The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is currently inviting youth-led organizations to apply for the Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF). The call is open to organizations from select countries whose work seeks to foster peaceful and inclusive societies through improved understanding and collaboration across cultures, faiths, and beliefs.

The Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) supports youth-led organizations that foster peaceful and inclusive societies. Seed funding is given to projects, for and by young people that demonstrate innovative and effective approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue. Established in 2008, the Fund responded to calls for action made by youth-led organizations around the world on the importance of establishing funding mechanisms for youth. Today, the Fund is more relevant than ever: As the global agenda increasingly speaks of youth’s participation and contribution to peace, development, and security, it is critical to support this participation and contribution through funding and partnership opportunities.

Funding Information

Through a competitive evaluation process, YSF will award seed funding (up to USD 25,000) for the implementation of selected projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue and advance the mission of UNAOC. YSF only supports projects that are entirely developed and managed by youth for the benefit of youth. The age definition used by UNAOC to characterize youth is a person who is between 18 and 35 years old.

Eligibility Criteria

Youth organizations are subject to the same criteria as other partners of the United Nations System in that they must be accountable, transparent and refrain from all discriminatory practices.

To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill each and every one of the following criteria:

• Be youth-led: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the organization are held by women and men between the ages of 18 and 35;
• Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (with the exception of national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation or association;
• Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of 2 years by the deadline for applications with funding base and project implementation (e.g. operational in August 2017 or earlier);
• Be registered and operate in one of the below-mentioned countries;
• Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies;
• Have an ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation and record-keeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
• Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, beneficiaries, 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.

Note: If you applied to YSF in the past, but were not selected, you can apply to YSF again.

Upon request, organizations will need to provide documented evidence of how they fulfill all of these criteria.

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Please note that project proposals will not be considered eligible for funding if they are submitted by governments, international governmental organizations, non-youth led organizations, unregistered groups of youth, business entities, as well as individuals.

Eligible Countries

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, People’s Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Sudan, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Proposals submitted by a coalition of youth organizations from different countries are acceptable only in cases when the leading implementing youth organization is registered in one of the above countries. Activities must be carried out in the abovementioned countries for the benefit of the local community.

Eligibility Criteria for Projects

All submitted projects must fulfill each and every one of the following criteria to be deemed eligible and be reviewed by the Selection Committee:

• Origin: The project was developed and written by youth;
• Target Audience: The project targets primarily youth. Gender balance among project participants is ensured;
• Objective: The project contributes to advancing UNAOC’s mandate of promoting a more socially inclusive world, by building mutual respect among peoples of different cultural and religious identities;
• Management: The project is managed by a youth-led organization, responding to all eligibility criteria mentioned above;
• Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator is an employee of the applying organization and is between the ages of 18 and 35 at the moment of the application;
• Duration and Timing: The project must be implemented from November 2019 to November 2020, while final reports will need to be submitted by 15 November 2020 at the very latest;
• Location: Project activities are implemented in the country (ies) mentioned in the above list;
• Budget: The organization needs to guarantee its capacity to implement all elements of the proposed project with the funds requested. The amount requested must be no more than 50% of the organization’s annual budget in 2018. Grants provided by UNAOC will not exceed USD 25,000. The proposed budget will have 90% of costs associated with direct project activities and only up to 10% of it will cover the Project Coordinator’s salary/fees. Office rent cost, utilities and purchase of technical equipment (e.g. computers, copiers, printers, cameras, telephones, etc.) cannot be part of the budget;
• English: Application and CV/resume of the Project Coordinator must be in English only;
• Registration certificate and statute: A copy of a registration certificate and a statute need to be attached to the application form. They can be submitted in the original language of the country where the organization is registered. Translations may be requested during later stages of the selection process.

How to Apply

For more information, please visit UNAOC Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF).