Knowledge Program 2024
Call for proposals
Production Of Knowledge To Strengthen Community Philanthropy And Socio-Environmental Justice
Objectives Of The Call And The Program
This call is intended to invite leaders and professionals working in Brazilian philanthropy and civil society to participate in the Knowledge Program by submitting proposals focused on knowledge production related to the agendas of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice.
The Knowledge Program is aligned with the mission of Comuá Network. The Advocacy Program seeks to promote the production and sharing of content and knowledge based on the systematization of practices, experiences, reflections, and development of studies and social technologies that can boost and position the agendas of community philanthropy and social justice in Brazilian and international philanthropic ecosystems, expanding the visibility of experiences and practices in favor of groups, collectives, movements, leaders and civil society organizations committed to promoting access to human rights, citizenship, and inclusive social development.
The Comuá Network especially encourages the participation of leaders and professionals belonging to collectives, groups, movements, and networks supported by its member organizations (grantees), as well as people linked to their teams.
In the context of the Knowledge program call, Comuá will donate a total amount of 322 thousand reais and will select seven (07) scholarship holders – among leaders and professionals who work in the field of civil society – who will receive 46 thousand reais for the development of proposals with duration of up to 10 months. The selected people will have the support of mentors chosen by them when submitting the proposal and with activities aimed at exchanging experiences and training promoted by Comuá Network through virtual meetings, monitoring sessions, and participation in communities of practice.
Below, we present the guidelines and general instructions for proposal submission, and we are available to provide further information about the call.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE 2024 KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM CONVOCATION
1. ABOUT COMUÁ NETWORK
Comuá Network/span> is a platform that gathers thematic funds, community foundations, and grantmaking organizations that mobilize resources from diverse sources to support groups, collectives, movements, and civil society organizations working in social justice, human rights, citizenship, and community development.
The Network was established in 2012 to promote and diversify a philanthropic culture in Brazil that ensures and expands resources for social justice. Currently, Comuá Network comprises 16 member organizations that support civil society initiatives. Visit the official websitel to learn more about the organizations affiliated with the Comuá Network.
About the Knowledge Program
Valuing knowledge built by political minorities and territories is the spirit that guides the Knowledge Program.
The Program aims to promote the production and sharing of content and knowledge through the systematization of practices, experiences, reflections, and the development of studies and social technologies that can drive and position the agendas of community philanthropy and social justice in the Brazilian philanthropic ecosystems.
In 2024, by selecting community leaders and professionals working in philanthropy and civil society, the Program will support researchers, students, community leaders, and civil society members by granting scholarships to produce updated and innovative knowledge related to community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice.
This knowledge, in addition to showcasing the strength of community experiences and wisdom, aims to highlight philanthropic practices and collaborative arrangements linked to communities, groups, movements, and civil society networks in the agendas of human rights access and recognition, focusing on political minorities. Thus, the Knowledge Program aims to strengthen the Comuá Advocacy Program, which seeks to influence the philanthropic ecosystem by producing knowledge in the field, understood as a strategic action.
In Em 2022, seven grants were awarded to civil society leaders and professionals who conducted research and projects in various fields, contributing to strengthening community philanthropy and social justice in Brazil. To learn more about the research conducted by this first group, listen to the first season of the Comuá Network's podcast here and access their publications on Transform HUB.
In 2024, the Program will continue to promote collective and networked efforts in the development of strategies and narratives, the production and sharing of content that can drive and position the agendas for access to rights in both the Brazilian and international philanthropic ecosystems. This includes expanding grantmaking practices and fostering a culture of giving in support of groups, collectives, movements, leaders, and civil society organizations dedicated to these areas of work.
In summary, the Knowledge Program has the following objectives:
- Encourage the generation of knowledge in various forms, using narrative creation, practice systematization, experiences, reflections, and other content related to community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice agendas
- Give visibility to the agendas, practices and forms of action developed by various actors in the area of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice – including members of Comuá Network and independent funds – contributing to the strengthening of the Comuá Network's Advocacy Program.
- Contribute to the empowerment of leaders and professionals working in the fields of philanthropy and civil society, including professionals from member organizations of the Comuá Network, through the development of training and research activities in the fields of socio-environmental justice and community development.
- Create a ommunity of Practice (CoP) composed of leaders and professionals who promote and advocate for the practices and methods of community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice, fostering emancipatory practices within their territories, organizations, and other areas of influence.
