The Foundation has developed (1) direct and (2) indirect actions to support human rights and civil society actors.
- Two direct support mechanisms have been established by the Board to flexibly respond to local actors’ needs: an urgent-response mechanism, allowing the Board to make a decision on an application of up to EUR 6,000 within a maximum of 10 days, and a regular consultation mechanism employed at biannual Board meetings, during which proposals amounting up to EUR 40,000 are discussed.
- Besides providing direct financial support, the Foundation aims to ensure the long-term prospects for its beneficiaries and their activities. To do so, the Foundation follows up closely with its partners to identify possible collaborations and synergies with other key actors at the national, regional and international levels, and to facilitate their approach of other donors for continued engagement.
Since 2011, the Foundation has reinforced its presence at the local level to better understand the different dynamics at play and support emerging initiatives, which are often operating in remote regions. The Foundation has also developed structured collaborations with other like-minded actors in the fields of protection and support to civil society, including the EU Human Rights Defenders’ Mechanism, Ariadne and the Human Rights Funders’ Network (HRFN).
The local presence, regular consultations with civil society and strengthened collaborations with like-minded actors have been at the core of its development to favour a cohesive approach to supporting the region’s various civil society dynamics in the long term.