terms of Department contract(s) may not be considered for funding.
• Safeguarding: Applicants must have policies and procedures in place to protect vulnerable and young adults, children, beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, as relevant. Copies of these policies should be submitted along with the Eligibility Form. If it is intended to on-grant some or all of the CSF support to a partner organization, these must also have relevant policies and procedures in place and copies of these should also be submitted with the Eligibility Form.

Ineligible Expenditure

The following activities are ineligible for CSF support:

• Activities which may discriminate against any groups or persons on the basis of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, ethnicity, etc.
• Core funding
• Development Education activities in Ireland
• Evangelisation or proselytisation
• Fundraising
• Individual or family sponsorship
• Interventions that are primarily welfare support(s)
• Major infrastructural schemes
• Membership of an umbrella or representative body
• Organisational development
• Public awareness in Ireland
• Retrospective Expenditure (i.e. costs incurred prior to the project start date agreed with the Department)
• Standalone activities that are not part of a wider project
• Study or research fellowships (excluding short-duration training of staff, partners and beneficiaries within the region
• Response to sudden-onset acute emergencies (however, interventions for chronic or protracted humanitarian crises are eligible)

How to Apply

Organizations can request eligibility forms via email at the address given on the website.