The Global Challenges Local Solutions (GCLS) grant competition is currently inviting Community Foundations from across Europe to participate in the 7th edition of the program.
The Global Challenges Local Solutions grant competition is the first European competition that connects community foundations and Sustainable Development Goals on the local level. Within six editions of the grant competition, they supported community foundations from across Europe and collected many good practices that can serve as an inspiration for the others.
It was set to provide them with additional resources that can improve local initiatives. The Fund has been focusing on initiatives referring directly to SDGs. The Academy wants to increase by 2030 the number of CFs (approx. 300) which are aware and committed to developing global problems on the basis of SDGs.
In the 7th GCLS Grant Round, they are opening a call for only such projects, which mainly focus on activities aimed at communicating and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals within the community and local stakeholders – organizations, authorities, business, etc.
Organisation and Aims of the Competition
Global Challenges Local Solutions European Grant Competition (Competition) is organized by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland (ADPP) within the Global Challenges Local Solutions Program.
The Global Challenges Local Solutions Program (GCLS) is co-financed by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
Competition was established in order to support grass-root initiatives, run by community foundations together with local communities. These global challenges have been identified in the Agenda for 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which always had to be included in the projects that received GCLS grants.
Funding Information
The total amount of up to 100,000 USD will be awarded within the 7th grant round.
Applicants can apply for the grant up to 15,000 USD.
The project shall determine activities that are going to be implemented in the period not longer than seven months (from December 1, 2023 till June 30, 2024). The grant will be paid in one installment.
Target Groups
Applications to the Competition may be submitted only by community foundations (Applicants), registered and operating in the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom (UK), Vatican City. Only foundations and associations are eligible to apply for the grant.
Community foundation is understood as a non-profit and non-governmental organization designed to pool donations into a coordinated investment and grant making facility dedicated primarily to the social improvement of a given community. The six main characteristics of the CFs are:
Act as grant-making foundations – i.e. give grants to support development projects,
Their mission is broadly defined i.e. to improve quality of life in a community,
Serve geographically defined communities: a city, state, region, district or province,
Are supported by a broad range of private as well as public donors and seek philanthropic contributions primarily inside the community,
Are governed by multi-sectoral local boards reflecting framework of the community,
Build capital endowment, which is an important element of sustainability.
Grants Procedure
Projects submitted to the Competition should be aimed at communicating and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals within the community and local stakeholders – organizations, authorities, business, etc. It can refer to:
all 17 SDGs, as the Agenda, or
selected SDGs, related to the specificities and needs of a given community.
The long-term goal is to make the SDGs permanently present in the community.
Submitted projects may include tasks for Community Foundations such as:
organization of educational seminars, thematic competitions, debates on concepts and strategies allowing to implement the SDGS’ global idea on the local ground;
preparation and launch of a communication program for the local stakeholders-local government, media, organizations, etc-about SDGs, being an inseparable element of all undertaken actions;
development of strategies including long-term actions driven by the spirit of SDGs and e.g. consultations with the environment.
The project proposal has to include concrete information about actual plans and actions to raise awareness on SDGs within the community, and confirm that the applicant-a Community Foundation-permanently integrates SDGs promotion into its activities.
It will be welcomed to see CFs issuing an official statement-e.g. a resolution, a manifesto-that the CF acts for the 17 SDGs and encourages local partners to collaborate with the spirit of SDGs (this is already the implementation of SDG #17).
Grants may be awarded both for new projects and for improving existing projects.
Selection Criteria and the Grant Committee Proceedings
Submitted applications will be assessed formally and preselected by ADPP team.
The Grant Committee will be composed of international experts.
During the assessment, the Grant Committee will take into consideration the following criteria:
Adequacy of the planned activities to the principles of the 7 th grant round and local community’s needs defined in the project,
Feasibility of the project and effectiveness,
Rationality of the planned activities;
Scale of engaging local community members into the project;
Durability, as a chance to continue the project;
Replicability of the proposed solution and the possibility of its implementation by the other local organizations.
The Grant Committee may award a grant in less amount than stated in the application form.
Decisions of the Committee are irrevocable.
Applicants whose applications will be chosen by the Grant Committee, will sign an agreement with ADPP. Applicants will be obliged to submit the final narrative and financial report in compliance with the deadline and rules defined in the agreement.
