Community initiatives: change for rural women and families in post-conflict areas

Invitation to submit a proposal

Thematic focus
Community initiatives that create change for rural women and their families in post-conflict areas

Geographic focus
* Casamance (Senegal)
* Border area of the Mano River region (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone)

Timeframe
Proposals may be submitted any time between May 1 and September 30, 2005

This document is available in English and French at www.newfieldfound.org or from [email protected]

Le present document est disponible en anglais et francais a www.newfieldfound.org ou aupres de [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Who we are
New Field Foundation contributes to the creation of a safe and sustainable world by supporting women and their families to overcome poverty, violence and injustice in their communities. Based in San Francisco, California, USA, New Field Foundation is newly established and operates in support of Tides Foundation's international grant making.

We work in the belief that women are central to transforming their own lives and the lives of their families and communities - through their own efforts and in collaboration with local, national and international allies.

New Field Foundation is committed to funding in sub-Saharan Africa at this time. We are in the process of developing plans for our Africa program as a whole and are currently focusing on West Africa. We are interested in supporting rural women to create change not only for their own communities but for the wider rural population of which they are part.

Intent
Our goal is to have long-term relationships with a variety of organizations that share similar values and vision. As a starting point, we offer grants for one or two years on a 'get to know you basis'.

In 2005, New Field Foundation is allocating US $225,000 for initiatives that transform the lives of women and their families in Casamance and the border area of the Mano River region. 15-20 grants will be awarded to community initiatives, each of US $7,500 - $15,000 per year for up to two years.

Purpose
The purpose of these grants is to enable women and their families to re-establish and transform their lives and their communities in rural areas after years of devastating conflict in Casamance and the Mano River region.

We aim to do this by supporting existing community organizations with established programs of work, as well as initiatives that bring a fresh approach and creativity to addressing the challenges faced by rural women, their families and communities.

Who can apply
We welcome applications from organizations and groups that are focused on, and preferably based in, Casamance and the border areas of the Mano River region. In order to be considered for a grant, the organization or group must have an annual income of at least US $35,000, or have been in existence for two years. It must operate as a non-profit, and have the right to receive international funds, or be connected with a non-profit organization that can act as a 'fiscal sponsor' to receive international funds on its behalf.

GUIDELINES: COMMUNITY INITIATIVE GRANTS

Requirements
To qualify for a US $7,500 - $15,000 grant, your organization or group must:
* be focused on, and preferably based in, Casamance and the border areas of the Mano River Region;
* be African-led, women-led and community-centered (so that programs reflect the needs of those served);
* have well functioning management, finance and programmatic structures and systems;
* have non-profit status, or the equivalent of non-profit status;
* EITHER have an annual income of at least US $35,000; OR have been in existence for two years;
* directly benefit at least 100 women and their families;
Note:
If your organization/group has an annual income of less than US $35,000 per year, you need to secure the commitment of a larger organization that does have an annual income of US $35,000 per year, and that is willing and legally able to act as a 'fiscal sponsor'. This means that it would receive the funds and disburse them to you. It would not have decision-making power over the funds. If your proposal is accepted for funding, we would require a copy of the memorandum of understanding or letter of agreement that sets out the arrangement between your organization/group and the fiscal sponsor. Our preference is that you already have an existing relationship with your fiscal sponsor.

Criteria
We are interested in receiving applications from organizations and groups working on different issues, and in different arenas, as we realize that rural women and their families face a range of complex challenges that require multiple solutions. Examples might include legal reform and redress, small grants and micro-finance programs, land distribution and natural resource management, violence and conflict prevention, health and education promotion, national and provincial resource mobilization, certification processes, citizenship rights and advocacy on behalf of equal opportunities.

We are particularly interested in organizations and groups that:
* carry out their work with integrity and courage;
* enable rural women and their families to re-establish and transform their lives in different ways after years of disruption, conflict and displacement;
* enable rural women and their families to benefit from, control and maximize economic resources;
* encourage women's leadership and participatory processes at all levels;
* create long-lasting peace and non-violence, in the home and in the community;
* influence and implement changes in attitude, processes and decision-making at provincial and national levels in ways that benefit rural women and their families.

