Call for proposals from human rights organizations and/or media or journalist associations

The Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD) is a board-led, for-not-profit organization registered in Ethiopia under the Civil Societies Law 1113/2019 with registry number 4307. CARD acquired its legal personality on 24 July 2019.

​CARD aspires to see Ethiopia where democratic culture flourished on human rights values and has been working with a mission to empower citizens and groups of citizens to ensure their ability to promote and defend human rights and build democratic governance in Ethiopia. CARD is an organization that follows a rights-centered approach to help the democratization process in Ethiopia. Currently, CARD implements several projects under four major thematic program areas: Civic Engagement, Media Space Advancement, Governance and Democratization, and Digital Rights.

CARD’s Vision

To see Ethiopia where democratic culture flourished on human rights values.

CARD’s Mission

To empower citizens and groups of citizens to ensure their ability to promote and defend human rights and build democratic governance in Ethiopia. 

Background of the Project

Through the support of Agence Française de Développement - AFD, CARD is implementing a project alongside partner organizations under the title “Promoting Inclusiveness in Society through Rights-Based Research, Dialogue, and Advocacy”. The overarching objective of the project is to create robust, inclusive, and diverse civic and media space as well as to enhance the partnerships between civil society organizations through research, capacity building of formal and informal civic associations and grassroots movements, and to protect the civic space by creating human rights-based dialogue platforms, conflict mitigation, and peacebuilding. This project is being implemented by the joint effort of seven newly established civil society organizations under the Consortium for Human Rights, Dialogue, and Democracy (CHRDD) with CARD being the lead.

CARD is implementing a component from the 3-year project, where one of the activities under this project is the undertaking of granting three organizations with the aim of capacity development for the work they do as an organization. These three organizations will receive funding and support from CARD to carry out their projects. The goal is to enhance their skills, knowledge, and resources so that they can effectively fulfill their organizational objectives. 

To this end, CARD is undertaking a call for proposals with the aim of granting human rights-centered organizations and/or media associations a project proposal they will be developing to submit to CARD. The project proposal must outline the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of the proposed activity. This will enable CARD to evaluate the alignment of the proposed activity with its mission and values. Additionally, the project proposal must provide a clear roadmap for the implementation and monitoring of the activity, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process. It will also include a detailed budget and timeline for implementation. 

Additionally, CARD will provide technical support and guidance to ensure that the project aligns with their human rights-centered approach and meets their criteria for funding. This initiative aims to support and empower these organizations and associations in their efforts to promote and protect human rights through various projects. By providing them with the necessary resources and funding, CARD hopes to foster a culture of human rights awareness and advocacy within these organizations and associations. The project proposals must be related to the promotion of human rights and democracy.    

Duration of the Project

Granting Period: April 2024 - July 2024

Number of grantees: 3

Essentials requirements 

• The human rights organization to be recently established after 2021 and registered media or journalist association 
• The journalist and media association to be legally registered and have documentation of establishment.  
• The organizations need to have legal receipts and documents for activity to be performed under the project proposed. 
• A clear and detailed description of the activities to be done under the proposal 
• The proposed budget should be between the range of 100,000 to 300,000 Ethiopian Birr.

Interested applicants are required to submit the following documents via apply@cardeth.org until  Friday, 15th of March, 2024, from the date of this announcement.

1. Project Proposal with clear implementation timeline  (in English)
2. The detailed and budget needed to implement the project  (one page)
3. Legal documents of the organization 

Selection Procedures

1. The primary screening of applicants will be held based on requirements and eligibility.
2. Shortlisting of applicants will be done by three juries at CARD; criteria will be determined by juries.
3. Selected  applicants  will be notified selection on the 25^th of March 2024.