Grant Types and Grant-Making Criteria

Grant Types

Since 1994, the Eurasia Foundation has complemented its open-door grants with grant competitions, invited proposals, partnership grants, institutional development grants and non-grant program activities.

Open-door inquiries and proposals refer to projects that applicants submit to the Foundation on an unsolicited basis.

Competitions are generally announced to the public, are open to any qualified applicant and usually result in more than one award.

Invited proposals are generally issued to one or more organizations that have been pre-screened by the Foundation and that meet certain requirements.

Partnership grants allow the Foundation to strengthen a local organization's knowledge or expertise in a particular field by linking it to an established organization experienced in the relevant field.

Institutional development grants are intended to strengthen the institutional capacity of non-profit organizations that have already demonstrated an ability to implement effective projects and program-related activities. Institutional development grants can take several forms, including the grant types listed above. More

Grants to individuals are made in compelling cases when an individual is the only entity capable of performing an important programmatic activity.

Program-related investments, also known as recoverable grants, can be in the form of recoverable grants which require the recipient organization to return a portion or all of the capital to the Foundation within an established time frame.

Matching grants require the grantee to contribute a defined amount of funding from other sources (including in-kind) towards the project before Foundation funding will be released.

Grant-Making Critera

The Foundation considers the following three criteria in its review of grant proposals:

• Fit with Foundation goals
• Priorities
• Mission statement

Project Demand and Local Support 
In what way does the initiative respond to the demands and needs that exist locally? What degree of local support and commitment does the initiative have?

Sustainability 
To what extent is the effort locally sustainable, both financially and operationally? Will the initiative result in sustainable and positive changes that continue over time?

If the proposal satisfactorily meets the above criteria, the Foundation then applies the following considerations:

Implementation Plan 
Is the strategy for achieving the goals of the initiative well developed and realistic? What barriers or risks might impede achievement of the stated goals? What steps will be taken to mitigate these risks? What external conditions are necessary for the project to succeed?

Cost-effectiveness 
To what extent is the proposed effort cost-effective? Is this the most cost-effective approach to achieve the project goals?

Qualifications
To what extent do participating individuals and organizations have the experience and qualifications needed to implement the project successfully and to manage grant funds?

Outcomes
What significant changes will the initiative produce among its beneficiaries? Has a realistic plan been developed to measure and report on these effects? What steps will be taken to incorporate these results into future decision-making?

Leveraging
To what extent does the effort leverage other resources, including contributions from other donors, project revenue and grantee in-kind contributions?

Synergy
To what extent does the proposal complement or build upon other initiatives in the region, including those supported by the Eurasia Foundation?