From Pledge to Action Call for Proposals

InterAction’s From Pledge to Action Project is pleased to issue another Call for Proposals for Initiating Change and Piloting Solutions subgrants.

This funding opportunity is for Member organizations and signatories to our CEO Pledge on Preventing Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and Harassment to further their work in meeting the commitments of The Pledge. We are seeing how COVID-19 exacerbates vulnerability and increases risk which makes it all the more important to strengthen PSEAH and safeguarding mechanisms.

We will have a brief Question and Answer session about the Call for Proposals and the two subgrant mechanisms during the From Pledge to Action Working Group meeting next Tuesday, June 9^th from 10:00 to 11:30 am EDT. Please RSVP here. A zoom link will be sent to those who respond.

Introduction

InterAction is the largest alliance of international NGOs and partners in the United States whose Members who work across the development and humanitarian landscape.

In March 2018, a taskforce of CEOs from InterAction Member organizations launched a Pledge on Preventing Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and Harassment by and of NGO staff. Now signed by 138 CEOs, the Pledge outlines aspirational commitments towards sustained and significant changes by ensuring policies, procedures, and practices are strengthened, transparency and accountability enhanced, and root causes of harassment and abuse are addressed so that our offices and programs are safer spaces for all.

In early 2019, InterAction launched its three-year project, From Pledge to Action. The objectives of this program are to work with Member organizations and broader global safeguarding efforts to realize the commitments of the Pledge, to build consensus around best practices and embed sustainable solutions in our institutions. The From Pledge to Action Project has two sub-grant mechanisms available.

• Initiating Change grants: These grants will support organizations to invest in small scale, key initiatives that facilitate their progress towards meeting the commitments of the Pledge. Grants are not to exceed $20,000. 

• Piloting Solutions grants: This mechanism will provide grants to individual organizations, or a collective of InterAction Members, to pilot innovative approaches to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, with the potential for learning and scale up by the broader community. Grants are not to exceed $35,000 or $45,000 if applying jointly.

This Call for Proposals is for both the Initiating Change and Piloting Solutions mechanisms, and it is soliciting applications from InterAction Members who are signatories of InterAction’s CEO Pledge.

Eligibility Criteria

Proposals are welcomed and encouraged from any organizations that meet the following requirements:

• Organization is an InterAction Member in good standing and the CEO is a signatory to InterAction CEO Pledge.
• Organization staff participate in InterAction events and working groups related to furthering the CEO Pledge.

Eligible Projects and Activities

Activities that can be supported through this Call are not limited to a specific project design or approach. A wide range of concepts that contribute to the creation of a safer environment for NGO staff and the communities they serve will be considered. InterAction appreciates proposals that are conscious of the benefits for the wider community.

Initiating Change: Projects that contribute to organizational capacity building, systems strengthening, or quality improvement will be considered. Proposed activities may focus on:

• Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries and others associated with the organization’s core programs, or
• Be directed at addressing sexual harassment within the organization’s own workplaces.

Piloting Solutions: Examples of proposed projects that could meet the grant’s purpose include:

• Innovative approaches to mitigate SEA risks and to respond and ensure support and services for survivors during COVID-19.
• Approaches to prevent exploitation and abuse associated with programs, or enhance processes to report, investigate and provide survivor-centered responses, including in specific geographical locations, between agencies or within an organization.
• Innovative programs that seek to address workplace harassment, its root causes, measures to keep staff safe, listen to concerns, and build workplace cultures in which all can thrive.
• Projects that improve the evidence base or understanding of a component of safeguarding, that would lead to better practices across the sector.
• Projects that strengthen the capacity of partners and community-based organizations to be PSEAH champions and to work collaboratively to address it.

Project proposals should demonstrate the justification and rationale for investment. This call is particularly interested in ambitious but achievable ideas that could be taken to scale or would lead to better practices across the sector.

Budget & Time Frame

Applicants should submit a detailed budget not to exceed $20,000 for Initiating Change grants and $35,000, or $45,000 if applying jointly for Piloting Solutions grants.

InterAction expects funded programs to start by September 1, 2020, and the timeframe for program implementation can be up to 12 months. 

How to Apply

Proposals for either or both grants should be submitted electronically to Meriwether Beatty at mbeatty@interaction.org. All email submissions should be titled for which grant you are applying, i.e. “Piloting Solutions Grant Proposal” or “Initiating Change Grant Proposal.” Completed applications must follow the template in Annex 1, be sent in Word or PDF format, and be no more than five pages in length. The proposed budget may be presented in a separate Word/PDF or Excel document. There is an optional budget template provided in Annex 2. A brief budget narrative should be included.

The deadline for the submission of applications is Thursday, July 9th.

Any inquiries regarding this Call for Proposal should be sent to Meriwether Beatty at mbeatty@interaction.org.

Proposal Review

Applications will be reviewed by an external Advisory Committee, comprised of subject-matter experts in sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, human resources, grants, sector leadership, and organizational change.

All submitted proposals will be evaluated according to pre-determined scoring criteria, including the following:

• Foreseen Results and Impact: Priority will be given to projects coherent with the organization’s long-term capacity development strategy and aiming to have ambitious and sustainable impacts on the organization.
• Learning Potential: Priority will be given to those organizations which clearly articulate how learning from the project will be shared with the InterAction community and how it will be used to contribute to the sector.
• Organizational Contribution: Organizations are encouraged to provide financial or in-kind contributions through dedicated staff time or subject matter expertise if possible. This will be looked at in the review process, but it will not be a determining factor whether a project is funded.

InterAction reserves the right to bundle funding to more than one applicant where similar approaches are proposed, for the purpose of effectiveness and efficiency.

Applicants will be notified of their application status in writing within seven weeks of the closing date for this Call for Proposals. Notice of decision will only be provided at the completion of the entire assessment process.

Annexes

1. Proposal Templates: Initiating Change and Piloting Solutions
2. Budget Templates: Initiating Change and Piloting Solutions