Grants for disabled people: Disability rights grants
How to Apply for a Grant
In order to support organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) worldwide in creating diverse movements, ensuring inclusive development agendas, and achieving equal rights and opportunities for everyone, the Disability Rights Fund and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund collaborate on grantmaking.
For details on our biennial Request for Proposals (RFP) procedure, please continue reading.
Priority Areas & Funding Streams
OPDs are better able to advocate for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and other pertinent mechanisms (like the Marrakesh Treaty, the African Disability Protocol, and GDS Commitments) and to create powerful, inclusive, and intersectional movements at the local and national levels thanks to DRF/DRAF support. In order to accomplish this, DRF and DRAF now oversee three funding streams—Small Grants, Mid-Level Coalition Grants, and National Coalition Grants—during our grantmaking cycles. These are summarized below.
During DRF/DRAF grantmaking rounds, three financial sources are managed in target countries:
Small Grants help the disability movement expand and become more diverse in order to promote the SDGs and the CRPD locally. We encourage new applicants, as well as grassroots (rural), emergent (recently established), and/or marginalized groups (such as women and girls with disabilities, persons with psychosocial disabilities, persons with albinism, Deafblind persons, etc.) to apply for a Small Grant, although we welcome applications from any eligible OPDs.
Grants for Mid-Level and National Coalitions facilitate the promotion of inclusive legislation, policies, and initiatives. Due to the significance of collaborative advocacy at both the national and sub-national levels, funding will only be granted to coalitions including three or more groups. Organizations applying to lead coalitions must be OPDs; partners may be OPDs or other civil society groups that actively advance human rights. Member OPDs may be partners in coalitions headed by umbrella groups or federations, however in order to be qualified, the coalition must also include at least one outside organization.
The following ranges of funds are available: Small funds, which are worth up to USD 60,000 for two years; Mid-Level Coalition Grants, which are worth up to USD 30,000–50,000 per year; National Coalition Grants, which are worth up to USD 40,000–60,000 per year (up to USD 120,000 for two years).
Target Nations
The following target nations are the ones that the Grantmaking Committee is currently considering for funding to OPDs.
- Africa: Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Malawi
- Asia: Nepal, Indonesia
- Island in the Pacific Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
- Haiti, Caribbean
Qualification Standards for Grants for disabled people: Disability rights grants
Applicants must fulfill the following minimal eligibility standards in order to be considered for DRF/DRAF funding:
- Be headquartered in one of the targeted nations and carry out the majority of your operations there;
- Exist as a non-governmental organization of people with disabilities (OPD) that is duly registered or as a collection of people with disabilities operating under the financial sponsorship of an OPD.
- Provide a project proposal that specifically identifies the applicable Article(s) and supports the CRPD.
- Crucial Funding Considerations
The following are a few recent changes that could affect your bids and/or organizations:
- Giving Eligible Grantees Multi-Year Funding: Starting in 2023, eligible grantees[1] will be given the opportunity to submit funding applications on a two-year approval cycle. This modification recognizes that it takes longer than a year to bring about systemic, rights-based change. It also reacts to the expanding institutional capacity and advocacy efficacy of grantees, which has been substantially bolstered by the development of placed-based staffing and the volume and variety of Technical Assistance provided. Information as follows:
- Applications, recommendations, and approvals for single-year financing will be processed in the same manner as in the past for all new applicants and for those who have been deemed high risk and hence not eligible for multi-year funding.
- A proposal for two years of funding will be solicited from eligible grantees, with budgets and activities taking into account the extended duration.
- The same approval procedures (GMC and Board Committee) will apply to recommendations.
- monies will be disbursed contingent upon implementation, safeguarding, submission of narrative and financial reports, and funding availability; if authorized, monies will be distributed in installments.
- Streamlining the Cycle: GMC grantmaking has been condensed into a single round beginning with the 2023 cycle as part of our Grantmaking Overhaul. The sequence of multi-year approvals, additional efforts to enhance procedures for applicants and reviewers, and the expansion of our team at the local and regional levels have made this approach feasible. This change will enable:
Standardizing the yearly timeline for the award implementation, internal review, GMC decision-making, and application procedures would help everyone understand what to anticipate and when.
investigation of novel strategies, such as regional or thematic review cohorts, in consultation with GMC
more and earlier possibilities for in-round communication, guaranteeing that GMC input may be included to enhance project design, financial planning, strategic alliances, and portfolio coherence overall.
- Technical Assistance: “Technical Assistance” (TA) is a usage for DRF funds. This paper, TA Guidance, can be downloaded.
Describe TA:
In accordance with the CRPD and in a sustainable manner, TA seeks to facilitate OPD learning and progress. Grantees may apply for funding for projects that strengthen their partnerships, instruments, and expertise (knowledge, skills, and experiences) in order to:
- Reach their lobbying goals for rights, and/or
- develop into more powerful advocacy groups.
- How to set aside money for TA: Grantees are encouraged to determine their areas of learning and development that will help them strengthen their advocacy group and promote their advocacy for human rights.
- OPDs may mention in their submissions the budget and actions for any support that aligns with their priorities.
- Your TA activity funds can cover the expenses of hiring consultants, such as OPDs, to offer guidance and training, or if there is locally accessible training that meets your needs.
TA materials can be used to learn about budget advocacy, legislative advocacy, CRPD training, advocacy skills, improving financial policies and procedures, governance, safeguarding, resource mobilization, monitoring, and evaluation, to name a few examples.
What happened to OPD strengthening? Support that was once known as “OPD Strengthening” is now included in TA for this cycle. For further details regarding our TA, please refer to our TA advisory note.
- Putting Safeguards in Place: As part of our duties as human rights benefactors, DRF/DRAF keeps growing the programs that assist grantees in putting our Child Protection Policy (CPP) and our Policy on Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH Policy) into action. It is mandatory for all grantees to establish a safeguarding policy framework that complies with DRF/DRAF requirements, with our financial and technical assistance.
How to Apply
*Note that grants will only be awarded via invitation for the 2023 Round. In an attempt to simplify and expedite our grantmaking procedures, DRF has combined Rounds 1 and 2 into a single cycle, with projects commencing in January each year.
For any inquiries or requests pertaining to accessibility, please email grants@disabilityrightsfund.org.
For more information please visit the Disability rights grants official website
Grants for disabled people: Disability rights grants
