The Civil Society Fund of Irish Aid

Deadline: October 2nd 2023 | The Civil Society Fund of Irish Aid

Title:	The Civil Society Fund of Irish Aid
Organisation:	Irish Aid
Fund/Benefit:	€800,000
Deadline:	October 2nd 2023
Eligible countries:	All countries

Applications for grants for international development initiatives are accepted from Irish and invited foreign civil society organisations by the Civil Society Fund.

FOR TIMELY UPDATES JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL AND TELEGRAM 1 , TELEGRAM 2 CHANNELS

Irish Aid’s primary project funding mechanism is the Civil Society Fund (CSF). The Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) receive assistance from the Civil Society Fund (CSF) to carry out development initiatives that last one to three years. Although a small number of international NGOs are also funded on the basis of recognised policy deficiencies, notably in the area of human rights, it is mostly directed at Irish development NGOs.

Financial Details

The highest yearly grant is now €800,000 (it was previously €400,000), with a 60% dependency restriction on the Department. The minimum annual grant is €50,000.

eligibility requirements

• The following prerequisites must be met:
• The applicant organisation must be either Irish or a non-Irish entity that has been invited to submit a funding application.
• Charitable Status: As of October 2, 2023, Irish applicant organisations must have been in compliance with the Irish Charities Regulatory Authority’s annual reporting criteria for at least two years. As of October 2, 2023, international NGOs must have received a pertinent invitation from the Civil Society Fund, be duly registered as charities in the nations where their headquarters are located, and abide by the reporting requirements of the pertinent charities regulatory authority (or equivalent).

• Organisational Focus: Irish applicant organisations must be actively engaged in direct management and monitoring of international development initiatives in Ireland. International NGOs must have headquarters operations with duties for the direct management and/or control of international development initiatives. Religious orders and missionary organisations should get in touch with Misean Cara instead of applying.
• Independence and Added Value: If the organisation is a member of a larger international family, it must have its own constitution or governance document as well as an independent board of trustees (i.e., the board must be locally appointed, free to make decisions on operational and strategic matters, and able to do so independently).
• Irish organisations are required to submit a Tax Clearance Certificate together with the Eligibility Form. Non-Irish organisations are required to offer a comparable assurance.

Funding Status:

• Organisations that have been given the go-ahead by the department to apply for grants from the Department of Foreign Affairs Civil Society Fund or Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for A Better World (formerly the Programme Grant II) in 2024 are not eligible to submit applications.
  Work Focus: The organization’s intervention areas must fall under the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) definition of Official Development Assistance and be located in one or more nations that the DAC has designated as being eligible for aid.
• Accounts
  • Full audited accounts for the two fiscal years prior to application should be included with the Eligibility Form. Prior to the deadline for eligibility, accounts must also be accessible on the organization’s website.
    Record of Compliance:
  • Funding consideration may not be given to applicants who have a history of breaking the conditions of Department contracts.
    Safeguarding:
  • Applicants must have policies and procedures in place to protect children, beneficiaries, staff, and volunteers, as well as vulnerable and young adults, if applicable.
  • The Eligibility Form should be submitted with copies of these policies. Copies of all pertinent rules and procedures must be included with the eligibility form if it is intended to on-grant any or all of the CSF support to a partner organisation.

For more information, visit Irish Aid.