The Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for its 3rd grants cycle. ISDAO provides flexible funding to support the overall coordination, operations, and strengthening of a group, organisation, or network.

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ISDAO is a West African activist-led Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) Fund dedicated to strengthening and supporting a West African movement for gender diversity and sexual rights by adopting a flexible approach to grant-making, and ultimately developing a culture of philanthropy that is committed to equality and social justice.

Funding can be used to cover expenses such as registration fees, advocacy, capacity building, membership meetings, networking events, participation in strategic conferences, emergency funds, programs and projects.

ISDAO upholds the following values:

• Equitable representation of the LGBTQI community
• Building and strengthening ideologically principled movements, based on a recognition of unequal power relations
• Autonomy, inclusion, diversity, and intersectionality, allowing for self-determination at all levels

Funding Information

ISDAO’s grants range from USD 5,000 to USD 20,000 for a period of one year; depending on the organisation’s needs, grant experience, and available funds.

• Up to USD 5,000  Foundational seed support for informal start-ups between 0-2 years, working locally at the grassroots.
• $5,001 to $15,000  Funding to sustain pre-existing work or to implement new initiatives undertaken by more formal groups that have been active for at least two years, working at local, national, or regional levels.
• $15,001 to $20,000  Funding to consolidate or develop work by formal groups working at national or regional levels that have at least 3 years’ working experience and have functional organisational systems and structures and full-time staff.

Eligibility Criteria

ISDAO grants are currently awarded to organisations, networks, and groups that:

• Are led by lesbians, gays, bisexual, queer, intersex and trans (LGBTQI) people. ISDAO considers a group to be “led by LGBTQI people” when LGBTQI people are in decision-making roles, including defining the organisation’s strategic and financial priorities, and represent at least 75% of the staff, spokespersons, and members of the board or other decision-making bodies.
• Are based in at least one of ISDAO’s current focal countries, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal or Togo.
• Are dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQI people at the local, national, or regional level.
• Are committed to engaging in and strengthening the movement to advance the human rights and inclusion of LGBTQI persons.
• ISDAO does not require a group to be legally registered to be Eligible for funding.
• Please note that projects proposed by individuals, government Institutions, or political organisations will not be considered for Funding.

For more information, visit ISDAO Grants.