Deadline: May 1, 2022

The Spark Fund in South Asia will distribute annual grants of between $10,000 to 15,000 USD over two years. This grant will be paid in two annual grants – one in June 2022 and one in June 2023. They anticipate funding between 10 – 15 organizations or groups within the region in this funding round.

 

Spark Fund grants can be spent on whatever the organization/group needs. This includes project and program expenses but can also cover day to day running costs, salaries, organizational development costs or anything else they need. We understand that priorities and circumstances may change during the grant period so Spark Fund grants are flexible, allowing grantee partners to respond to the changing needs of their communities throughout the grant period.

Spark Fund grants will be administered by Global Fund for Children.

The Spark Fund youth-led grantmaking panels will use the information you provide in these forms to decide who will receive funding from the Spark Fund in each region.

They are currently welcoming applications from youth-led and youth-focused groups and organizations in South Asia and Southern Africa that are working to create transformational change and improve the lives of young people and their communities. Applications for the Americas will open soon!

The Spark Fund invests in youth-led and youth-focused groups tackling injustice and inequality,  driving transformational change, and building a more inclusive post-pandemic world by harnessing the power of digital technologies.

This innovative fund puts key decisions in the hands of youth and provides young leaders and their organizations, networks, and movements with flexible funding and capacity development.

They are excited to launch the first Spark Fund call for applications from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Applications are welcome from youth-led groups or organizations that are working to create transformational change in the areas of climate change, health and/or education to improve the lives of young people and their communities.

They are also excited to launch the first Spark Fund call for applications from Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Applications are welcome from youth-led and youth-focused groups or organizations that are working to create transformational change and improve the lives of young people and their communities.

The Spark Fund South Asia panel is looking for applicants that demonstrate a commitment to youth-led change within the region. The panel will prioritize applications from organizations/ unregistered groups that demonstrate:

  • Innovation
  • Youth leadership
  • Risk-taking
  • Youth-centered programs
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Gender equity

Benefits

  • The Spark Fund provides core funding. This means you can apply for funding for whatever you need. For example, this may include staff costs, running costs, rent, utilities, equipment, and other resources needed to support your organization as well as project costs, activities or advocacy, and campaigning.
  • Organizations/groups can apply for grants of up to $30,000 USD split over two years through the Spark Fund.

In addition to annual grants of between $1,000 – $15,000 USD for the next two years, the Spark Fund also offers grantee partners additional opportunities including:

  • Dedicated support from Global Fund for Children to identify your goals for strengthening your group and work together to develop a customized plan
  • To connect and learn with other Spark Fund grantees in Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Namibia through digital technologies as well as a face-to-face convening (Covid rules permitting!)
  • To meet, learn from, and connect digitally with global Spark Fund partners from other regions around the world.
  • To receive additional grants to cover emergencies or other capacity development needs over the pilot period.

Eligibilities

The Spark Fund in South Asia supports groups or organizations located in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan that:

  • Are youth-led (where the leadership of the organization or group are young people aged under 32)
  • Are focused on creating positive change for children or young people in their community
  • Have a focus on at least one of the following issues:
    • Climate change – including but not limited to a focus on:
      • Air pollution
      • Conservation of, and access to, natural resources and habitats
      • Deforestation
      • Clean energy sources
      • Impact on vulnerable communities
    • Education – including but not limited to:
      • Primary education
      • Life skills education
      • Secondary education
      • Career guidance
      • Digital literacy
      • Social and behavioral change
      • Hygiene and nutrition
    • Health – including but not limited to:
      • Mental health
      • Substance abuse
      • Sexual and reproductive health
      • Malnutrition
  • Are non-profit organizations or groups, including social enterprises
  • Are registered or unregistered, including informally structured groups
  • Have a yearly organizational/ group budget of less than $30,000 USD

Eligible Regions: South Asia, Southern Africa

 

Application Process

  • Fill out the online application form.
  • Grantee partners will have to submit one narrative and financial report each year to Global Fund for Children
  • Grantee partners must have a policy and procedure focused on keeping the people they work with and engage with safe from harm, including safeguarding their digital privacy rights. If grantees do not currently have a policy, Global Fund for Children will support them to develop a policy that is appropriate for their work and context in their first grant year.

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