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Resources Relating to Natural Disaster Management and Microfinance Available

QUICK Centre
The QUICK Centre is a knowledge-sharing platform for microfinance practitioners in natural disaster areas. The Centre provides information on best practices and experiences relating to post-disaster microfinance support measures, microfinance as a disaster preparedness tool, and disaster management for microfinance institutions. QUICK's website offers news relating to microfinance and disaster management, discussion forums, a library of field studies and other relevant literature, a project database, and links to other organizations. The Centre was formed from an initiative of Bank Indonesia and the GTZ Promotion of Small Financial Institutions project following the May 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Although the Centre is based in Indonesia, it also offers resources for organizations dealing with disasters elsewhere.

Fund Launched to Address Sanitation and Hygiene

Global Sanitation Fund
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council has launched the Global Sanitation Fund, which seeks to help large numbers of poor people attain safe and sustainable sanitation services and adopt good hygiene practices. The Fund is the first global financing mechanism to focus support on sanitation and hygiene, and is one of the major initiatives of the International Year of Sanitation 2008. The Fund is a single pooled fund open to contributions from any source, including governments, foundations, the private sector, and individuals. The money is allocated to Executing Agencies in carefully selected countries, which then provide funds to sub-grantees who implement the programs.

Association Unites NGOs

WANGO: World Association of Non-Governmental Associations
The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) is an international organization uniting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide in the cause of advancing peace and global well-being. WANGO helps provide the mechanism and support needed for NGOs to connect, partner, inspire, and multiply their contributions to solve humanity's basic problems. WANGO's website offers a worldwide directory of NGOs; a subscription service that highlights NGO management, strategic planning, grantwriting and grant opportunities, fundraising tips, UN news and views, and developments in the non-governmental sector; a variety of documents and publications; and an NGO handbook that includes information such as legal concerns, marketing, accountability and ethics, and more.

Conferences and Trainings

Conference Examines Socially-Responsible Tourism

2008 Traveler's Philanthropy Conference
The 2008 Traveler's Philanthropy Conference is sponsored by the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD), whose mission is to design, monitor, evaluate, and improve ecotourism and sustainable tourism practices and principles. The conference will gather practitioners from socially-responsible tourism businesses, experts in the field of sustainable tourism and philanthropy, community-based organizations and global and regional non-governmental organizations doing development work, the United Nations and other development agencies, philanthropic foundations, government, and the media. CESD's Travelers' Philanthropy program promotes corporate social responsibility within the travel industry and encourages individual businesses and their travelers to give “time, talent, and treasure” to support social service and conservation projects in host communities. This support empowers local and indigenous communities by providing jobs, skills, business and home ownership, and lasting improvements in healthcare, education, and environmental stewardship. Early bird registration is open through August 1, 2008. The conference will be held December 3-5, 2008, in Arusha, Tanzania.

Women's Rights Leaders and Activists Convene

International Forum on Women's Rights and Development
The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) is an international membership organization that works to strengthen the voice, impact, and influence of women's rights advocates, organizations, and movements internationally. AWID's International Forum on Women's Rights and Development will bring together women's rights leaders and activists from around the world to strategize, network, and learn in an atmosphere that fosters deep discussions and personal and professional growth. Topics include understanding social movements and collective power; challenges to effective movement-building work; overcoming fragmentation and building inclusive movements; mobilizing resources for movement building; measuring the success of movements; and new directions in movement building. The forum is open to anyone who has an interest in women's rights, international development, and social justice. AWID particularly welcomes women and men from the Global South, young women, and marginalized groups that have had difficulty getting their agenda heard on a worldwide stage. Registration will open in April. The forum takes place November 14-17, 2008, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Congress Addresses Reading and Literacy

22nd World Congress on Reading: Reading in a Diverse World
The 22nd World Congress on Reading is sponsored by the International Reading Association, a nonprofit professional organization for those involved in teaching reading to learners of all ages. The congress is themed “Reading in a Diverse World” and offers workshops, symposia, and reports on a variety of topics in literacy, including learning communities, research and research-to-practice, professional development issues, responding to diversity, and teaching reading. Prepaid registration must be received by July 15, 2008. Interested attendees may also register onsite. The congress will be held July 28-31, 2008, in San José, Costa Rica.

Sustainability and Green Building Explored

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
The Greenbuild 2008 conference, themed “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability,” allows participants to connect with other green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders as they share insights on the green building movement and its diverse specialties. In addition to professionals from all aspects of the building industry, the conference welcomes students, urban planners, and representatives from nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education. The conference offers a variety of educational sessions featuring world-renowned speakers (the opening keynote address will be given by Archbishop Desmond Tutu), LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) workshops, off-site educational sessions, and green building tours of local Boston sites. Early registration is open through September 8, 2008; registration by mail is open through October 22, 2008. Interested attendees may also register onsite. The conference takes place November 19-21, in Boston, MA, USA.

Funding Opportunities

Awards Honor Excellent NGOs

2008 WANGO Awards
The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) offers an awards program to honor non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from throughout the world that demonstrate extraordinary effort, innovation, leadership, and excellence in providing service to humanity. WANGO not only recognizes prominent international NGOs, but also the smaller, lesser-known NGOs in the least developed countries whose exemplary service and success may have gone unnoticed on the international stage. Awards are offered in the areas of peace and security; education, media, and the arts; environment; human rights; family and peace; inter-religious cooperation; and universal peace. Nominations are due July 15, 2008.

Support Provided for the Edmonton Community

Edmonton Community Foundation
The Edmonton Community Foundation seeks to make a positive and lasting difference in the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, community and improve the quality of life for all of its citizens. Area of interest include, but are not limited to, arts and culture, education, social services, health, recreation, and the environment. Previous grants from the Community Grants program have ranged from C $500 to $75,000. The Foundation offers several programs and funds, and deadlines vary by program; however, there are no deadlines for letters of inquiry to the Community Grants program.

Human Rights Activities Supported in the Arabic-Speaking Region

Arab Human Rights Fund
The Arab Human Rights Fund supports the promotion and realization of all human rights in the Arabic-speaking region. The Fund focuses its funding on two areas. “Methods: approaches or tools for realizing human rights” supports documenting and reporting on human rights violations; public education to inform people about their human rights and how to exercise them; networking and coalition building to carry out human rights campaigns; and litigating human rights cases before domestic, regional, or international courts. “Emergent opportunities: new and promising developments that have the potential to promote the advancement of human rights” supports the relaxation of government restrictions in a particular country, increased public engagement and demands for respect for a particular human right, the formation of a new network of organizations to tackle a particular human rights issue, and other developments that offer organizations a chance to move a human rights matter forward. Grants range up to US $25,000. Applications are due by June 30, 2008.

Foundation Supports Environmental and Population Projects

Weeden Foundation
The Weeden Foundation seeks to address the adverse impact of growing human populations and overuse of natural resources on the biological fabric of the planet. Though the Foundation is based in the U.S., 30-40% of its grant expenditures support projects in Latin America and Russia. The Foundation's International Biodiversity Program targets mature forest ecosystems, riparian corridors, and riverine/aquatic environments of demonstrated ecological significance. The Foundation also focuses on facilitating the designation and enhanced management of protected areas, including national parks and private reserves. Within Latin America, the Foundation is most active in supporting groups in Chile, and also has an interest in the tropical lowlands of Bolivia. The Foundation also has a strong interest in the Altai region of Siberia, Russia, though funding in the region is currently restricted to organizations working closely with U.S. partners. The Land Acquisition Program protects threatened biologically-diverse habitats, primarily in Latin America. The Population Program supports high-leverage population projects with advocacy components to influence policy makers and opinion leaders in Latin America. The Consumption Program promotes sustainable consumption patterns, with a focus on supporting projects aimed at promoting greater efficiency in the use of wood products and integrating the concept of sustainability into K-12 education. The program focuses on projects in Chile and the Altai Republic. Recent grants have ranged from US $10,000 to $50,000, with an average grant of $20,000. The Board meets three times a year. The Foundation strongly encourages applicants to submit a letter of inquiry before presenting a full proposal.

Foundation Promotes Scandinavian Education and Culture

American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation promotes international understanding through educational and cultural exchange between the United States and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Foundation funding includes fellowships, grants, trainee placement, publishing, membership offerings, and cultural activities. Through its Public Project grants program, the Foundation helps bring American and Scandinavian life, art, and thought to public audiences by giving financial support to other institutions. Public Project grants in 2007 ranged from US $200 to $40,000, with most grants between $500 and $3,000. Public Project applications are accepted four times a year. Visit the Foundation's website for deadlines, guidelines, and application forms.

