Comic Relief: International Grants
Overview
They have seven goals, which Comic Relief believe are crucial to creating a just world free from poverty.
Applicants can select up to three goals for each application submitted.
To find out more about why they have chosen these goals, how they believe they can create change, the kind of grants they want to make and the most significant outcomes for each goal, please go to their international grants strategy booklet (PDF).
We are particularly interested in receiving applications for projects in Ebola-affected countries in West Africa.
Most of their funding is for work in sub-Saharan Africa. Funding for work outside Africa is by invitation only.
- Women aged 15-49 and children under five have improved health
- Disadvantaged children and adults gain access to, and attain, a good quality of education
- Women and girls are equal and respected members of society
- Slum dwellers have an improved quality of life
- Children and young people at risk are safer, with greater opportunities to increase their skills and life prospects
- People affected by HIV have an improved quality of life
- Poor people can improve their income through trade, enterprises and employment
Sport for Change
In their work with children and young people at risk, people affected by HIV and in our education work, sport can be effectively used as an approach in:
- Supporting young people at key transitions in their lives
- Developing young leaders, improving participation and voice
- Providing greater safety, reducing violence and abuse for vulnerable people and increasing community cohesion
- Reducing stigma and discrimination, changing attitudes and bringing greater equality
Comic Relief will only consider one proposal from an organisation at a time.
What they fund
Comic Relief want to understand the change their funding has helped to bring about. Applicants must select up to five outcomes their application will bring about. Outcomes are arranged under five thematic headings.
Better Futures
Enabling some of the world’s poorest people to gain access to vital services such as health and education.
All work must demonstrate how it meets one or more of the following outcomes:
- Better access to quality housing and access to affordable water and sanitation
- Increased uptake of primary healthcare services
- Improved quality of primary healthcare
- Improved access to good quality basic education and increased retention and attainment
- Improved access to good quality, relevant, non-formal education and training
Healthier Finances
Tackling financial poverty and enabling economic resilience in families and communities, as well as supporting enterprise and employment.
All work must demonstrate how it meets one or more of the following outcomes:
- More secure tenure and management of land, housing and other assets
- Better working conditions and pay
- Increased and more secure incomes
- Greater resilience to environmental risks and shocks
Safer Lives
Reducing violence, abuse and exploitation.
All work must demonstrate how it meets one or more of the following outcomes:
- Greater protection from violence, exploitation and abuse
- A reduction in risky sexual practices
- Integration of children and young people into safe and secure families and communities
- Safer working environments and protection from harmful work
Stronger Communities
Empowering people, organisations and networks to play an effective role in their communities and society, as well as nurturing talent and leadership.
All work must demonstrate how it meets one or more of the following outcomes:
- Young people have greater confidence and skills, and a belief in their ability to improve their opportunities in life
- Organisations and their leaders are more effective in delivering on their mission and strategic goals
- People and organisations hold decision makers to account and take a greater role in decision making
- Women and girls and their organisations are influential in driving social change
Fairer Society
Helping people overcome inequality and have a say in decisions that affect their lives, whoever and wherever they are.
All work must demonstrate how it meets one or more of the following outcomes:
- Greater equality between women and men, and girls and boys
- Laws and policies upholding and protecting the rights of citizens are enacted and implemented
- A reduction in stigma and discrimination
How they fund
They recognise the need to fund work at different stages of development. They’ve arranged these into three funding approaches and can fund organisations that use any one of these three approaches, depending on their track record:
The following funding approaches are available for work at different stages of development:
- Generating ideas grants are usually for no more than six months and, in most cases, have a maximum value of £10,000. They are available for planning, consultation and putting together ideas. These grants are designed to help organisations with limited resources and are only for small and diaspora organisations.
- Implementing and adapting grants are likely to be between three and five years and range from £250,000 to £800,000; however, there is no upper limit for funding under this approach. Grants can be used to test out new approaches or adapt existing approaches. This could include proven approaches being applied in new contexts, or implementing entirely new approaches. Or, it may be about work that has been adapted to changing contexts, or applying what has been learnt from a previous phase of work.
- Achieving scale grants are by invitation only. This is about taking an approach to a scale where significant numbers of people will benefit and where the type of change is likely to be systemic. Systemic change is the type of change where organisations work with all the different actors and seek to change the system as a whole rather than just a single component of it.
Comic Relief will only consider one proposal from an organisation at a time.