"The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is calling for proposals to support digital rights work across Africa. The current call is particularly interested in proposals for work related to: data governance including aspects of data localisation, cross-bord ... er data flows, biometric databases and digital ID; digital resilience for human rights defenders, other activists and journalists Censorship and network disruptions; digital economy; digital inclusion including aspects of accessibility for persons with disabilities; disinformation; online violence against women; platform accountability. Grant amounts available range between USD 1,000 and USD 10,000, depending on the need and scope of the proposed intervention. Cost-sharing is strongly encouraged and the grant period should not exceed six months. Applications will be accepted until May 5, 2023. This call for proposals is the seventh under CIPESA’s Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) initiative which provides rapid response and flexible grants to organisations and networks to implement activities that promote digital rights, including advocacy, litigation, research, policy analysis, skills development and movement building. Since its launch in April 2019, the ADRF has to-date supported 52 initiatives with a total sum of USD 649,000 across 39 African countries and contributed to building capacity and traction for digital rights advocacy on the continent." (https://cipesa.org) more

"Subgranting is a readily accessible source of short- to medium-term financial support for organisations. It offers a flexibility in disbursing funds that is not often found in donors. It catalyses change in organisations. It can serve as “seed funding”, allowing new organisations to become know ... n in an advocacy space. It allows for experimentation, innovation, and unpredictability. It allows organisations to strengthen the work they are already doing, and empowers them to seek funding elsewhere based on new experiences and knowledge. • Transparency in deciding how funds are disbursed is essential. APC has tried different models for subgranting, including a centralised decision-making model, which offers autonomy for member organisations to decide on a project’s focus within a broad framework of shared objectives; a decentralised model with a thematic focus, working with members and new partners; and a collective decision-making model, that is issue based, working with a network of like-minded activists. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and the most appropriate mechanisms for transparency might depend on the size of the project or initiative, and the overall objectives of the subgranting work. • Clear communication is necessary for meeting concrete deliverables, for growing a community or network, and for transparency. Make sure meanings are aligned and shared, even in like-minded networks. This streamlines the process, avoids disappointment, and ensures clearer outcomes. • Subgranting can be used effectively for outreach to meet and work with new organisations at the local level, growing a network or membership base, and increasing the profile of an organisation at the grassroots level. • Thematically focused or issue-based subgranting programmes can encourage a greater level of interaction between organisations, and allow cross-border advocacy with the potential of amplifying advocacy impact. However, collaboration needs to be created – it does not happen on its own. It requires processes and specific considerations, such as the type of decision-making structure to follow, thatcreate the context for cooperation to happen." (Key lessons from APC’s subgranting work, pgae 50) more

"The Pacific Islands are home to diverse and fast-changing media and communication infrastructures and practices. In this article we examine the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) Innovation Fund, which has opened up the media and communication for development field to new players by funding m ... any small-scale, low-cost initiatives. As elsewhere, the funding environment has exerted a major influence over the kinds of projects that are implemented, both in terms of the focus and goals as well as the actors who are able to participate. This article explores some of the ways in which this Innovation Fund, which has funded highly localized, small-scale initiatives, has encouraged experimentation and how these initiatives respond to locally determined needs. Central to this article is the question of what happens when donors have less control over the focus of funded projects. Through an analysis of some projects undertaken as part of the PACMAS Innovation Fund, we investigate what innovation means in this context, paying particular attention to how the spread of digital technologies is integrated into media and communication for development practices." (Abstract) more