Support Provided for Australian Communities

Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation
The Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation supports communities in Australia where Newcastle Permanent has a presence. The Foundation's areas of interest include: services for people whose choices are limited by social, physical, or political discrimination and disadvantage; initiatives in education, health, arts and culture, and the environment; organizations that seek to improve the quality of life in the local community; programs that cater to children and young people; and training and learning opportunities that benefit the local business community and drive economic growth. The Foundation provides grants for both large (more than AU $50,000) and small (less than $50,000) projects. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2008.

Prizes Recognize Outstanding Efforts That Address Poverty and Biodiversity

United Nations Development Program: Equator Prize 2008
The United Nations Development Program's Equator Prize recognizes and celebrates outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation of biodiversity within the equatorial belt. Special recognition will be given in the following categories: one for each region of eligibility (Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean), one to the initiative that best exemplifies community approaches to adapt to climate change, and one to the initiative that best exemplifies the conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Twenty-five winners will receive the Equator Prize 2008 and US $5,000 each. Five of these communities will receive the special recognition mentioned above and an additional $15,000. The nomination deadline is May 31, 2008. The prizes will be presented October 2008 at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Development Projects in South Africa Supported

Equal Opportunity Fund
The Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF) works in South Africa to provide development capacity in a manner that enhances human dignity and facilitates the development initiatives of poor, rural, and urban communities. EOF focuses on small and micro-development projects. Previously supported sectors include primary healthcare, women's empowerment, community resource centers, and arts and culture. Currently, the focus is on early childhood development, income generation projects, and HIV/ AIDS, with emphasis on home-based care and support for orphans. All EOF-funded projects must be 100% black-owned and must be community-based and participatory. The Fund has no deadlines for initial inquiries.

Award Recognizes Canadian Organizations Working in Developing Countries

Bill McWhinney Award of Excellence in International Development
The Bill McWhinney Award, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), recognizes excellence in a volunteer project or program that helps improve the future prospects of a community in a developing country and that contributes to sustainable development. The award is open to all of CIDA's Canadian partners (non-governmental organizations, universities, cooperatives, professional organizations, and private sector firms) that are active in international development work and that have involved volunteers in the delivery of their CIDA-funded project or program. Nominations are due by June 13, 2008.

Support Provided for Sustainable Development Projects in the Asia-Pacific Region

Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED): Showcase Program
The Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) seeks to address critical issues facing Asia and the Pacific region and to propose new models for equitable and sustainable development. APFED's Showcase Program supports projects that demonstrate innovative approaches toward the development, implementation, monitoring, and information dissemination of policies, measures, and actions for promoting sustainable development in the region. Grants range up to US $30,000. Applications are due May 31, 2008.

Program Helps Communities in England

Community Spaces
Community Spaces is managed by Groundwork UK as an award partner to the Big Lottery Fund. The program helps community groups create or improve green and open spaces so that the quality of life in neighborhoods across England is enhanced. Desired outcomes include a better local environment, enhanced access to quality local spaces, an increase in people actively involved in practical environmental projects, and improvement in partnerships between support organizations, communities, and authorities. The program only supports community groups based in England. Applications for small and medium grants (less than GBP 49,999) are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications for large and flagship grants (up to GBP 450,000) will be accepted starting in summer 2008.

U.S. Federal Deadlines

Excerpts from GrantStation’s Listings of Federal Notices

USAID: Inter-Agency Annual Program Statement in Support of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa
Deadline: Concept Papers: May 5, 2008; Full Proposals: June 9, 2008
The goal of PEPFAR in South Africa is to expand access to HIV-related services to large numbers of South Africans. The program's objectives are to prevent HIV transmission by promoting safe and healthy sexual behavior in HIV-infected and uninfected individuals, reducing mother to child HIV transmission, addressing unsafe medical practices and blood safety, providing appropriate post-exposure services, and improving access to counseling and HIV testing; to provide quality comprehensive evidence-based HIV disease management services for South Africans through private or public sector providers; to improve the quality of life of HIV-infected individuals and their families through the relief of suffering, pain, and other physical, psycho-social, and spiritual problems associated with life-threatening illness; and to provide quality comprehensive and compassionate care for AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children to help assure that they grow up to be healthy, educated, and socially well-adjusted adults. Additional important program objectives address U.S. government priorities of sustainability, capacity building, institutional strengthening, and improving equitable access in the public and private health sectors in South Africa.

