Learning from within
The CIVICUS Solidarity Fund (CSF) was conceptualised to be participatory and inclusive. However, we have learned that, unconsciously, our grant application process was not as accessible and inclusive as we desired. It was reproducing power dynamics and a culture of competition that did not follow all our guiding principles (solidarity, diversity and inclusion, complementarity, mission-alignment, transparency, power-sharing, independence, accountability, innovation, flexibility and learning).
Of course, we wanted to change that! So, we started looking inward to identify what was failing, what worked and how to improve. Between November 2020 and January 2021, our team held several conversations with previous applicants to understand their experience with the CSF application process, learn more about their experiences accessing resources and understand what costs and barriers were imposed on small and less formal organisations, groups and movements when applying for grants, CSF grants particularly.
With the help of a consultant, Naira Bonilla, we also did a literature review on best funding practices to support grassroots groups, activists, social movements and small and informal organisations.
Through this process, we learned much about trust, power dynamics, cultures of competition, and accountability practices. We identified the following areas of change that we needed to focus on to improve the CSF:
These findings guided the redesign of the CSF application, monitoring, reporting and learning processes.
Of course, we wanted to change that! So, we started looking inward to identify what was failing, what worked and how to improve. Between November 2020 and January 2021, our team held several conversations with previous applicants to understand their experience with the CSF application process, learn more about their experiences accessing resources and understand what costs and barriers were imposed on small and less formal organisations, groups and movements when applying for grants, CSF grants particularly.
With the help of a consultant, Naira Bonilla, we also did a literature review on best funding practices to support grassroots groups, activists, social movements and small and informal organisations.
Through this process, we learned much about trust, power dynamics, cultures of competition, and accountability practices. We identified the following areas of change that we needed to focus on to improve the CSF:
- Transforming the grant application process into an inclusive, accessible and straightforward exercise.
- Creating new reporting requirements and monitoring methods that acknowledge that our grantees’ progress is not linear and that oftentimes their journey is more transformative than any expected outcome of their work.
These findings guided the redesign of the CSF application, monitoring, reporting and learning processes.
