Deadline: 20 December 2018

Freedom House, in collaboration with the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, invites applicants for funding and support from local, registered non-governmental organizations and coalitions based in the Republic of Moldova, the Eastern Partnership Region, and the European Union that seek to raise awareness about press freedom, freedom of expression, and independent media in the Republic of Moldova, including among the public, marginalized communities, government, local authorities, and other sectors.

Objectives

The “Media Freedom Matters” grants program will serve the following objectives:

• To provide financial support to longer-term advocacy initiatives, public campaigns, and other activities that seek to raise public awareness about freedom of expression and press freedom among the general public in the Republic of Moldova;
• To provide essential technical support, assistance, and tools to new initiatives or campaigns in order to leverage their impact to strengthen public trust in independent Moldovan media and fact-based journalism in the age of disinformation;
• To bolster broader regional efforts to encourage Moldovan citizens’ active engagement with media, and advocate for a government that is accountable, ensuring equal and impartial access to media distribution services in Moldova.

Award Information

• Projects may cost up to $10,000. The distribution of funds will follow entry into an agreement with advocacy partners (if any), Freedom House, and the Black Sea Trust.
• The selection decisions will be made by January 31, 2019. Freedom House and BST intend to fund projects beginning in February 2019.

Thematic Areas

Applications will be considered in the following thematic areas:

• Raise awareness about freedom of expression/free press among the general public in the Republic of Moldova;
• Strengthen public trust in independent Moldovan media in the age of disinformation;
• Promote fact-based journalism and opinion exchange;
• Encourage citizens’ active engagement with the media in Moldova;
• Target the government to ensure its commitment to a free press in the Republic of Moldova.

Eligibility Criteria

• Only non-commercial organizations, associations, initiatives, and foundations active in the Republic of Moldova, the European Union, or the Eastern Partnership are eligible for participation in this program. Individuals and government, quasi-government, or commercial agencies and bodies are not eligible for funding.
• Priority will be given to organizations and initiatives that see themselves as media freedom or support organizations, or agents of transparency, accountability, and democratic development. In addition, priority will be given to those initiatives addressing local- or regional-level freedom of expression or press freedom issues.
• Priority will be given to Moldovan regional- and local-level initiatives and campaigns, especially those that focus on Russian-speaking communities within the Republic of Moldova. Applications to this announcement should demonstrate an understanding of main organizational and/or campaign needs and a desire to address them with the support of Freedom House and the Black Sea Trust.

How to Apply

All grant applications must be submitted electronically at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit https://freedomhouse.org/program/moldova-media-freedom-matters