What the grant can be used for
New Field is interested in supporting an organization or group so that it can realize its goals according to its own needs and priorities. Grants can be made for institutional capacity building, program activities, or administrative support, as defined by the organization or group itself.

Period covered by the grant
Your application can be for a one year grant, or a two year grant. We will not consider requests for longer funding periods, or that are greater than US $15,000 per year.

Grant conditions
If your organization/group is awarded a grant, the money must be spent according to the basic plans and budget set out in your proposal. Any changes in the way the money is spent can be made only if approval is obtained in writing in advance.

Written reports must describe the progress your organization/ group has made in carrying out your proposed activities and how the money has been spent.

For a one-year grant, your organization/ group will be asked to submit an update at nine months and a final report at 14 months. We provide clear guidelines on how to do this once a grant is awarded. For a two-year grant, your organization/ group will be requested to submit an update at nine months of Year 1, which will be reviewed by New Field staff, advisors and board. Year 2 funds will be sent on satisfactory completion of this process.

What we do not fund
Grants are NOT awarded for the following:
* Individuals (except as part of the activities of an organization or group)
* Natural disaster relief
* Organizations or programs designed to elect public officials
* Religious activities

Application process
To consider a request for funding, and to meet U.S. government regulations for international grant making, we ask for detailed information about the organization or group. Please see next section for details.

We will acknowledge your proposal within two weeks of receipt. If you have not received an acknowledgement within one month of submitting your proposal, please contact us to find out whether we received your proposal, or re-submit your proposal by a different method.

Once we have received your proposal, New Field staff, advisors and West Africa-based advisors will review it to determine how well it matches our funding guidelines and criteria. We will notify you within 10 weeks whether your proposal has been selected for more in-depth consideration. If it has, we will contact you (or your fiscal sponsor, if applicable) for more detailed financial information and copies of relevant supporting documents, together with any questions arising out of your proposal. It will take a further 10 weeks to process your proposal and arrive at a final decision.

The submission of a proposal is only the first step of a thorough assessment process. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to prepare a proposal, and the opportunity it gives us to learn about your work.

HOW TO APPLY: COMMUNITY INITIATIVE GRANTS

General Instructions
Please make sure you read the section above called 'Guidelines'.

You may send your proposal anytime between May 1 and September 30, 2005.

Your proposal may be written in English or French.

Please briefly answer the questions that follow. The information you provide enables us to understand and assess your work better. It also ensures that your organization/group meets U.S. government regulations for international grant making.

Please limit your proposal to 10 pages in answer to questions #1 - #7. Please feel free to use or adapt an existing proposal that your organization/group has already prepared for other funders, but make sure that all the questions listed below are covered somewhere in the proposal.

Please complete the documents form (#9) and reference form (#10). These can be sent as additional items to your proposal. If you are using a fiscal sponsor, then please answer the relevant section (#8).

If your application goes to the next stage, we will ask to see more detailed information, particularly official financial statements, NGO registration papers, articles of incorporation, etc. Please do not send us this or any other kind of materials now. Should your proposal emerge as one of the leading candidates for support, we will request official financial statements and other supporting documentation.

Where to send your proposal
By email (preferred): [email protected]

By air mail or fax:
New Field Foundation
1016 Lincoln Boulevard
Mailbox 14, 3rd Floor
San Francisco CA 94129, USA
tel: 1-415-561-3417
fax: 1-415-561-3419

By hand, local mail or fax:
National Accountability Group
Attention New Field Foundation
P.O. Box 1312
18 Dundas Street,
Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa
tel: 232-22-240995 (Attn: New Field)
fax: 232-22-241054 (Attn: New Field)

QUESTIONS for your proposal

We realize that the following list of questions is extensive and that it will take time and thought for your organization/group to answer them, particularly if you do not have other funding applications that you can draw on. However, we need this detailed information so that we can make a fair assessment of your organization/ group and the proposed activities to be funded, and ensure that we are working within the US government's international grant making guidelines.

