The UNAoC’s Youth Solidarity Fund supports youth-led projects and organizations “that demonstrate innovative youth approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue. The Youth Solidarity Fund will only support projects that are entirely developed and managed by youth for the benefit of youth. The age definition used by the UNAoC to characterize youth is a person who is between 18 years old and their early 30s.
Subject to availability of funds, the 2009 edition of the Youth Solidarity Fund offers a total envelope of up to US$300,000. There are two levels of funding available:
- Small grants: Community or local‐level projects needing funding of up to US$20,000.
- Large grants: National or regional‐level projects needing funding of up to US$30,000.
The evaluation of eligible project proposals will be conducted by a Youth Selection Committee composed of youth representatives nominated by key youth partners. Using selection criteria developed by the UNAoC, the Youth Selection Committee will identify projects that are deemed to be the most meritorious under each category of funding.”
The eligibility criteria for the Fund are as follows:
- Be a membership‐based youth organization (youth‐led or primarily youth‐serving) or a network composed of several youth‐led organizations;
- Be a non‐governmental organization (with the exception of national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation or association;
- Be operational for a minimum of 2 years with funding base and project implementation;
- Have a democratic governance structure, leadership nomination and consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies with members;
- Have the ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation and recordkeeping of their activities, including projects evaluation reports and financial accounts;
- Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, membership and activities;
- Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, sex, etc.; and
- Did not receive funding under the Pilot Phase of the Youth Solidarity Fund as a youth organization can receive funding under the Youth Solidarity Fund only once.
The last date to apply for the Fund is 30 September 2009. For more information, visit this link.
