Deadline: 22 November 2018

ISDAO, Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (Sankofa Initiative for West Africa) has announced an Inaugural Call for Proposals 2018, in this call, ISDAO focuses on the nine West African countries.

ISDAO is the first West African activist-led Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) Fund dedicated to strengthening and supporting a West African movement for gender diversity and sexual rights by adopting a flexible approach to grant-making, and ultimately developing a culture of philanthropy that is committed to equality and social justice.

Funding Information

ISDAO’s grants range from USD 5,000 to USD 20,000 for a period of one year; depending on the organization’s needs, grant experience, and available funds. Their first call ⎯ informed by their earlier community consultations, which mapped the varied capacities and needs of organizations in West Africa ⎯ includes three grant categories applicants can apply for, tailored to the diverse organizing in the region. These include:

• Up to USD 5,000 ⎯ Foundational seed support for informal start-ups between 0-2 years, working locally at the grassroots. These organizations might lack formal systems or structures and have most, if not all, their work led by volunteers. The annual budget for an organization or group requesting this size grant cannot exceed $85,000 USD.
• Up to 15,000 ⎯ Funding to sustain pre-existing work undertaken by more formal groups that have been active for at least two years, working at local, national, or regional levels. These organizations should have some systems and structures in place, and a consistent team of part-time staff and should be consistently staffed by either paid employees (part-time or full-time) or volunteers. The annual budget for an organization or group requesting this size grant cannot exceed $85,000 USD.
• Up to 20,000 ⎯ Funding to consolidate or develop work by formal groups working at national or regional levels that have at least 3 years’ working experience and have functional systems and structures and full-time staff.

It should be noted that the final amount of the grant awarded may differ from the amount originally requested.

Values

They uphold the following values:

• Equitable representation of the LGBTQI community
• Building and strengthening ideologically principled movements, based on a recognition of unequal power relations
• Autonomy, inclusion, diversity, and intersectionality, allowing for self-determination at all levels

Priorities Area

Priority will be given to lesbian, gay, bi, intersex, and trans associations, grassroots groups, or collectives:

• With little or no access to funding from major donors;
• That are dedicated to new issues to which no funding has been granted previously;
• Located in remote and/or underserved areas;
• Diverse in composition, including and/or working with marginalized lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, and trans people;
• Using innovative and creative strategies to promote their activism (including art, music, culture, poetry, social networks, etc.)
• Established in the following countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Benin, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Mali, or Nigeria

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility to apply for the above grants is limited to LGBTQI-led and LGBTQI-focused organizations from any of the nine West African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.
• ISDAO grants are awarded to organizations, networks, and groups that:
  • Are led by lesbians, gays, bisexual, intersex and trans people. ISDAO considers a group to be “led by lesbian, gay, bi, intersex and trans people” when lesbian, gay, bi, intersex, and/or trans people are in decision-making roles, including defining the organization’s strategic and financial priorities, and represent 75% of the staff, spokespersons, and members of the board or other decision-making bodies;
  • Are based in Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Benin, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, or Nigeria;
  • Are dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bi, intersex, and trans people at the local, national, or regional level.
  • Commit to joining and strengthening the lesbian, gay, bi, intersex, and trans rights movement. Applicant’s group should be open to collaborating with other lesbian, gay, bi, intersex, and trans organizations and their allies and be willing to share their experiences to strengthen the lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, and trans rights movement.
  • Are legally registered or not.
• Please note that projects proposed by individuals, government institutions, or political organizations will not be considered for funding.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via given website.

Eligible Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.

For more information, please visit Call for Proposals 2018.