In the early 2015, Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW), with the support of OAK Foundation, started working towards the development of the women’s movement and individual charity in Bulgaria. The organization is going to work on the following thematic priorities between 2016 – 2017:
- Overcoming Gender Stereotypes
- Fight to end violence against women
- Political and economic empowerment of women and girls
- Empowerment of groups of women who are victims of multiple discrimination
In order to achieve its mission for creating a world with no violence and discrimination, in which girls and women are able to embrace their full potential, and achieve its goals for development of the women’s movement and social philanthropy in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Fund for Women has initiated a contest for recruiting projects in the areas of women’s rights and gender equality.
Why?
In 2016 Bulgaria was the last country in the EU which enforced the Law on Equality of Women and Men. As a result, what comes to the foreground is the need for overcoming all other obstacles in achieving gender equality which are related to the strongly built up stereotypes and patriarchic outlooks. Women continue being pressed under glass ceilings hindering them to grow in the work hierarchy, but also pushed behind walls that keep them away from particular positions and shutting down the access to others. Clichés on women at home, in the family, at work and the common stereotypes on what women are less good at (sciences, driving, rational thinking, management etc.) worsen the existing inequality.
The official statistical data speaks for itself: women in the Bulgarian parliament are less than 20 per cent, women are paid 25 per cent less than men, 9 out of ten single parents are women, each 4th woman in Bulgaria is a victim of violence …. Numbers which stand for complex and systematic problems that we need to overcome. According to the European institute for gender equality, if we continue with the same pace of development, it will take us 70 years to make equality a fact. If we want to speed up that process, we need to place our efforts both in the creation of gender policies and mainstreaming, and in change in the social mindset and eradication of stereotypes. If we manage to affirm the understanding of women and girls as active and valuable participants in the political, economic and social life, we will achieve full equality and thus progress and development for the entire society.
What?
Bulgarian Fund for Women is going to finance projects related to women’s rights, gender equality, the fight against gender stereotypes, and development of the women’s movement in Bulgaria.
The budget in round one of the contest is 10,000 BGN and it will finance 10 small projects of 10 organizations (each organization will receive financing of 1,000 BGN.
The selected participants will be able to apply in the second round of the competition for additional funding. More details on the amount of funding in the second round and the conditions for participation in it will be published at a later stage of the competition.
The projects may be campaigns, organizing an event, training, exhibition, art performance, competition etc., that are targeted at fighting discrimination, popularizing the need to achieve gender equality, change of attitudes, development of women’s movement and philanthropy in Bulgaria, social change.
When?
- 10 September – 10 October 2016 – accepting project offers in round one
- 25 October 2016 – announcement of approved organizations
- 25 October – 4 November 2016 – signing contracts and financing
- 4 November 2016 – 30 April 2017 – executing the projects
- 1 – 10 May 2017 – reporting the projects
Eligibility Criteria
Only organizations registered under the Law for Non-Profit Organizations (LNPO) for the public benefit can take part in the contest.
The following will take priority:
- Organizations working in the area of women’s rights
- Organizations working towards fighting multiple discrimination (LGBT+, Roma organizations, etc.)
- Youth organizations working towards and/or having completed a project in the area of women’s rights and gender equality
- Organizations whose activity takes place outside Sofia
- Organizations created less than a year ago
- Organizations whose annual budget is less than 50,000 BGN
All the projects of the applying organizations must match the subject of the contest as well as one of the four thematic priorities set by Bulgarian Fund for Women for 2016-2017.
All projects must popularize Bulgarian Fund for Women’s activity and any planned communication materials have to include the BFW’s logo.
Assessment criteria
Project’s relevance with the contest subject and priorities of BFW for 2016-2017:
- Realistic projects and goals
- Realistic budget
- Capacity and potential of executing the project
The projects will be assessed by the BFW’s board and team.
Application documents:
- application-form_2016 (in Bulgarian)
- Copy of the court registration of the organization
- Copy of organization’s Certificate of Good Standing issued in the last 6 months
- Autobiography of the project’s director
Additional information:
All of the approved organizations sign a contract with Bulgarian Fund for Women and after the execution of the projects in round one in the period until 10 May 2017, the organizations provide a narrative and finance report (copies of accounting documents).
If the applying organizations or the approved projects’ number is not met, BFW reserves its right to redistribute the financing budget as well as to change contest’s deadlines.
The deadline to send full package of documents is 10 October 2016, before 5 pm. to bgfund.women@gmail.com
Title of the email: 2016 BFW Call for Projects Application
