PROJECT SUPPORT FUND OVERVIEW What is the missin f the Prject Supprt Fund? The Prject Supprt Fund aims t advance the Calitin member sites ability t serve as Sites f Cnscience. It seeks t create a space fr innvatin and experimentatin n hw places f memry can inspire dialgue and actin n cntemprary issues. The Fund supprts initiatives that meet the cre gals f Sites f Cnscience, which are t: Interpret histry thrugh site. Engage the public in prgrams that stimulate dialgue n pressing scial issues. Share pprtunities fr public invlvement and psitive actin n the issues raised at the site. Prmte justice and universal cultures f human rights. The Prject Supprt Fund is intended t prvide hlistic supprt fr the design and implementatin f new prgrams r initiatives, by cmbining a grant f up t $10,000, ne-n-ne cnsultatins with the Calitin s Secretariat and members, access t methdlgical resurces, and nging develpment f evaluatin and marketing plans. The scpe f the Fund s financial supprt is limited, but intends t: Enable sites t cnduct a first-time pilt r small-scale initiative that can later be revised r expanded int smething larger and mre permanent Demnstrate and legitimize an idea t skeptical stakehlders, authrities, r funders t secure future supprt Prmte exchange, cllabratin, and supprt amng the Calitin s members By requiring careful dcumentatin and evaluatin, the Fund seeks t help the Calitin as a whle t think critically and creatively abut hw sites can inspire diverse audiences t engage with pressing human rights and scial justice issues. What types f initiatives des the Fund supprt? The Prject Supprt Fund is designed fr pilt r incubatr prjects s that members can experiment and innvate. The type f innvatin the Prject Supprt Fund encurages includes: new prgrams n a tpic that the site has nt previusly addressed prgrams that use new methdlgies r technlgies prgrams that bring new audiences t the site prgrams that use new evaluatin methds r that use evaluatin fr the first time. The Fund prvides direct supprt fr the fllwing initiatives: On-site Prjects: New and innvative public prgrams that inspire reflectin and actin n pressing issues, that use new technlgies r methds, r that target new ppulatins with which the site has nt previusly engaged. Fr example: human rights educatin prgrams, public dialgues n new issues, prgrams that aim t create r use new tls that evaluate the impact f Sites f Cnscience prgramming. Peer-Exchanges: Prjects that fcus n members learning frm ne ther. Fr example, a representative frm ne site might visit anther t learn hw it implements a specific prject; a site representative, Trustee, r Secretariat staff member might prvide advice n a specific prject; ne site might seek mentring frm anther site arund a specific issue r need. Last update 3/16/2018
Advcacy prjects r missins: Prjects in which a Calitin site Directr, Trustee, and/r Secretariat staff member helps legitimize and build public supprt fr a particular human rights r scial justice issue by sharing their internatinal experience with lcal cmmunities, authrities, and media. Wh can apply? All Calitin members in gd standing (dues fully paid) may apply. Please nte that applicants must submit final narrative and financial reprts frm previus prjects r exchanges befre applying fr new grants. Previus Prject Supprt Fund recipients must wait a minimum f twelve mnths fllwing the clse f their mst recent prject t reapply. What types and levels f supprt are available? Financial supprt: Up t $10,000 per On-Site Prject r Peer-Exchange. Methdlgical supprt: The Secretariat wrks clsely with applicants t identify needs and cnnect applicants with ther member sites, trustees, r staff wh can address thse needs. Supprt culd include: Prviding written mdels f prgram designs and evaluatin tls Cllabratin by phne r email n develping the prject design On-site cnsultatin Strategic advice n cmmunicatins and advcacy. Advcacy and Prmtin: Applicants may use Peer-Exchange funds t invite Calitin members, Trustees, r staff t share their internatinal experience with lcal cmmunities, authrities, r media t help legitimize and build public supprt fr a site r a prject. Prjects can als be publicized thrugh the Calitin s newsletter, web site, and scial media platfrms. The Calitin has an Advcacy Cmmittee cmpsed f Bard Members and site Directrs wh prvide versight and participate in advcacy effrts, such as prviding written statements in supprt f sites, signing petitins, speaking publicly at events n behalf f sites, and meeting with key influencers (such as gvernment fficials, funders, etc.). Hwever, participatin in advcacy missins is nt restricted t members f the Advcacy Cmmittee, and sites may request r invite Bard members r site Directrs f their chsing t participate in their prpsed Advcacy Missin. Applicants are strngly encuraged t cntact the Calitin s Secretariat prir t submitting an applicatin well in advance f