Paul Hamlyn Foundation: India Open Grants Fund

Overview

Vulnerable communities

Among vulnerable communities PHF include the following as a non exclusive, indicative list of special interest groups that we will work with in both rural and urban areas:

• Ultra poor families in mixed communities
• Dalit communities, particularly those involved with inhuman occupations
• Tribal communities fighting for or dispossessed of their land and resources
• Women
• Disabled people, particularly children
• Communities with little or no access to health services
• Communities with little or no access to education
• Unorganised labour

This fund assists NGOs to consciously design and develop programmes which assist vulnerable communities to build on their strengths, ensure that their rights and entitlements are not usurped and help them deal with the critical factors that make them vulnerable.

Such communities need leadership that is forward-looking, able to generate enthusiasm among the community and able to lead the community towards paths that can help transform their realities. Leadership can emerge in the form of individuals or community organisations. We will fund initiatives that facilitate leadership-influenced change processes either by individuals or community organisations.

NGO initiatives that support development of community leadership and a better understanding of community concerns and their management are also supported.

Priority geographical areas

PHF support work in the following states:

• Madhya Pradesh
• Chhattisgarh
• Odisha
• Jharkhand
• Bihar
• West Bengal
• Assam

In addition to these states PHF also support work in certain culturally identifiable regions in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan which are worse off than other parts in those states:

• Mewar and Hadoti (southern and south-eastern Rajasthan)
• Bundelkhand (Northern Madhya Pradesh and southern districts of Uttar Pradesh bordering Madhya Pradesh)
• The Dangs (south-eastern Gujarat)
• Telangana (northern Andhra Pradesh)
• Vidharbha (eastern and northern Maharashtra)

Eligibility

Organisations supported within the India programme have to be local Indian NGOs with Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration.

Grants

They make grants that help fund specific activities. The costs of these may include running costs such as staff salaries and overheads such as stationary, rent, rates or utilities. You must be able to tell PHF how these costs are calculated.

PHF may also contribute towards the core costs of your organisation, but we will need to know how our funding would be spent and how you plan to develop the work of the organisation.

Size of grants: There is no minimum or maximum grant size. The amount you request should be the amount you need. They normally expect the amount requested to be a substantial part of the amount required to fund a distinct activity, or a substantial part of the work of your organisation. PHF are unlikely to fund 100 per cent of the costs. They prefer to make grants where you and/or another funder are also contributing, preferably in cash, towards the cost of the activity you are asking PHF to fund.

Duration of grants: The length of grant depends on the proposed activity. Typically, we support new grantees for one or two years to support organisational adjustments prior to awarding funding for longer periods.