USAID: Inter-Agency APS: Prevention for At-Risk Populations in High Prevalence Urban Areas in Ethiopia
Deadline: Concept Papers: May 15 and July 31, 2008
This program supports the implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Ethiopia. Targeted program areas include the prevention of HIV transmission within targeted populations in urban settings and “hotspots”; the development, implementation, and evaluation of tailored prevention programs for specific populations; and the conduct of rapid and formative monitoring and evaluation of activities to increase the knowledge of risk behaviors and the context for high-risk populations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Supporting the Implementation of Malaria Prevention and Control Strategies and Relevant Ancillary Activities in the Republic of Uganda as part of the President's Malaria Initiative
Deadline: May 27, 2008
This program supports the implementation of strategies to prevent and control malaria, and relevant ancillary activities (such as baseline evaluation, training, ongoing monitoring, and program evaluation) in the Republic of Uganda, with the possibility of expansion to other countries included in the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative.

USAID: Sustainable Interventions to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Deadline: May 27, 2008
This program seeks to strengthen the capacity of the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina to combat trafficking in persons and to implement the countries' National Action Plan. The program supports the following prevention and protection interventions: insertion of trafficking prevention education in schools, support for victim assistance, and the implementation of the National Anti-Trafficking Plan of Action

USAID: Public Private Partnerships for Disaster Management in India and Indonesia
Deadline: Concept Papers: May 27, 2008; Full Proposals: July 7, 2008
This program seeks to promote public-private partnerships for disaster management in vulnerable communities of India and Indonesia. Objectives include increasing private sector awareness of and participation in disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response in the most vulnerable areas; enhancing public-private partnerships for disaster management at all levels (national, state, and local), but with emphasis on the most vulnerable and disaster-prone communities; and implementing demonstration projects of public-private partnerships for disaster management.

Department of State: Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program
Deadline: May 29, 2008
This program supports exchanges and relationship building between high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations and people of the United States. The program seeks to foster a global community of shared interests and values developed through first-hand participation of high school students, preferably aged 15-17, from countries with significant Muslim populations in academic year or semester exchanges to the United States. The program seeks to select students with leadership potential, to develop their leadership skills while in the U.S., and to support them in alumni activities after they return home.

USAID: Media Assistance Program
Deadline: May 29, 2008
This program provides support for the transition of the Serbian media sector into a legally sound, economically viable system providing professional and independent news and information for citizens throughout Serbia. The program places considerable emphasis on building sustainable media outlets, organizations, processes, and approaches that will continue to support the health and vitality of the Serbian media sector following the end of the program's assistance.

Department of State: Junior Faculty Development
Deadline: May 30, 2008
This program provides support for the placement of visiting faculty in the early stages of their careers from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at U.S. universities for a one-academic-semester program. The recipient organization will recruit and select candidates for the program and support and oversee the activities of the fellows throughout their stay in the U.S.

Department of State: Non-Governmental Organization Programs in Mauritania Benefiting Mauritanian Refugee Returnees
Deadline: May 30, 2008
This program supports Mauritanian refugee reintegration through a community-based approach focusing primarily on agricultural and livelihoods support. Priority is placed on target areas of high refugee return (Trarza, Brakna, and Gorgol regions) where refugee returnees make up at least 50% of targeted beneficiaries.

USAID: Annual Program Statement for Prevention of, and Response to, Gender-Based Violence
Deadline: May 30, 2008
This program provides support to address gender-based violence (GBV) among internally displaced persons, returnees, host communities, and other communities affected by disasters in a manner that respects the dignity of the individual and the culture in which he or she lives. The program seeks to respond to current issues in the field and prevent and raise awareness of GBV, including sexual exploitation and abuse. Supported activities may include establishing referral services, livelihoods interventions, capacity building of judicial systems, community-based legal assistance, healthcare, or other activities that address GBV. The program supports activities in Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

USAID: Annual Program Statement: Governance: Democracy and Governance and Good Governance in Education
Deadline: Concept Papers: May 30, 2008
These programs support governance-related efforts in Egypt. The Democracy and Governance program seeks to support credible political processes, strengthen democratic political parties, encourage civil society, promote citizenship and tolerance, establish and ensure media freedom and freedom of information, support democratic local government and decentralization, strengthen the justice sector, protect human rights, support public accountability, and strengthen legislative bodies. The Good Governance in Education program seeks to facilitate collaborative efforts among civil society groups to establish public sector standards of transparency, explore current inefficiencies in the education sector and advocate for appropriate solutions, develop innovative solutions to disparities in education completion, support civic initiatives in furthering efforts of the Ministry of Education to identify the major points of resource leakage, encourage the development of civil society partnerships and independent think-tanks for the purposes of policy advocacy and service delivery related to education reform, conduct policy research analysis and advocacy on issues related to improving educational efficiency and reform, and provide greater citizen participation in the design and oversight of schools, including education reform advocacy groups.

USAID: Care Services for HIV-Infected Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Ethiopia
Deadline: Concept Papers: May 30 and August 29, 2008
This program supports orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) activities related to HIV prevention and care in high-prevalence, underserved areas of Ethiopia. Program areas include provision of quality, comprehensive, multi-sector coordinated community care for HIV-affected or infected OVC; provision of technical assistance to local OVC programs to create or improve referral systems to and from health facilities, government services, and other community child services; and support for community data collection to monitor progress in OVC well-being and to inform activity implementation and modifications.

USAID: International Food Relief Partnership
Deadline: June 2, 2008
This program seeks to reduce food insecurity in development and emergency situations around the globe. The program provides support for the preparation and storage of shelf-stable pre-packaged food, and the delivery and distribution of those commodities in developing countries.

Department of State: National Security Language Initiative: Youth Program
Deadline: June 5, 2008
This program seeks to provide short, medium, or long-term foreign language instruction and cultural immersion programs overseas for American high school students and those who have just graduated. Support is provided to implement these programs in countries where the following target languages are widely spoken: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Indic, and Farsi.

Department of State: English Language Fellow Program
Deadline: June 13, 2008
This program sends U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) on ten-month fellowships to overseas academic institutions. The program will also bring English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators to the U.S. for a three-week workshop/institute. The program seeks to improve English teaching capacity around the world and enhance mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries.

USAID: Ethiopia Annual Program Statement for Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Development Programming
Deadline: June 28 and December 31, 2008
This program operates in Ethiopia and seeks to include people with disabilities into development programming or to work with disabled peoples organizations for better understanding and inclusion. Programs and activities that could be adapted to better include people with disabilities could include, but are not limited to, programs in education, health, government, civil society building, rule of law, HIV/AIDS, and employment opportunities.

National Institutes of Health: Gender, Youth, and HIV Risk
R01 and R21
Deadline: Letters of Intent: June 29, 2008; Full Proposals: July 29, 2008
This program supports the study of the developmental and environmental processes contributing to HIV risk in individuals under the age of 24. The program supports studies focusing on HIV risk in specific settings around the globe where HIV prevalence is high or increasing and relevant environmental contexts are changing rapidly. Applications from non-U.S. organizations will be assessed based on whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that are not readily available in the U.S. or that augment existing U.S. resources.

USAID: Public-Private Alliances Related to Child and Maternal Health in Kosovo
Deadline: June 30 and September 30, 2008
This program supports projects that relate to the health sector in Kosovo, with a focus on improving the health of women and children. The program supports systems strengthening, in-service training, pre-service education, and community outreach, with an overall goal of reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health through enhancement of essential maternal and child health services.

USAID: Support of the South African Department of Education
Deadline: Concept Papers: June 30, September 30, and December 30, 2008
This program seeks to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS within the South African education sector and to strengthen the capacity of students, teachers, and education officials to deliver quality education and training. The program seeks to increase the number of schools and students that benefit from peer education programs, extend support to life orientation educators, support orphans and vulnerable children in target high schools and their feeder primary schools, support local universities working on HIV and AIDS with students on their campuses and support their feeder high schools, and offer technical assistance services to the Department of Education to strengthen its internal systems to address HIV and AIDS and other health issues.

USAID: Annual Program Statement for Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER) Stage 3
Deadline: July 11 and September 20, 2008
This program seeks to enhance disaster preparedness and response capacities of vulnerable countries within the Asia region, including the PEER countries of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines and the non-PEER target countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The program conducts training on three principal courses: the Medical First Responder, Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue, and Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies.