COMMUNITY RESOURCE EXCHANGE CALL FOR PROPOSALS – AFRICA

The Community Resource Exchange (CRE) is calling for proposals of collaboration grants for applicants from Africa.

Download the collaboration grant request form in English or French. To learn more about the collaboration grants please see this infographic (available in English and French).

Collaboration requests with  financial assistance must be received by 28 July 2024 (23:59 GMT).

The proposed budget should not exceed USD 5,000.  Decisions are expected to be made by 20 August 2024.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applications for financial assistance will only be considered if:

• There is a fully filled Collaboration Grant Request Form.
• There are communities defending their human rights in the face of specific development or international investment activities.
• Proposed activities are community driven.  

Please submit the completed collaboration grant request form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please make sure you fill out all the fields in this form. If you have any questions or clarifications on how you can collaborate with us, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE KINDS OF ENGAGEMENT

The nature or shape of any collaboration or support will depend on the priorities and interest of the community affected by international investments and development projects, and the extent to which CRE collaborators are able to engage. Examples of strategies the CRE could facilitate collaborations on include:  

• Awareness raising about legal rights in the context of a World Bank financed water treatment plant, for e.g., through songs, theater and community radio; 
• Strengthen community organisation and mobilisation around an internationally financed mine;
• Power mapping and identifying funders in a hydropower project that affects the community;
• Advocacy work with development banks  and international institutions on specific projects;
• Scientific or technical testing and analysis, e.g. review of technical project documents, soil testing, economic analysis, etc;
• Communications and media outreach, including amplification of campaign and messaging through journalists, allies and media collaborators;
• Learning exchanges with other communities who have fought the same funder or company; and,
• Resources on protection and security for human rights defenders (resources can be information, technical assistance, small grants, urgent actions, etc.). 

The above are just examples of possible kinds of engagement. We are open to collaborating on other strategies with  communities defending their rights from   international investments or development activities.

PRIORITIES FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH CRE COLLABORATION GRANTS

Proposals for financial assistance that meet the following criteria will be prioritized:

• The proposed activities will be led by community-based organizations.
• Includes an endorsement or reference from an existing member or partner of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, or another CRE collaborator.
• The requester is interested in sharing experiences and lessons learned with other communities.
• There is a public development finance connection, or an interest in exploring if there is one.
• The proposed activities would likely leave the community in a stronger position with less risk of harm.
• The community’s financial need would likely not be met without our support.
• The request comes from a marginalised  group or constituency. 
• Funds are for community activities/expenses rather than external salaries/compensation.

The CRE does not directly fund project proposals for security and protection of human rights defenders.  But if your community is facing security threats and reprisals, please write to us  directly though This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. 

PROCESS TO REVIEW PROPOSALS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

We have a limited amount of funds to distribute as financial assistance. In the past, the Coalition for Human Rights in Development has only been able to provide financial assistance to about 15% of all eligible applications. 

The following process will be used to determine which requests for funds are directly fulfilled by the CRE:

• The CRE secretariat  will review all collaboration requests with  financial assistance, and check that all eligibility criteria are met.
• They will summarise eligible proposals, and score them based on the priorities listed above through a predetermined scoring criteria. They may reach out to requesters or allies to vet the proposals. 
• Regional Grant Working Groups will review all eligible collaboration requests with  financial assistance.
• The eligible proposals are discussed within the Regional Grant Working Groups in a strategy session, to award financial assistance, and determine if there are other ways in which the CRE can support the communities.

Please note: Even if you are not awarded a grant, the CRE can still work with you to identify relevant collaborators. These collaborators can help you advance your work. Additionally, sometimes we may be able to refer you to other small grant funders if we are not able to meet your request for financial assistance.