Apart from monitoring calls for proposals advertised by the main international agencies, you might find it useful to look up specific training programmes targeting young people to work in the NGO sector, relevant conferences, and awards given by private foundations.
- Training, conferences, and roundtables are organised by all major international agencies to seek active participation of the youth, create space for exchange and networking, and also to facilitate youth organisations in acquiring the necessary skills to propose successful proposals. Regional and national offices of the main agencies will disseminate calls for applications to attend their training sessions. Make the most out of this opportunity and participate in order to better understand how to write and present your own proposals and also to share experience and ideas with fellow civil society actors.
- Contact your local Youth Council and get involved in their activities to strengthen your own position within the community. Your city, region, or country will have a contact point for youth people. Normally, local and national administrations promote the setting up of youth councils with whom to develop strategies and policies concerned with the youth. Make sure to get in contact and develop working relationships with the council, for three main reasons. Firstly, there might be someone in the council who is in charge of monitoring grants and calls for proposals targeting the youth. As such, it might be helpful to become part of their network as a way of keeping in touch with the dissemination of important calls. Secondly, the council will have an overview of the activities of all the youth organisations working in your areas and, as such, people working there might be able to put you in contact with the relevant organisations to develop cooperative projects and submit funding proposals. Thirdly, by presenting your organisation to the council and making them aware of your projects, you will increase your chances of making your voice heard and participating in the drafting of policy documents in collaboration with local and national authorities.
- Monitor calls disseminated by Portals for Young People. A list of portals active in Africa, Europe, and Latin America can be found here.
- Search for private foundations sponsoring youth-led projects. Examples are: the TK Foundation, the Berghof Foundation, and the Kellogg Foundation.
A Youth Festival
For more information on ongoing youth projects, consider visiting the website of the International Youth Foundation (http://www.iyfnet.org/), which works as a platform to advertise initiatives in more than 175 countries around the world.
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