Small Grants Program 2008

Guidelines for Civil Society Organizations

About the Program

The purpose of the Small Grants Program is to strengthen the voice and influence of poor and marginalized groups in the development processes, thereby making these processes more inclusive and equitable. To this end, it supports activities of civil society organizations whose primary objective is encouraging and supporting civic engagement of these target populations. By involving citizens who are often excluded from the public arena, and increasing their capacity to influence policy and program decisions, the Small Grants Program helps and facilitates ownership of development initiatives by a broader sector of society.
Due to the fact that Romania still has large discrepancies between urban and rural areas in terms of development and poverty levels, this year's Small Grants Program focuses on grassroots organizations mainly from small towns and from rural areas, as well as those focusing on marginalized groups such as the Roma, elderly and disabled persons which need not only improvement in living standards but also empowerment  and voice to increase their capacity to access and influence policy and program. In addition the Program aims to stimulate civic engagement of these target populations by supporting innovative approaches in the field of social assistance and inclusion, and those that would contribute to building the capacity of marginalized groups and communities to access EU structural and social funds.
Outcomes of Civic Engagement

Before You Apply

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 as closely as the selected proposals. Your activity may fall within the objectives and criteria, but the demand far surpasses the availability of funds.
Before applying, please take the time to read the Guidelines to determine if there is a match.

Who Can Apply?

• Civil society organizations based in Romania 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 of financial probity.
• Priority will be given to organizations not supported by the Program in previous years (organizations are not eligible for more than three grants from the Small Grants Program within a five-year period).
  

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.
• Priority shall be given to organizations that have not been supported by the Program in previous years.
  

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?

Grants will be limited to $5,000/project. This year the World Bank Office in Romania was allocated $35,000 for the Small Grants Program. 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.
An NGO can apply with a couple of different projects at the same time.

How to Apply for a Grant?

The Small Grants Program is administrated by the World Bank Office in Bucharest. More information could be obtained from http://www.worldbank.org.ro.  The Small Grants Program makes decisions only once a year. Applicants are advised to read the criteria and the application form carefully before submitting an application to the World Bank Office. 
The applications (in English or Romanian) can be sent by post or delivered by hand at the World Bank Office, Str. Armand Călinescu 2-4, sector 2, Bucureşti, by February 29, 2008 (mail date) with the mention “ For the Small Grants Program”.

Click here for the application.

Selection Criteria for Grants

The Small Grants Program is managed internally, by the World Bank Office in Romania, with a review committee and an external partner organization. Applications are screened and reviewed to ensure that the criteria are met. The Small Grants Program gives full consideration to all proposals. The review may take up to two months to complete. 
The evaluation of the project proposals are done according to the following key criteria:

• Effectiveness: Does the proposal address the objective of civic engagement of grassroots organizations mainly from small towns and from rural areas? Does the proposal focus on the needs of marginalized groups such as the Roma, the elderly and the disabled persons
• Innovative approach: How does the proposal identify and scale-up innovative approaches implemented by the Civil Society Organizations, especially in the field of social assistance and social inclusion?
• Contribution to absorption of EU structural and social funds: How does the proposal contribute to efforts for absorption of EU structural and social funds in order to achieve the country’s successful convergence with the European Union, with a particular emphasis on facilitating and building capacity to access EU funds by marginalized groups and communities
• Feasibility: Is the proposed approach practical? Are the timeline and budget adequate
• Organizational capacity: What skills do the organization’s staff and board bring to the project? Are they relevant to the project’s aims? Has the organization succeeded in similar endeavors of equal size and scale to what they are now proposing?
• Organizational credibility: What kind of reputation does the group enjoy within its community and beyond?
• Importance: Is the project significant? Is there evidence that the proposal will trigger action or work that the community wants? Will it make a difference in the community it purports to aid or resolve the issue it addresses? Given your other opportunities for funding, is it the right one to support at this time?
  

Monitoring and Evaluation

The World Bank will monitor and evaluate the activity of grantees through implementation progress reports submitted at request by grantees and through field visits to the grant activities sites.  At the completion of activity, each grantee will present a Final Report (see in annex 2 the Final Report’s format) and at, request, will provide information on the dissemination of project’s activities and outcomes.

Click here to complete the final report for your organization.

 Examples of Activities Supported by the Small Grants Program last year.