What do we mean funding?
Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company.
Your mediation activities take time and resources. The more community members you support, the more resources you will need to put in (time, knowledge, expenses..).
Funding is possible
If your peer-to-peer mediation initiative is becoming a sort of burden, instead of giving up, consider, if it’s time to take it to the next level.
- Migrants’ peer to peer mediation is a process that requires time, knowledge, and commitment, along with resources
- Non–formal mediation in the community setting can become an initiative that is eligible for various funding opportunities, it makes a valuable contribution to integration, inclusion, active citizenship, upskilling, empowerment, hence it may be eligible for external funding in these areas
- Funding is a valuable step toward sustainability of the mediation activity
Self Assessment Activity
Prepare Your Initiative To Get Funding Ready
Try to answer these questions to get clarity on what you want to achieve through funding.
- What are your priorities for next 1 – 3 years? 3 – 5 years?
- Survival or growth? New opportunities?
- Would you change anything about your goal as a mediator?
- Same activities?
- Same modes of operation? Any remote working or digitisation changes etc.?
” How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. “
–Anne Frank
Before you start, focus on your priorities. Leave aside the priorities of possible funders and any fears of not being “fit” for or worthy of funding
The LEGEND:
1. External opportunities
2. Funding available for inclusion initiatives
InterculturalMediator’s PRIORITIES
The Pesimist Says
½ empty of funding opportunities
The Optimist Says
½ full of funding opportunities
INTERCULTURAL MEDIATOR Says
„Let’s talk about the benefits of ice”
Activity: Do a SWOT analysis of your mediation project
Strengths
- What are your own advantages, in terms of people, physical resources, finances?
- What do you do well?
- What activities or processes have met with success?
Weaknesses
- What could be improved in your mediation project in terms of volunteers, staffing, physical resources, funding?
- What activities and processes lack effectiveness or are poorly done?
Opportunities
- What possibilities exist to support or help your effort , the people you serve, or the people who conduct your work?
- What local, national, or international trends draw interest to your programme?
- Is a social change or demographic pattern favorable to your goal?
- Is a new funding source available?
- Have changes in policies made something easier?
- Do changes in technology hold new promise?
Threats
- What obstacles do you face that hinder the effort – in the environment, the people you serve, or the people who conduct your work?
- What local, national, or international trends favor interest in other or competing programmes?
- Is a social change or demographic pattern harmful to your goal?
- Is the financial situation of a funder changing?
- Have changes in policies made something more difficult?
- Is changing technology threatening your effectiveness?
Internal
- Human resources
- Physical resources
- Financial resources
- Activities and processes
- Past experiences
External
- Future trends
- Funding sources (foundations, donors, legislatures)
- Demographics
- The physical environment
- Legislation
- Local, national, or international events
Taking the best out of SWOT
Your SWOT has made you realise your mediation project or group’s strengths, weaknesses, as well as identify opportunities and threats coming from outside.
Does your initiative now look clear enough to pitch it to the funders?
How can you use the positives, to overcome the negatives?
Case Study:
Rethink Ireland
Projects Supporting Women, Travellers, and Migrants Among Eleven Awardees of a €3 Million Equality Fund.
The Equality Fund supports civil society groups working with marginalised women, ethnic minority and migrant people, Traveller and Roma communities, people living in poverty, people with disabilities and LGBTI+ people.
This €3 million Fund is supported by the Peter Kinney and Lisa Sandquist Foundation and the Government of Ireland. This Fund will support organisations and groups that empower marginalised communities and tackle systemic inequality.
An Equality Fund awardee:
Building Resilient Communities For Change: Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) works nationally to defend the rights of migrant workers and their families at risk of exploitation, social exclusion and discrimination. Building Resilient Communities for Change delivers a programme of community work to build leadership in migrant communities, to empower migrant workers to secure better working conditions and decent wages. It reaches out to the MRCI’s supporters asking them to take action to challenge inequality and injustice
Nationaly and locally, look for programmes and funds that might support your cause
Institutionalised funding opportunities
In our previous example from Ireland, there is a fund established on a national level that supports initiatives coming from migrant population.
Migrant mediators could look for such opportunities in their own countries as potential funsing sources for their initiatives
Applying for funding can be a good strategy for mid to long term sustainability and capacities building