Frequently Asked Questions

The Disability Rights Fund focuses all grantmaking on disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs) working within countries at the national and local level.

In DRF’s understanding of the term, “DPO,” DPOs are representative organizations or groups of persons with disabilities (PWDs), where persons with disabilities constitute a majority of the overall staff and board, and are well-represented in all levels of the organization. It includes organizations of relatives of persons with disabilities  (only those representing children with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, or the deafblind) where a primary aim of these organizations is empowerment and the growth of self-advocacy of persons with disabilities. In addition, DPOs have an understanding of disability in accordance with the social model. Organizations which specifically strengthen the voice of marginalized sectors of the disability community will be viewed favorably.

Please also see the next questions for further details about eligibility.

• Legally registered non-governmental DPOs (or groups acting under the fiscal sponsorship thereof);
• Legally registered non-governmental family organizations representing children with disabilities and/or people with intellectual disabilities (or groups acting under the fiscal sponsorship thereof);
• Partnerships between DPOs and other organizations (when a DPO is the managing partner);
• Partnerships between self-help or self-advocacy groups of people with disabilities and other organizations;
• Applications are encouraged from DPOs operating at sub-national levels. Partnerships are encouraged.

A fiscal sponsor is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) that is able to receive funds from abroad and agrees to channel those funds to your organization. If you select to apply via a fiscal sponsor, you must submit as part of your application the following additional documentation:

1. Proof of legal registration of the fiscal sponsor;
2. Copy of the fiscal sponsor’s Incorporation Documents, Constitution or By-Laws (if possible, in English);
3. A memorandum of understanding that outlines the relationship between your organization and the fiscal sponsor and specifies that the fiscal sponsor agrees to forward funds it receives on your behalf to your organization.
4. Organizational contact information and mission description for the fiscal sponsor.

In DRF’s understanding of the term “partnership”, a partnership is a
collaborative effort of two or more organizations, where each organization has
been involved in the design of the project, and each organization has specific
roles and responsibilities in project implementation and evaluation.

Applications from National DPO Coalitions must be submitted by one managing DPO or non-governmental family organization (representing children with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, and/or the deafblind) on behalf of the coalition. Applicant organizations will take overall responsibility for coordinating the Coalition, submitting the application and managing the grant. Any organization with legal status can be the applicant organization, including umbrella organizations or federations. Umbrella organizations or federations are considered one organization for the purposes of this application and therefore, must form a coalition with other organizations outside their federation to be eligible. If you think you have a unique situation and would like to apply as one umbrella organization, please contact us first so we can assess your eligibility.

The managing partner is the legally registered organization that will be responsible for the financial management of the grant and reporting to DRF. The managing partner can be situated in any locality within our target countries, but must have national scope. The managing partner must also have all registration necessary to operate legally as a non-governmental organization within these target countries including any registration necessary to enable receipt of foreign funds. Further, as the organization responsible for financial management and reporting to DRF, the managing partner must be able to provide organizational income and expense statements for the past two years, as well as a memorandum of understanding signed by all Coalition partners.

No, however, the MAJORITY of organizations in the Coalition should be DPOs. In addition, the managing partner of the Coalition should be a DPO or non-governmental family organization (representing children with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, and/or the deafblind). We also strongly encourage partnerships with human rights organizations or other entities, such as the media.

Yes, a governmental entity can be a partner to the Coalition application; however no DRF funds can go towards that governmental entity.  In addition, governmental entities do not count as one of the three partner organizations necessary to meet eligibility requirements for a National Coalition application.

An umbrella / federation of DPOs is a membership organization with legal status. For the purposes of this application, a “National Coalition” may include an umbrella or federation organization, but it must include at least two additional distinct organizations.

We are requiring this because we believe that encouraging broad partnership is critical to the advancement of human rights of all persons with disabilities.

If you think you have a unique situation and would like to apply for a national coalition grant as one umbrella organization, please contact us first so we can assess your eligibility.

• Africa: Ghana, Uganda
• Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia
• Eastern Europe: Ukraine
  
• Latin America: Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru
• Middle East: Lebanon
  
• The Pacific: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati,
  Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands,
  Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

• For Small Grants
  The applicant organization must be based in and conduct the majority of their activities in the countries (and states/cities) targeted for this call.
• For National Coalitions
  Members of the National Coalition can be based in any locality within the targeted countries. The managing partner of the Coalition must have national scope.