2. AREAS OF OPERATION
The support focuses on producing knowledge in various formats (reports, articles, audiovisual materials, etc.) related to the field of community philanthropy and social justice within the following areas of operation:
- Culture of donation and access to philanthropic resources;
- Grantmaking and support for civil society organizations, leaders, and social movements;
- Resource mobilization, engagement, and institutional development;
- Trust relationships with civil society and between donors and donees;
- Impact in the field of philanthropy;
- Collaborative, participatory philanthropy and partnerships in the philanthropic area;
- Monitoring and evaluation;
- Communication and production of narratives in the area of philanthropy;
- Diversity and inclusion in philanthropy;
- Protection and security of political minorities in the area of philanthropy;
- Production of knowledge in the area of philanthropy;
- Philanthropy and climate justice;
- Philanthropy, democracy, and access to rights.
3. PARTICIPATING AUDIENCES
The call for the Knowledge 2024 Program focuses on supporting the following priority audiences, as listed below:
Community leaders and professionals from civil society organizations
People involved in movements, collectives, groups, networks, professionals, and collaborators of civil society organizations, including NGOs, institutes, foundations, community-based funds, and associations, among others.
Professionals from Member Organizations
Professionals and collaborators from Member Organizations of Comuá Network and those interested in knowledge production within the philanthropic ecosystem in socio-environmental justice and community development.
Note: Individuals from the professional teams of member organizations must have their applications validated by governance representatives (executive directors, executive secretaries, or coordinators) through a letter of introduction to confirm their participation in this process.
Others
We also consider supporting students, university researchers, and opinion leaders.
ATTENTION!
To participate, candidates must work in Brazil.
Proposals from individuals who have worked with the Comuá Network's executive secretariat, including consultants, advisors, communicators, and researchers, will not be accepted.
Proposals submitted by institutions or projects affiliated with organizations' operational and programmatic areas will also not be accepted. This support is exclusively directed towards individuals interested in knowledge production in community philanthropy and socio-environmental justice.
PROGRAM DURATION, DONATION AMOUNT AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION
The Support Program will run for a duration of up to 10 months, with a total donation amount of R$ 322,000.00 (three hundred and twenty-two thousand reais), distributed across seven (7) grants of R$46,000.00 (forty-six thousand reais) each.
The donated resources are intended for developing the submitted proposals and enhancing participants' skills. Allowable expenses may include but are not limited to the following:
- Payment for the supported individual, intended to cover expenses related to their project and research work hours and other costs associated with their cost of living (for example, rent, bills, etc.).
- Hiring a support team for proposal development (for example, consultancy, material design, audio or book editing, review, research or data collection support, etc.)
- Various educational activities: postgraduate courses, exchanges, and conferences, including travel, meals, and accommodation expenses;
- Costs related to project development or research (travel expenses, purchase of materials and equipment, software licenses, etc.);, software licenses, etc.);
- Creation of communication materials, products, campaigns, and events (including hiring outsourced services);
- Development of mobilization, engagement, and advocacy strategies.
- Attendance at philanthropy, community philanthropy, and socio-environmental justice-related events and those connected to the project/research
It's crucial to note that the resources cannot be exclusively designated for a single expense. Additionally, the following won’t be eligible for funding:
- Proposals related to political party actions or exclusively religious activities will not be considered;
- For-profit activities;
- Expenses incurred prior to the program.
There is no need to present a formal budget, it is only necessary to present a brief description of the expenses expected to implement the proposal.
* Examples of covered equipment include computers, microphones, cameras, and any other electronic devices to be used for the development of the proposal.
5. EXPECTED RESULTS
All applicants must indicate in their proposal submission the products to be delivered at the end of the support. In the Knowledge Program, all types of knowledge production are valued, whether academic or not. Academic work will not be given more value than other types.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of products that can be considered for the proposal:
Textual production:
- Publications (reports, infographics, pamphlets, books, papers, among others);
- Texts for the Comuá Network blog.
Event organization:
- Training, workshops, and other educational activities;
- Roundtable Discussions;
- Cultural events;
- Artistics performance;
- Lives
- Seminars and debates;
Communication products
- Audiovisual products (podcasts, web series, documentaries, etc);
- Campaigns;
- Social media campaigns;
- Development of websites/platforms;
- News articles;
- Event coverage for social media;
- Graphic materials;
Other formats
- Animations;
- Virtual games;
The combination of different products is also possible and encouraged!
Please visit Comuá Network's knowledge platform, Transform HUB, for reference to products developed by program participants.
6. MENTORING
Applicants are required to specify their chosen mentor during the proposal submission.
The selection of a mentor is the responsibility of each candidate. It is recommended that the mentor be someone affiliated with their network and/or field of work, easily accessible, actively engaged in the realms of philanthropy and/or social justice, and experienced in the subject matter of their proposal.
