Institutional development grants (ID grants) help non-profit organizations develop into mature organizations by improving their management performance and enhancing their program impact. The Eurasia Foundation provided support to a number of organizations in the form of institutional development grants.

Since 2000, The Eurasia Foundation has awarded 27 ID grants totaling in $1,993,113 USD to non-profit organizations and institutions operating in 7 countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan) that work in the fields of business education, private enterprise development, public administration reforms, free media support and strengthening civic organizations.

Most ID grants were awarded in 2002-2003. Each grant was tailored to meet the specific need of a grantee-institution. As a result, ID grants varied in size ($21,000 to $100,000) and terms of implementation (from 4 to 24 months).

More specifically, ID grants were awarded for (a) improving organizational and human resource management, (b) building up good governance (board development, mission, constituency and leadership), (c) enhancing strategic planning and evaluation capacity, (d) improving financial management and diversifying fund sources and (e) advancing public relations and collaboration.

To be selected as an ID grant recipient an organization-candidate had to meet a number of criteria such as (i) to be an EF grantee with positive project implementation experience or in exceptional cases to be a well known organization without EF previous funding experience, (ii) to be demand driven and locally supported and active in its field for the last several years, (iii) to be recognized as a local, regional or national leader in a key area of the country strategy, (iv) to be able to improve their performance if the grant is awarded.