Please refer to the grants guidelines webpage for more information.

The selection of DRF target countries is completed after a lengthy process, which includes conversations with our Global Advisory Panel, who recommend the criteria for country selection, and our Steering Committee, who approve specific countries researched by staff.

No, we do not fund international organizations. We do not fund organizations not based in our target countries.

We understand that there are strong organizations all over the world and that you may be doing good work, and we applaud your efforts. While we cannot support international organizations or organizations in other countries financially through grantmaking, our resource page is designed to provide information to a broader audience interested in disability rights promotion across the globe.

The Disability Rights Fund foresees a continued expansion in terms of geographical coverage. The rate and extent of this expansion depends on our resources and ability to make substantive grants in the selected countries.

The Disability Rights Fund is primarily interested in direct funding to organizations and groups of people with disabilities.  If your organization partners with organizations or groups of people with disabilities, joint applications would be welcome as long as the group or organization of people with disabilities is the lead applicant (meaning that they are responsible for managing the project and the finances).

For Small Grants
You can apply if you meet any one of the following four conditions:

1. If your organization or foundation is of people with disabilities, meaning that people with disabilities constitute a majority (more than 50%) of staff and board members;
2. If your organization or foundation is a fiscal sponsor to a new disabled persons’ organization (and they are heavily involved in the application process);
3. If you host self-help or self-advocacy groups of people with disabilities who do not have legal registration; or
4. If you are a legally registered non-governmental family organization representing children with disabilities, people with intellectual disabilities, and/or the deafblind.

Please send an email to us at info@disabilityrightsfund.org if you are unsure if your organization or group qualifies.

Yes.  DRF recognizes that there are faith-based organizations/religious entities that have made significant contributions in advocating for the human rights of persons with disabilities and will therefore consider proposals from faith-based organizations/religious entities on an equal basis as other organizations.  

However, faith-based organizations/religious entities must meet the same eligibility criteria as other applicants. See the above questions, “What types of organizations are eligible to apply for a Small Grant?” and “What types of organizations are eligible to apply for a National Coalition Grant?” Any organization that is not a Disabled Persons Organization (DPO) will not be considered.

Furthermore, only DPOs that demonstrate a rights-based approach instead of a charity approach will be considered. 

If approved for a grant,

• DRF funds may only be used towards the activities outlined in the submitted proposal. 
• No DRF funds may be used for religious activities.
• The project must benefit persons with disabilities without regard to religious affiliation.

Please also review the below section on what activities DRF supports.

No, we cannot provide funds to public institutions.

No, we cannot provide funds to governmental entities.

No, we cannot provide funds to businesses or companies.

• For Small Grants Yes. However, if your organization has not completed its registration, then the only way to apply is through a fiscal sponsor.
• For National Coalition Grants No, if your organization has not completed its registration, then you cannot be the managing partner of the Coalition.

Yes; only governmental registration (at community or national levels) is legitimate.

Yes. Please check your country’s requirements on receiving foreign funds.

Our answer varies depending on what type of grant you are applying for.

For Small Grants

• Small Grants priority areas are:
  • Building more inclusive organizations or partnerships
  • Internal capacity building
  • Increasing DPO participation in decision-making processes regarding the CRPD at state or local levels
  • Addressing implementation of CRPD articles
  • Ratification efforts (in the Pacific Island countries only)

Proposals must focus on at least one of the priority areas, but proposals that focus on more than one priority area are also welcome.

Please note: our selection of proposals will be based on the quality of the proposal, not the number of priority areas included in the proposal. Thus, proposals focusing thoroughly on one priority area may be more likely to receive funding than proposals addressing multiple priority areas.

For National Coalition Grants

• No, you should focus on only one of the four priorities listed:
  • Ratification of the CRPD and/or the Optional Protocol (where not ratified)
  • Passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD
  • Production of a parallel/alternative report to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Submission to other UN human rights monitoring mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Human Rights Council or to other Committees of Experts from other human rights treaties

For a detailed description of the priority areas for National Coalitions and Small Grants, please refer to the section on Priority Areas in the appropriate RFP.

If partner organizations do not envision working together on activities, we would question why there is a partnership. Partnerships should demonstrate a rationale for their joint work and ideally should demonstrate some past experiences of effectively working together. 

No, our assessment is based on the strength of your proposal.

