Source: Open Society Foundations

The Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is a grantmaking and advocacy foundation that is part of the global Open Society Foundations. OSIWA works to support the creation of open societies in West Africa marked by functioning democracy, good governance, the rule of law, basic freedoms, and widespread civic participation. Its headquarters is in Dakar and it has offices in Abuja, Monrovia, Freetown and Conakry.

OSIWA calls for proposals that seek to:

• Foster building of strong governance institutions, processes and structures that are transparent, accountable and intolerant of impunity;
• Build the capacity of civil society organizations and increase citizen participation in decision-making processes; and
• Promote the protection of fundamental rights and citizenship groups exposed to discrimination.

The programs will be implemented in one or more of these countries: Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

The detailed strategy to guide the application process is available at www.osiwa.org

Eligibility

OSIWA primarily awards grants to local organizations based in the nine countries in West Africa in which OSIWA works. In rare and limited circumstances, it provides support to West Africa based international organizations with a strong commitment to transfer knowledge to local groups they partner with. It provides grants to government institutions as well as regional and sub regional organizations working in its core priorities areas. OSIWA requires all organizations seeking funding to submit a completed application form, budget, work plan and a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Submission and Deadlines

Completed applications should be sent directly to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note that the call for proposal targets two deadlines for submission. Proposals received after the first deadline will be considered during the second call.

First Call

Application deadline: February 27, 2012
Latest date for final decision: April 30, 2012

Second Call

Call re-launched: May 2, 2012
Application deadline: July 2, 2012
Latest date for final decision: October 31, 2012

For Further Information or to Apply

The application documents are available at www.osiwa.org/index.php/en/grants.