Funding Friday
Happy Friday everyone,
This week’s roundup is packed with funding opportunities that put communities front and center—whether it’s tackling inequality, boosting digital public infrastructure, championing environmental projects, or strengthening public diplomacy and local resilience. From grassroots efforts in Kenya and Myanmar to innovative research grants and soup kitchen support in South Africa, I hope there is something interesting for your business.
Have a great weekend,
Jesse Orndorff
Global
👋🏽 Tackling Global Inequality
Jewish Helping Hands invites innovative community-driven projects aimed at reducing global inequality. It supports grassroots initiatives through education, entrepreneurship, policy advocacy, and sustainable development efforts.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Local to Global Impact: How can localized equality-focused initiatives be designed to scale and adapt across diverse global contexts?
Measuring Inequality: What effective indicators or metrics can community projects use to track reductions in inequality?
Partnership Models: How can grassroots organizations collaborate effectively with government, private sector, and international bodies to enhance equity outcomes?
🔗 Funding Community Projects Tackling Global Inequality
🌐 CFI Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Research Grant Program
The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) is launching its inaugural Digital Public Infrastructure Research Grant Program, aiming to support rigorous, grounded research into how DPIs are implemented, governed, and scaled across diverse national contexts—especially in low- and middle-income countries. The program also seeks to cultivate a knowledge-sharing community among academics, tech experts, policymakers, civil society, and private-sector leaders.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Real-World Insights into DPI: What methodologies best uncover how DPI initiatives, like national digital ID systems or open data platforms, affect financial inclusion, consumer protection, and interoperability?
Sustainability Models: How can DPI programs transition from donor dependency to self-sustaining models while maintaining openness and fairness?
Governance & Trust: Which governance frameworks—especially those involving private sector participation—ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust?
🔗 CFI Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Research Grant Program 2025
🌿Community‑Driven Environmental Projects
A new international initiative is offering substantial funding to support community‑led conservation, sustainable land use, and environmental stewardship. This opportunity empowers local and traditional governance structures, fosters sustainable outcomes, and elevates community voices in biodiversity management.
🤔 Thought‑Provoking Questions and Insights
Community Governance: How can traditional and local governance systems be strengthened to manage natural resources effectively and ecologically?
Scaling Impact: What tools and partnerships can local projects employ to translate localized successes into measurable global benefits?
Inclusive Conservation: How can projects intentionally include women, youth, and marginalized groups in leadership and decision-making phases?
🔗 Community‑Driven Environmental Projects
Asia Pacific
🇵🇭 Public Affairs Annual Program Statement
The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ Public Affairs Section (PAS) is now accepting proposals under its Annual Program Statement (APS) to support initiatives that enhance U.S.–Philippines relations across cultural, educational, diplomatic, and public diplomacy spheres.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Bilateral Engagement: How can programs meaningfully enhance people-to-people ties and deepen mutual understanding between the U.S. and the Philippines?
Thematic Alignment: Which strategic themes—like maritime security, Indo-Pacific cooperation, cultural diplomacy, or STEM education—best align with local community needs?
Impact Measurement: What effective frameworks can be used to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of public diplomacy initiatives?
🔗 U.S. Embassy Philippines – Public Affairs Annual Program Statement (PAS) 2025
🚿 Community Development through WASH, Livelihoods & Waste Solutions – Myanmar
The UNDP Urban Resilience Project (URP) in Myanmar is accepting proposals for integrated interventions that combine water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), livelihoods, and waste management in peri‑urban communities. This program addresses urban poverty challenges by strengthening core services and community resilience in disadvantaged peri‑urban areas.
🤔 Thought‑Provoking Questions and Insights
Integrated WASH & Livelihoods: How can combining WASH with livelihood support enhance overall community well‑being in peri‑urban Myanmar?
Waste as Resource: What innovative models can local communities use to transform waste into income-generating opportunities?
Sustainable Urban Resilience: How can interventions be scaled and sustained through strong community ownership and local governance?
🔗 Community Development through WASH, Livelihoods & Waste Solutions – Peri‑urban Myanmar
🤝 CSO & HRD Support Allocations – Sri Lanka & Maldives
The European Commission’s NDICI‑Global Europe Civil Society & Human Rights & Democracy Thematic Programme invites proposals to strengthen civil society in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It aims to empower CSOs—especially those led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities—to lead governance reforms, advocacy, monitoring, and human rights initiatives.
🤔 Thought‑Provoking Questions and Insights
Meaningful Participation: How can this funding foster genuine uptake of local CSO voices in policymaking and reform processes?
Inclusive Capacity Building: What strategies ensure that smaller and rights-based CSOs—especially women- and disability-led groups—gain full access to capacity support?
Regional Collaboration: Could Sri Lankan and Maldivian CSOs co-design regional initiatives to address cross-border challenges like climate resilience or human rights?
🔗 CFP: CSO & HRD Support Allocations – Sri Lanka & Maldives
Africa
🌍 UN Voluntary Trust Fund (UNVTF) Crisis Support Window
The UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons has opened its Cycle 9.2 special window, specifically targeting high-impact, short-term crisis response interventions in Africa.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Speed vs. Sustainability: How can organizations balance the urgent need for rapid crisis interventions with the goal of longer-term resilience among trafficking survivors?
Targeted Support: What strategies best ensure that aid reaches underserved groups—such as women, children, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI individuals—during crises?
Collaboration Models: How can local NGOs effectively partner with international organizations to scale up crisis response while maintaining cultural relevance?
🔗 Africa: UN Voluntary Trust Fund (UNVTF) Crisis Support Window
🇰🇪 Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC) – Kenya
The Embassy of Finland in Nairobi invites Kenyan civil society organizations and private-sector enterprises to apply for funding through the Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC). The call focuses specifically on advancing circular economy initiatives within Kenya.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Localized Innovation: How can community-led projects transition Kenya’s informal and formal sectors toward sustainable, circular economic systems?
Private-Sector Engagement: What roles can businesses play in reducing waste through redesign, reuse, and recycling within Kenyan communities?
Policy Enablement: How can FLC-funded projects inform national policy on resource efficiency and circular economy practices?
🔗 Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC) – Circular Economy Project in Kenya
🍲 Food Security Soup Kitchen Support Programme
The Cape Agulhas Municipality has launched a Food Security Soup Kitchen Support Programme 2025–2026, inviting NGOs, NPOs, CBOs, and nutrition centers within its jurisdiction to partner in delivering nutritious meals to vulnerable populations in the Cape Agulhas region. This initiative focuses on strengthening community-based food support systems rather than procuring services.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Measuring Meal Impact: How can projects quantify both the nutritional and social outcomes of the meals served?
Sustainable Operations: What models enable soup kitchens to operate sustainably beyond municipal funding?
Strategic Partnerships: How can collaboration between municipalities, NGOs, and communities enhance coverage and service delivery?
🔗 Request for Proposals: Food Security Soup Kitchen Support Programme
🌱 Nigeria Environmental Grant
This opportunity, the Felicia & Lawrence Omiunu Environmental Sustainability Grant, seeks individuals and organizations in Nigeria tackling plastic pollution through innovation-focused solutions. Selected participants receive not just financial support, but also mentorship and exposure to investment and partnership opportunities.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Engaging Communities: How can multimedia campaigns be leveraged to mobilize community action against plastic pollution?
From Idea to Impact: What models ensure that small-scale grants and mentorship accelerate scalable, real-world environmental solutions?
Local Leadership: How can grassroots innovations be shepherded from pilot projects to nationally recognized environmental leadership initiatives?
🔗 Innovators Wanted: Nigeria Environmental Grant – Crowning the Next Big Leader