The frequency and methodology of mentorship will be determined by program participants in collaboration with their mentors.
Comuá Network is not responsible for the relationship between the supported individual and their mentor.
7. APPLICATIONS AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The call for the Knowledge Program is open to the individuals listed in section 3 of this document. It will be conducted by submitting proposals via the Proposal Submission Form available at this link.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 11:59 p.m. (Brasília Standard Time BRT) on November 28, 2023.
Proposals received after the registration deadline will not be accepted, and submissions through channels other than those specified by Comuá Network will not be considered.
To consult the proposal submission form and to facilitate its completion, we provide a mirror in Google Docs format through this link.
ATTENTION!
In the case of applications from technical staff members of Comuá Network member organizations, a letter of compliance must be submitted following the instructions provided in section 3 of this document. The letter should be attached to the online form.
8. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS
The Knowledge Program doesn’t impose requirements related to age, educational background, and/or professional experience.
Applicants should have some affiliation with organizations and social movements, traditional and black communities, philanthropic funds, family and corporate foundations, social impact businesses, cooperatives, associations, and/or community networks, among other formal or informal association models.
Priority will be given to applicants affiliated with political minorities, such as women; LGBTQIAPN+ individuals; representatives of Indigenous, Quilombolas, Riverine, and other traditional communities; Black people; persons with disabilities; immunocompromised individuals; representatives of religious communities, among others.
ATTENTION!
To participate, candidates must work in Brazil.
Proposals from individuals who have provided or are currently providing services to the executive secretariat of Comuá Network will not be accepted.
The proposal evaluation process will be carried out by Comuá Network's technical team, based on the analysis of the submitted forms, and validated by a selection committee composed of individuals affiliated with Comuá Network's governance.
Adjustments and/or additional information regarding actions/activities and resource use may be requested.
Proposals will be selected based on the following evaluation criteria: rating criteria:
- Alignment of proposals with the goals of the Knowledge Program;
- Potential for replicability of experiences and knowledge dissemination;
- Creativity and relevance of products/deliverables;
- Coherence and feasibility of the proposals presented;
- Products/deliverables that are executable within the specified timeframe.
If necessary, Comuá Network may request brief interviews with the applicants, which will take place during January 2024.
Comuá will not provide feedback on proposals received that are not selected.
For inquiries regarding the selection process, we recommend sending questions and comments to the email contato@redecomua.org.br, with the subject “Knowledge.”
CONTRACTS, DISBURSEMENT OF DONATIONS AND COMMITMENT OF PARTICIPANTS
Selected individuals will sign a donation contract with Comuá Network outlining the general terms and commitments.
The disbursement of funds will occur in two installments: the first, amounting to R$27,600.00 (twenty-seven thousand and six hundred Brazilian Reais), will be transferred to the bank account provided by the selected individual within ten days after signing the contract. The second installment of R$18,400.00 (eighteen thousand and four hundred Brazilian Reais) will be disbursed 120 days after the program commences.
Commitments:
All program participants are expected to engage in activities organized by Comuá Network, such as monthly virtual meetings, monitoring sessions, participation in the communities of practice promoted by the Network, and activities during the Transformative Month of Philanthropy.
Participants will also be asked to contribute at least one blog post to Comuá Network's blog, sharing preliminary reflections on their projects.
In social media posts related to the program, supported individuals should tag Comuá Network's official profiles and use the appropriate hashtags as guided by Comuá Network's technical team.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Initiatives:
Program participants must submit a final activity report, which includes the systematization of information regarding project development (processes), as well as interim and final results. This report should be submitted alongside the deliverables outlined in the proposals
The format of the report will be determined by Comuá Network's team and shared with all selected participants.
All initiatives will be monitored and evaluated through regular meetings with participants, collectively or individually.
10. Activity schedule
Activities | Term |
|---|---|
Opening of the call for proposals and beginning of submission of proposals | October 30, 2023 |
End of submission of proposals | November 30, 2023 at 11:59 pm (Brasília time) |
Evaluation of proposals | December 2023 and January 2024 |
Disclosure of results | January 31, 2024 |
Signing of contracts and transfer of the first installment of the resource | February 2024 |
11. Additional information
- [Video] Comuá Network Animation – philanthropy that transforms
- [Publication] Mapping of independent donor organizations
- [Free book] “Expanding and strengthening community philanthropy in Brazil”, Rede Comuá
- [Blog] “Let’s decolonize philanthropy, yes!”
- [Video] “How grantmaking strengthens democracy”, Graciela Hopstein
- [Video] Building Local Knowledge: community philanthropy as a path to social justice, an event with participants from the first cycle of the Saberes Program.