New call for applications: ‘LGBTI Communications: Learning Journey Grants

We are opening a new call for applications to support LGBTI organisations in strengthening their own communication capacities. The aim of this call is to support organisations that do work on communications with no, or limited resources or capacities, and those that work with/serve underrepresented communities. Deadline for applications is October 30.

• Earlier this year, ILGA-Europe launched a new communications programme to foster stronger and more strategic communications across the movement.
• As part of this programme, we are bringing together a cohort of organisations that will work on developing their communications capacities with us and with each other.
• The programme combines grants and learning, which are equally important elements of it.
• To join the programme, organisations/groups need to apply with a concept and present their initial project ideas along with the learning goals. We will be assessing applications’ fit for this call, project ideas and the potential of the applicants to learn. Grantee partners will have access to various learning opportunities and will be able together with us to develop their thinking and project plans.
• We will select 8 groups, and each will receive a grant of 10,000 Euro for the duration of the programme (18 months).
• An online session for prospective applicants will be organised on October 10, 12:00 (CET/Brussels time). Register here to get more information and ask any questions you have about the call and the application process.
  

Introduction

Earlier this year, ILGA-Europe launched a programme to foster stronger and more strategic communications across the European and Central Asian LGBTI movement and to contribute to collective thinking on shaping public conversations and changing public attitudes.

As part of this programme, ILGA-Europe is opening this call to support LGBTI organisations in strengthening their own communication capacities. The aim of these grants is to support organisations that do work on communications with no or limited resources or capacities (meaning for instance the absence of paid communications staff, developed communications strategy, or secured funding for communications activities), and those that work with/serve underrepresented communities.
Why this call?

Throughout our work, we have seen that an increasing number of LGBTI organisations and groups felt the need to develop their communications. However, the assessment of communications needs launched in 2019 suggested that in the vast majority of LGBTI organisations in Europe and Central Europe day to day communications activities are done not by full-time staff persons but by volunteers, project managers, or directors.  And with this call we aimed to provide some support specifically for groups that work that way and want to do their communications in a more strategic way.
Aim of the call

The aim of the call is to contribute to stronger communications work by LGBTI organisations and groups that do this work with no or limited resources or capacities and/or work with underrepresented communities. We will support projects that combine two elements:

• Supporting communications learning within LGBTI organisations and groups. We designed this project as a learning process and we hope that by the end of this programme our grantee partners will get new knowledge and skills necessary to proceed with communications work and will share their experiences with the wider LGBTI movement.
• Developing and implementing communications activities, such as campaigns, the development of new narratives, testing, enhancing the organisation’s presence on social media, relationship building with the media, etc.

NB Both communications learning and developing and implementing communications activities are equally important elements of this call for applications.
Who is this call for?

This call is for LGBTI organisations and groups  that:

• Are LGBTI organisations and groups in Europe or Central Asia1.
• Propose a communications project with specific focus on organisational learning in communications. We aim to support organisations and groups that will demonstrate how their learning will positively affect their future communications work and their organisational development.
• Have some experience with communications and can demonstrate it with a track record of communications work. A track record may include previous campaigns, work done to frame and test messages, stably operating groups in the social networks/website or other communication activities. You don’t need to do ‘perfect communications’, but there should be some experience you can base your work within this programme on.
• Are able to commit to a collective learning and thinking process about LGBTI movements’ communications in Europe and Central Asia. This project involves a significant learning and experience exchange commitment.
• Have at least one person who is committed to proceed with communications work and willing to improve their skills and start thinking more strategically about communications. We understand that with no or limited resources and capacities different people can be involved in communications work on a day to day basis. Therefore we ask you to think if more than one person can be involved in this programme, and how new skills and practices can be integrated into your communications work in the future.
  

We encourage applications from organisations and groups that do not have a full-time communications staff and dedicated resources for communications work, serve/ work with less represented groups and organisations working at the  intersections of identities and experiences  (e.g. raciliased LGBTI people and LGBTI people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTI people with disability, LGBTI people experiencing poverty).