the submissin deadline. Applicatin drafts reviewed prir t submissin by the Secretariat are much mre likely t receive funding. As part f this supprt during the prpsal develpment prcess, Calitin staff will discuss yur verall visin fr the prject, its planning, and executin, and may cnnect yu with ther sites and experts wh culd prvide resurces. After this preliminary cnversatin, Calitin members may submit a final applicatin by email t psf@sitesfcnscience.rg n r befre the submissin deadline. What is required fr n-site prject and peer-exchange applicatins? Applicants shuld cmplete all sectins f the On-Site Prject r Peer-Exchange Applicatin Frms. On-Site prject applicatins must clearly demnstrate: Hw the prject uses histry t help participants understand r cnnect with cntemprary issues in ways they culdn t d therwise; Hw the prject uses the physical experience f its site t help participants understand r cnnect with cntemprary issues in ways they culdn t d therwise; Hw the prject ffers a mde f active engagement amng participants t discuss r engage with cntemprary issues; Hw the prject raises multiple perspectives n an issue rather than prmting a single slutin t a prblem; Hw the prject prvides infrmatin t participants fr public invlvement in the issue(s) raised at the site; and
Hw the prject assesses its immediate, intermediate and lng-term impact. Peer-Exchange applicatins fr staff exchanges and cnsultancies shuld: demnstrate that the exchange/cnsultancy will result in either (1) a design fr a prject that actively engages the public in the cntemprary issues raised at the site r in (2) a strategy r practice that undergirds the future implementatin f such activities; demnstrate that the abve culd nt be carried ut withut the exchange/cnsultancy; explain why the exchange partner was chsen what specific experience the exchange partner has that is necessary fr the design f the prject (Secretariat staff is available t help applicants identify apprpriate exchange partners); and include a specific plan fr implementing the prgram after the exchange. Peer-Exchange applicatins fr peer-t-peer mentring shuld: develp and submit a clear wrk plan f activities, respnsibilities and timeframe; and explain why the mentr site was chsen what specific experience and characteristics the mentr site can ffer t the applicant (Secretariat staff is available t help applicants identify apprpriate mentr partners). Peer-Exchange applicatins fr advcacy missins shuld: explain the need fr the advcacy effrt and describe any urgency such as changes in laws, plitical parties, ecnmic sanctins, etc; include a specific plan including public events, meetings, media utreach, and nline mbilizatin pssibilities; demnstrate that the exchange will result in legitimizing and building public supprt fr a prject; explain why the Calitin member, Trustee, r Secretariat staff member was chsen what specific experience they can share with lcal cmmunities, authrities, r media t help legitimize and build public supprt fr a prject; and include a plan fr capitalizing n the Advcacy Missin after it ends. Wh reviews prject applicatins? Sites submit applicatins t the Secretariat. The Secretariat reviews applicatins fr cmpleteness and, after asking fr additinal infrmatin where necessary, final applicatins are submitted t the Grant Review Cmmittee fr cnsideratin and final funding decisins. The Grant Review Cmmittee is made up f directrs f Sites f Cnscience wh meet strict criteria fr their participatin, including extensive experience in the develpment and implementatin f exemplary Sites f Cnscience prgrams. In rder t ensure a review and selectin prcess that is effective, fair and equitable and that takes int cnsideratin the varied levels f develpment (bth institutinal and prgrammatic) f applicant sites, the Grant Review Cmmittee will: Give special cnsideratin t applicants that are develping Sites f Cnscience prgrams fr the first time; Give preference t prgrams that use new methdlgies and technlgies t engage visitrs in dialgue n imprtant cntemprary issues and identify ways visitrs can shape thse issues in the future; Give special cnsideratin t sites in regins that d nt have established netwrks f Sites f Cnscience; Give preference t prjects that require urgent/time-sensitive implementatin; Give preference t prjects that result in replicable r scalable tls that can advance the wrk f Sites f Cnscience arund the wrld; Give special cnsideratin t sites that are under threat because f ecnmic, plitical, r scial cnditins that may negatively impact the site's future. What expenses d PSF funds supprt? Fr On-Site prjects: Fees and csts related t the design and implementatin f the prpsed prject, including staffing. Fr Peer-Exchanges: Travel and meeting expenses. Please nte that fr Mentring exchanges, the Fund will als supprt the fees and csts related t the design and implementatin f the mentrship, including staffing.