In our experience, once information has been prepared for one funding application, it can be used in a variety of other ways by the organization/group, including in applications to other funders. However, please think carefully as to whether it is worth your time and effort to submit an application to New Field Foundation, since there is no guarantee that a grant will be awarded.

If submitting an application, please make sure that each question is answered somewhere in your proposal.

1. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
a. Please tell us briefly about the specific issues, problems, or needs your organization/group addresses.
b. Please identify the three most difficult obstacles or challenges your organization/group is facing, and what is being done to deal with them?

2. GROUP INFORMATION
a. Please tell us when and for what reason your organization/group was formed, and by whom. If you have a mission or vision statement, please include it.
b. Who does your organization/group seek to benefit, and in what way?
c. What have been the primary accomplishments of your organization/ group in the last 2-3 years?
d. What do you think are the 2-3 most important accomplishments your organization/group has achieved since it began that relate to the needs of rural women and their families?
e. What would your organization/group most like to accomplish in the next two years or so? Please describe 2-3 likely achievements.
f. What proportion (approximately) of your budget do you allocate to providing direct services and what proportion to advocacy activities?
g. Do you work with traditional leaders and authorities to influence a change in women's lives? If so, how?

3. GRANT REQUEST SUMMARY
a. Please write a summary of at least 200 words about how you would use a grant from New Field, including whether this request is for a specific program, and/or for some of your organization/group's regular operating expenses.
b. How will the activities/goals for which you seek funding contribute to long-term change for rural women and their families facing poverty, violence and injustice?
c. Grants range from US $7,500 to $15,000 per year, for a maximum of two years. What is the total amount of money you are requesting from New Field? Please give the amount in your local currency and U.S. dollars, and note the exchange rate you are using.
d. Please provide a brief budget for your request, in local currency and US dollars. If you are applying for a two-year grant, then give figures for Year 1 and Year 2 separately.

4. GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE
a. Please describe briefly how your organization is structured.
b. Please give the number of paid staff/volunteers/interns/members, and the ratio of male/female in each category.
c. Please provide the name, title, and gender of your Board of Directors/ Trustees.
d. Please provide the name(s) and title(s) (e.g. director, coordinator) of the management staff or leaders in your group. Please also indicate the gender for each name.
e. How are the women and their families who benefit from your group's activities included in the leadership or decision-making of your group?
Note: We ask for individual names so that we can check to ensure they are not listed on the U.S. Department of Tresaury's list of Specially Designated Nationals. (http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/index.html )

5. CONTACT INFORMATION
a. What is the name of your group? If you have changed your group's name recently, please also provide the previous name.
b. What is your preferred method of communication with us? (post, fax, e-mail, other)
c. Please provide the name, title and gender of the primary contact person for this grant application, together with their direct email address and telephone number if they have one.
d. How did you hear of New Field's request for proposals?

6. PUBLIC POLICY INFORMATION
As a U.S.based non-profit, we face certain limitations in funding lobbying activities and need to know whether and how your organization/ group is engaged in this area. Lobbying consists of communications that are intended to influence specific legislation and public policy, either by attempting to influence legislators directly or by encouraging the general public to influence legislators.
a. Does your organization/group attempt to influence legislation or public policy?
b. Does your organization/group recommend or work for the election of any specific political candidates?

7. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
As a U.S.-based organization, New Field Foundation requires financial statements that document a grantee's sources and uses of funds. New Field Foundation recognizes that this request can be complicated due to different accounting methods, the size of the organization/group and its financial management capacity, as well as cross-cultural communication. We have therefore developed the following questions that identify the type of information we need to evaluate a grant request. Please note that at this stage we do not require a breakdown of figures. The provision of financial information will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with others. It is for assessment purposes only and our request does not indicate that a grant will be awarded.
a. Please state whether your organization/ group uses accounting methods that conform to a national standard. If so, please state for how long your organization/group has used them and who is responsible for your financial management. If not, please explain whether your organization/group is considering using such accounting methods and which methods you currently use.

b. What is the period covered by your fiscal year? Please state the month it begins, and the month it ends.
c. For the past fiscal year that has just finished, please tell us:
* What is the total amount of money that your organization/group actually spent during that year, including all projects and operational/administrative expenses;
* What is the total amount of money that your organization/group actually received during that year from all sources of income;
* Whether you have official accounts for the year that are prepared or reviewed by an independent party. If yes, please state how far along you are in that process, and when you estimate a set of draft and/or final accounts will be available. If no, please say so and explain the form of your accounts for the last fiscal year. (Please do not send your official accounts at this stage. We will only ask for them if your proposal is short listed.)
d. If the information is readily available, please answer the same questions as in 7(c) for the fiscal year two years back. If not, please say so.
e. What is the total amount of money that your organization/group is projecting to spend during this year and (if available) next year.
f. What is the total amount that your organization/group is projecting to receive during this year? Or for the next 12 months?
g. Please list your organization/group's sources of funding and amounts, including membership fees.
h. Does your organization/group have an existing bank account ? If no, please say so. If yes, is it in the name of an individual or the name of the organization/group? If it is in the name of an individual, what is the relationship of that individual to the organization/group and how are records kept to show how the organization/group uses the money?

8. FISCAL SPONSOR
Please complete this section if your organization/group has an annual income of less than $35,000 per year. Before you can answer all the questions, you will need to hold discussions with your fiscal sponsor about the way you will work together. You will also need to gather information from your fiscal sponsor to include in your answers. You may want to show a copy of your answers to your fiscal sponsor, to make sure all the information is accurate and reflects what has been agreed. Please note that if your application is selected for more detailed consideration, New Field will contact the fiscal sponsor to discuss with them how they see their role and responsibilities and what kind of relationship they have with your organization/group. New Field will also need to see a copy of the letter of agreement between you.
a. What is the name of your fiscal sponsor? If the sponsor has changed its name recently, please also provide the previous name.
b. Please provide current contact information (mailing address, telephone, fax, e-mail, website) of the fiscal sponsor. For the mailing address, include the district, state, or province as applicable, as well as the country. For fax and phone numbers, include country and city codes.
c. Please give the name(s) and title(s) (eg, director, coordinator) of the leader(s) of your fiscal sponsor. Please also indicate the gender for each name.
d. Please provide the name and title of the primary contact person for the fiscal sponsor, if different from 8 (c). Please also indicate the gender of the individual.
e. How long has your organization/group known the fiscal sponsor, and how would you describe the relationship?
f. Have they acted as fiscal sponsor previously, either to your organization/ group or to other organizations/groups?

g. What responsibilities has the fiscal sponsor agreed to assume for this proposal in relation to your organization/group?
h. Is the bank account of the fiscal sponsor in the name of the organization/group, or in the name of an individual? If it is in the name of an individual, what is the relationship of that individual to the fiscal sponsor and how are records kept to show how the fiscal sponsor uses the money?
i. If your organization/group were to be awarded a grant, would the fiscal sponsor charge your organization/group an overhead or management fee for processing the grant?

9. DOCUMENTATION
Please complete the following table and send it with your proposal.

Name of your organization:
Country:
Date:

Does your organization/group have the following documents? Yes No Don't know Comments
Official financial statements For which years?
Projected income and expenditure For this year? Next year?
List of current funders
NGO registration papers
Articles of incorporation
Organizational by-laws
3- or 5-year organizational plan For which years?
Staff CVs
Program reports relating to your proposal
CD or videotapes
Other (please list - use a second sheet if you need more space))

10. REFERENCES
Please provide the name and contact information for 4 references (2 funders and 2 NGOs/CBOs) and send with your proposal.

Name of your organization:
Country:
Date:

Reference 1 (Funder)
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Email:

Reference 2 (Funder)
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Email:

Reference 3 (NGO/CBO)
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Email:

Reference 4 (NGO/CBO)
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Email: