Introduction

Applications are now open for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) 2020 Youth Solidarity Fund. Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) is awarded to youth-run/led organizations that build and strengthen peaceful and inclusive societies by implementing projects that adopt an innovative and constructive approach to intercultural and interfaith discourses where those organizations work. In addition to funding, UNAOC provides capacity-building programs to the recipient organizations to enhance their momentum for implementing their projects. So, organizations led by youth can apply from Afghanistan in addition to a large number of other countries.

Why this program?

To tackle challenges such as poverty, violence, insecurities, and now COVID-19 young people across the world and counter the effects of these, the UNAOC is calling for further actions from youth globally to address the causes of these problems.

Given COVID-19 and many other obstacles, young people continue to explore ways to engage, support one another, as well as aspire, and affect changes. Young people find and apply innovative solutions to peace and security obstacles and are the most able to mobilize their peers. Also, youths have the power to change entire regions to make them more safe, peaceful, and socially inclusive. This is why the UN has designed this funding scheme to enable youth-led organizations to take action for bringing change.

Program quick details

Application deadline: 31 January 2021 5:00 p.m. (EST) in New York

Organizer: United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

Type of applicant: Organizational Applicant

Project implementation duration: 1 year

Benefits

The program provides a grant of $25,000 for the winning projects to be implemented.

Who can apply?

• Youth-led organizations registered and/or functioning in one of the eligible countries;
• Registered youth-led organizations with projects fully developed and run by youth and for the advantage of youth.
• Youth at the management or leadership level of the organizations are to be 18-35 years old.
• Their projects should focus on youth but their impact should be on the community as a whole often involving religious or political leaders, policy-makers, educational and media institutions.

Eligibility criteria for youth organizations:

Youth organizations shall meet the same criteria as other partners of the United Nations System in that they must be accountable, transparent, and avoid all discriminatory practices.

To qualify, applying youth organizations need to satisfy every one of the following criteria:

• Be youth-led.
• e a non-profit, non-governmental organization (excluding national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation, or association;
• Be officially registered and operative for a minimum of two years before o the deadline for applications with funding base and project execution in one of the eligible countries (linked above);
• Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including consultative processes in shaping priorities and policies;
• Have an ability to display accurate and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and record-keeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
• Have a gender perspective reflected in their staff, audience, and activities;
• Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, gender, etc.; and
• Did not receive funding under past editions of YSF or did not receive the Intercultural Innovation Award.

Eligibility criteria for projects:

All submitted proposals/projects must meet every one of the following criteria to be eligible and reviewed by the Selection Committee:

• Origin: The project was launched and written by youth;
• Target Audience: The project targets youth primarily with gender balance considered;
• Objective: The project contributes to upholding UNAOC’s mandate and mission;
• Management: The project is run by a youth-led organization, responding to all eligibility criteria stated above;
• Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator is obviously linked to the applying organization and is between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of the application;
• Duration and Timing: The project must be implemented between May 2021 and May 2022. Final reports will need to be submitted by 1 May 2022 at the latest;
• Location: Project activities are executed in the countries eligible for this fund;
• Budget: The organization needs to ensure it is able to implement all planned project elements with the funds requested and secured (not more than 50% of the applicant’s annual budget in 2019).
• Language: Application and CV/resume of the Project Coordinator must be submitted in English only;
• Registration certificate and statute: Read more about it below. These can be submitted in the original language of the country of organization.

Selection

A Selection Committee will review all submitted project proposals and conduct a shortlist of organizations. It will contact organizations advancing to the next stages of the application and ask to submit a more detailed project budget and work plan.

Evaluation criteria

The Selection Committee will perform a final evaluation and scoring of the short-listed proposals against the following criteria

• Objectives
• Activities
• Relevance
• Quality
• Impact and amplifier effect
• Sustainability, Monitoring, and Evaluation

How to apply?

Interested organizations can apply via the online form below.

Apply HERE.

The application package must include the following.

The application form, completed and attested by the applicant’s organization;

• A copy of the registration certificate of the applicant’s organization;
• A copy of the statutes/by-laws of the applicant’s organization;
• An organizational chart showing the ages of key decision-makers within the organization;
• A biography of the current Executive/Managing Director, displaying the birth date (one-page maximum);
• The resume/CV of the project coordinator (two pages max.);
• A picture or scan of the project coordinator’s passport identification page. If the project coordinator does not have a passport, he/she can upload the national identification card.

Note: The word/character limit for each question in the application form needs to be considered. The application system automatically counts words and characters.

For more information about this fantastic opportunity, types of potential projects, past winners, and program FAQs, please visit the UNAOC Website.