Advcacy missin exchanges may als include csts fr public events and the prductin f advcacy materials such as petitins, vides, mailers, etc. used in cnjunctin with ther tls. Please nte that all applicants will be expected t make sme financial r in-kind cntributin, which must be acknwledged in the budget, such as time and expertise, accmmdatin and/r fd. Please nte that the Calitin s supprt shuld be at least 60% f the ttal budget. What expenses d PSF funds nt supprt? Requests fr csts incurred prir t the date f the grant award will nt be cnsidered. Hw will the funds be disbursed fr apprved prjects? 80% f Calitin funding fr the prject will be disbursed upn apprval f the prject. 20% will be disbursed upn receipt f the On-Site Prject r Peer-Exchange Final Reprt (please see belw). What are the reprting requirements? Within 1 mnth f the cnclusin f the prject r exchange, sites cmplete a final reprt n prject activities, utcme, and evaluatin and submit it t the Secretariat fllwing the Prject r Peer-Exchange Reprt Frmat. Select Prject Supprt Fund recipients may be asked t write a prject tlkit t assist Calitin members in implementing similar prjects at their sites. Bth reprts and tlkits must include a detailed financial reprt. One year after the cnclusin f the prject grant recipients are asked t submit a twelve-mnth impact assessment t the Secretariat identifying utcmes ne-year pst-implementatin. Please nte that the Fund places great emphasis n careful and thrugh prject dcumentatin and evaluatin by each participating site. Outcmes f the prjects will be shared with all Calitin members t further ur cllective learning and develpment. As part f the applicatin prcess, applicant sites will be required t submit a detailed and specific evaluatin and impact plan t assess the impact f the prpsed prject in their cmmunities. Sites that d nt submit cmplete reprts will nt receive the final payment and are ineligible fr future funding. What is the rle f the Secretariat? The Secretariat: Prvides assistance and advice n ptential partners fr Peer-Exchanges, referrals t apprpriate cnsultants, and/r prvides mdels f prgram designs, evaluatin tls, advcacy and media campaigns. Ensures that applicatins are cmplete. Receives and circulates all applicatins t the Grant Review Cmmittee and crdinates cnference calls fr Grant Review Cmmittee Members t discuss and apprve applicatins. Cmmunicates any questins, requests fr additinal infrmatin, and cmments frm the Grant Review Cmmittee t the applicant. Circulates apprved applicatins t all f the Calitin s members. Disburses funds. Reviews all reprts t ensure they fulfill the necessary criteria. Psts a public versin f the Prject/Staff Exchange Reprt r Impact Reprt n the Calitin web site after cnsulting the applicant and any partner sites. Applicants are strngly encuraged t cntact the Calitin s Secretariat prir t submitting an applicatin well in advance f the submissin deadline. Applicatin drafts reviewed prir t submissin by the Secretariat are much mre likely t receive funding. As part f this supprt during the prpsal develpment prcess, Calitin staff will discuss yur verall
visin fr the prject, its planning, and executin, and may cnnect yu with ther sites and experts wh culd prvide resurces. After this preliminary cnversatin, Calitin members may submit a final applicatin by email t psf@sitesfcnscience.rg n r befre the submissin deadline.