APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED!
See the results of the call for proposals here.
OVERVIEW
Brazil is currently experiencing a profound socio-political crisis, marked by threats to and setbacks in hard-won rights, particularly in the area of social rights. This crisis has also laid bare a wave of conservatism that presents troubling prospects for the future of human rights in the country.
Within this context, racism remains a crucial element shaping social inequalities and conflicts. Supporting initiatives that seek to counter the dismantling of institutional mechanisms for the defense of human rights is therefore essential to strengthening democracy and fostering new pathways and meaningful change in Brazil.
The Brazil Fund is committed to strengthening human rights groups and organizations by providing resources to support projects focused on the defense of rights. We believe that the human rights cause can only succeed through the strengthening of a broad network of civil society organizations capable of working together and bringing new momentum to this type of work.
Through the “70 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” general call for proposals, the Brazil Fund will prioritize support for those with limited resources and/or difficulty accessing other sources of funding (see “Eligibility Criteria,” Item 2). Special consideration will also be given to proposals that promote collaboration and network-building, as well as those submitted by organizations, groups, or collectives led by young people.
PRIORITY AREAS
The “70 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” call for proposals seeks to support initiatives aimed at addressing setbacks in the field of human rights, with a particular focus on, among others:
- Projects dedicated to defending women’s rights, with special attention to Black women, Indigenous women, and women from traditional communities. The rise of conservative ideologies across different spheres of power has hindered the longstanding struggle for gender equality, reinforcing a context marked by wage inequality, violations of reproductive rights, underrepresentation in political life, oppression and repression of sexual freedom, labor exploitation, and domestic and sexual violence;
- Projects aimed at defending the rights to sexual orientation and gender identity, and that have been designed with an intersectional understanding of the multiple forms of oppression experienced by these groups. The rise of conservatism has also intensified the climate of discrimination and violence faced by LGBTQI+ people, hindering both the effective implementation of hard-won rights and the advancement of new ones needed to end ongoing abuses;
- Projects aimed at defending the rights to land and territory. In recent years, the struggles of Indigenous peoples, Quilombola communities, traditional populations, rural workers, and extractive communities have intensified, as reflected in alarming levels of violence in the countryside, land conflicts, and growing threats against defenders of socio-environmental rights;
- Projects aimed at defending rights threatened by the dismantling of public programs and policies in the areas of education, healthcare (including its intersection with efforts to address current drug policy), and labor. Setbacks in these areas risk further deepening Brazil’s longstanding social inequalities.
TWO SUPPORT TIERS IN 2019
In 2019, through the “70 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” call for proposals, the Brazil Fund will award up to BRL 800,000 (eight hundred thousand reais) in grants. Support will be distributed across two grant tiers in order to allow groups, collectives, and organizations to assess their funding needs and submit proposals within the category that best fits their needs. The first tier will support projects requesting between BRL 20,000 (twenty thousand reais) and BRL 30,000 (thirty thousand reais). The second tier will support projects requesting between BRL 30,000 (thirty thousand reais) and BRL 40,000 (forty thousand reais). The Brazil Fund will also support institutional development projects aimed at strengthening human rights organizations.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Each organization, group, or collective may submit only one project.
- Applicant organizations, groups, or collectives must have an annual revenue of no more than BRL 700,000 (seven hundred thousand reais).
- Proposals will be accepted from individuals, as well as from non-profit organizations, groups, and collectives, even if they are not yet formally registered and/or do not have a CNPJ (Brazilian National Registry of Legal Entities number).
- Proposals submitted by government agencies, universities, international organizations, political parties, small and medium-sized enterprises, microenterprises, or individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs) will not be considered.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS IN PROJECT SELECTION
- Alignment with the theme of the call;
- Focus on the defense of rights;
- Existence of ties and connections between the applicant organization and the groups and/or communities affected by the issue being addressed;
- Adequacy of the budget for the proposed activities;
- Innovative, unconventional approaches;
- Regional diversity.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED TO THE BRAZIL FUND?
The Brazil Fund team will conduct an initial analysis of all submitted projects. Eligible proposals will then be forwarded to a Selection Committee composed of experts. The Committee will meet to recommend which projects should be supported. The final decisions rest with the Brazil Fund Board of Directors. The results of the selection process will be announced on the Brazil Fund website starting June 27, 2019.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT
Proposals must be submitted online. To apply, groups, collectives, and organizations should access the link below and complete all required information by 6:00 p.m. (Brasília time) on February 28, 2019.
The project application form can be accessed through this link.
Proposals will be accepted only through the online application system, which can be accessed via the link above.
Please note that, when filling out the form and submitting your proposal, you will be required to upload at least one letter of recommendation, including the contact information of the individual(s) or organization(s) providing the reference.
Proposals submitted by email will not be accepted. Likewise, proposals delivered in person to the Brazil Fund’s headquarters will not be considered.
Under no circumstances will late submissions be accepted.
The Brazil Human Rights Fund does not extend application deadlines.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
Questions will be answered by email only. Please write to [email protected].
Before contacting us, please check whether your question has already been answered in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. The link can be found just above the text of the call for proposals.