Democracy Commission Small Grants Program
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program is to award
grants for specific projects that support democracy and the development of
democratic institutions in the Republic of Serbia. Grants will be primarily
awarded to non-governmental (NGOs) and other non-profit organizations in
the regions outside of Belgrade. The maximum amount of a grant is $24,000,
but smaller grants are preferred in order to support more projects. To be
eligible for consideration, every applicant must be registered in the territory
of the Republic of Serbia and engaged in, or propose to carry out, a project
whose purpose is to further the development of democratic institutions in
Serbia, especially in local municipalities.
The Democracy Commission is interested in projects relating to:
- free market economy (business associations, public education)
- youth
involvement and development
- promotion of civil society
- transparency in government
- rule of law, legal and judicial reform
- environment
- rights of the disabled and other people with special
needs
Guidelines for Application
- The maximum grant amount is $24,000.
- The maximum grant period
is one year.
- Project proposals should be completed in English. Supporting
documents may be in Serbian.
- Project proposals should include all of
the information requested in the Application Form. Proposals will not
be considered until all
information
is received.
- Amounts in the project budget have to be in U.S.
dollars.
- Project budget should not include any expenses incurred outside
of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, such as international
transportation,
purchase of goods or payment of services in other countries,
etc.
- Fees for staff engaged in the project implementation on a regular
basis (project manager, project assistant, accountant, etc.)
should not exceed
35% of the total project budget.
- The project budget should
include bank charges.
- Grants are made on a one-time basis. A successful
applicant may re-apply for a second grant, but the second proposal
must be for
a distinctly
different project from the first project funded by the
Democracy Commission.
Projects NOT Funded by the Democracy Commission
Projects NOT funded by the U.S. Embassy Democracy Commission include:
- those
submitted by non-Serbian organizations and individuals;
- those relating
to partisan political activity;
- conferences and individual trips abroad;
- charitable activity and humanitarian
aid;
- fund-raising campaigns;
- commercial projects;
- arts and culture projects;
- scientific research;
- individuals not affiliated with an organization
that can provide long-term sustainability to the project;
- and those
that duplicate existing projects.
Evaluation Criteria
The U.S. Embassy has established the Democracy Commission, which reviews
and evaluates proposals every four months. The Embassy will also be in touch
with other donor institutions and countries that provide financial support
for the projects promoting democratic institutions.
Project proposals are evaluated according to the topic of the project, clearly
formulated goals and target groups, project sustainability and the ability
of the applying organization to carry out the project aims.
Project proposals that meet the basic criteria outlined above will be considered
at meetings of the Democracy Commission. If your proposal meets the criteria
of the Democracy Commission and is under consideration, you may be invited
for an interview or asked to submit additional information.
Democracy Commission accepts applications at any time. Applicants can expect
to be notified of the final outcome up to four months after the submission
of the project.
How to Apply?
Please access the Application Guidelines and Application Form in Microsoft
Word.
Please mail one (1) copy of the completed Application Form with an
original signature on the last page, and forward one (1) copy in the electronic
form by e-mail.
DEMOCRACY COMMISSION
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION
U.S. EMBASSY
KNEZA MILOSA 50
11000 BELGRADE
E-mail: demcomSerbia@state.gov
Grant Awards and Reporting Requirements
Grant awards exceeding $3,000 will be made in two or more installments in
bank transfers in dinars. The first installment will be transferred to the
dinar bank account of the grantee organization prior to the beginning of
the project. The applicant must provide an interim report about the use of
the first installment of funds before additional funds will be released.
If no interim report is provided, no additional funds will be released.
Upon completion of the project, all grantee organizations must complete
a formal report, which consists of a narrative and a financial report, and
submit it to the Democracy Commission. Form for narrative report and guidelines
for financial report can be obtained from the Public Affairs Section of the
U.S. Embassy.
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