Yes, we will fund certain lobbying work conducted by your organization.  However, DRF will not fund participation or intervention in an election campaign that expresses a view in support or opposition to a candidate for public office.

As an organization based in the US, DRF has to follow US law.  According to US law, lobbying is defined as distinct from advocacy: Often the two terms are used inter-changeably, so here we provide guidance on the distinctions:

• Lobbying occurs when an individual or group expresses their views on a specific legislation to a legislator or when an individual or group asks members of the public to speak to legislators about specific legislation or when activities are based on supporting a candidate for office. (DRF does not support activities to promote a specific candidate for office.)
• Advocacy is a more general term that describes awareness raising activities, research or analysis, convening of public fora to discuss policy issues, and activities directed at enforcement of existing legislation.

While a small portion of the funds can be used to cover general operating expenses, the majority of the funds need to be used for the specific activities of your proposed project.

No.  While DRF will accept applications from faith-based organizations or religious entities, DRF will not consider any proposals to support religious activity of any kind.

No, we do not provide grants for these types of activities.

Service provision is a term used to describe a wide range of activities, including the provision of assistive devices, rehabilitation services, occupational therapy and health services.

If you have a question about whether the activities you would like to implement constitute service provision, please email us at info@disabilityrightsfund.org.

No.

Please check out our Resources webpage. If you have a specific question, please let us know and we will try to direct you to an appropriate place.

DRF initiated a letter of interest process in December 2010, targeting Lebanon. In 2011, DRF expanded the LoI process to Bangladesh, Peru, and Uganda. In 2012 Round 1, the LoI process was opened to India and Ukraine. In the meantime, for applicants from all other DRF target countries, we are following the regular Request for Proposals (RFP) process that is explained on our website.

A letter of interest is a document submitted by an applicant seeking a grant or funding for a project. Letters of interest describe the organization’s background, summarize the project’s goals, and provide project financial information. Letters of interest are a first step in a longer process. If a letter of interest is evaluated favorably, an applicant will be asked to submit a full proposal.

For the countries outlined above, applicants must first submit a letter of interest to DRF within specified deadlines. DRF Program Officers review the letter and if approved, ask the applicant to submit a full proposal. If an organization misses the deadline for a letter of interest, they must wait until the following year to submit a letter of interest.

Yes, you do.

Please review the Checklist carefully; required documents are indicated.

Please refer to the Request for Proposals, available on our website.

Applications can be submitted in Arabic, English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian. Applications in all five languages will be considered equally.

Please send us an email and we will send you the application forms as attachments or fax them to you, whichever you prefer.

The proposal can be sent by mail, fax or email. Our mailing address is:

Our fax number is: 1-617-261-1977
Our email address is: grants@disabilityrightsfund.org

If you are sending a proposal by mail, please inform us in advance (prior to the deadline) that it has been sent so we know to expect it. Given the tight time frame, mailed applications must be received by the deadline.

For Small Grants
We do need documentation which shows that you are legally registered as a civil society organization in your country. If you are applying with a partner organization, we only need the registration of the applicant organization. If you have a fiscal sponsor, we will need the registration information for the fiscal sponsor.

The documentation does not have to be translated into English. If you are able to send a translation, though, it would be appreciated. The copy of the registration can be sent by fax, scanned and sent via email, or sent by mail.  Please refer to the above question regarding deadlines.  If you are sending material by mail close to the deadline, please let us know.

For National Coalition Grants
We only need registration documents from the managing partner of the Coalition. From that organization, we need documentation which shows that the organization is legally registered as a civil society organization in your country.

We will inform all applicants by two months after the meeting of our Steering Committee which takes place in June (for first round grants) and November (for second round grants).

Applications for national coalition grants can be for USD 30,000 – 50,000 per year for 2 years (USD 60,000 – 100,000 over the course of 24 months).

Small grants are awarded for a one-year period only.  If DRF is targeting your country for another year, then grantees may reapply for another small grant following the same procedures for first-time applicants.

Reporting can be done in any of the five languages (Arabic, English, Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian) listed in our Request for Proposals.

We require a midterm and final narrative and financial report, and we make site visits during the grant year to grantees.  More detail about these requirements will be provided to organizations that have been selected as grantees.

We provide financial support only.  We do, however, see grantees as partners and aim to support grantees with information, advice, referrals and other such aid during the course of the relationship.