The Central Eurasia Project uses grantmaking to international and regional NGOs, academic institutions, think tanks, and other structures to support their work, help build local capacity, bring international expertise to bear on the region, and promote cooperation between local activists and international civic movements. The ultimate goal of such activity is to strengthen civic leaders in the region and to construct support networks for them within international structures. The Central Eurasia Project’s grantmaking generally dovetails with its research and advocacy agenda.
The Central Eurasia Project does not limit the amount that can be requested in an application and both single and multi-year proposals are accepted. Projects are encouraged to demonstrate funding from multiple sources. With the exception of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the Central Eurasia Project only funds proposals with activity in two or more of the following countries: Armenia, Azerbiajan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. While applications are considered from organizations worldwide, priority is given to groups in the region.
The Central Eurasia Project does not fund activities outside the programmatic areas listed below and only funds projects that are of a regional nature. With the execption of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the Central Eurasia Project will not consider proposals for projects implemented in a single country and benefitting solely the population of that country. Such project proposals should be addressed to the local foundations in the respective countries.
The Central Eurasia Project does not provide grants to individuals. All grant seekers must apply through a legally registered organization.
The Open Society Foundations are prohibited from funding any electioneering, including the support for or, opposition to, political candidates or parties, and from the earmarking of grant funds for lobbying activities in any country. Lobbying is defined as an attempt to influence federal, state, local legislative bodies, or the outcome of referenda and ballot initiatives. This proscription includes attempts to influence treaty ratification by legislative bodies. The prohibition against lobbying includes, but may not necessarily be limited to, communications with legislators or legislative staff that express a view on pending legislation or specific legislative proposals, and communications with the general public reflecting a view on specific legislation or a specific legislative proposal where such communication includes a “call to take action” by the public. If you question whether your project includes lobbying, please contact us.
In 2013, the Central Eurasia Project funds are available in the following programmatic areas:
Human Rights: The Central Eurasia Project is committed to societal and political integration of marginalized groups in the region. The project supports operations by human rights organizations that protect and promote fundamental political and civil rights, including but not limited to: individual physical security and safety, protection from discrimination, rule of law, access to information, and freedom of assembly, speech and political participation. The Central Eurasia Project also funds activities aimed at building capacity within local human rights organizations to professionalize their work in terms of needs analysis, reporting of human rights abuses and media contacts and campaigning. The Central Eurasia Project also makes funds available for work on human rights issues beyond civil and political rights defense such as social and economic rights.
Transparency of Western Military and Security Cooperation: Security cooperation with Central Asian governments has included working together with local security services in the War against Terror, as well as on efforts to reform law enforcement agencies and strengthen civil oversight over the security sector in the region. More recently, greater strategic priority has been placed on Central Asia as a transit region for as U.S. and ISAF troops start pulling out of Afghanistan. These trends have led to a substantial increase of Western military and security cooperation with Central Asian governments. Such cooperation faces significant challenges and runs a high risk of contributing to destabilizing political trends in the region. The Central Eurasia Project provides funding for projects that increase the transparency of Western military and security cooperation by monitoring pertinent developments and trends, particularly those that impact wider foreign policy agendas of Western countries towards Central Asia.
Transparency and Consumer Protection: Poor electricity and hydropower governance has seriously affected the lives of citizens in Central Asia. The core of shortcomings such as blackouts and electricity cuts centers on the lack of transparency accountability in public utilities. Processes involving generation of electricity and its distribution as well as investments in and revenues created by the sector should be open to public review. The Central Eurasia Project funds research and activism within the framework of the Electricity Governance Initiative that sheds light on the formal and informal set-up of the energy sector and seeks to promote better governance in the electricity sector primarily in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Pakistan, but also in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan..
Turkmenistan: The Turkmenistan Project will consider funding initiatives that support civic, political, and economic rights in Turkmenistan; information initiatives, including improving and increasing access to information; and transparency, accountability, and good governance related to substantial sources of state revenue from the hydrocarbon sector. Funding is available for activities that monitor and document human rights abuses in Turkmenistan, as well as provide redress for the victims of human rights abuses, and capacity building of civil society initiative groups.
Uzbekistan: The Uzbekistan program principally addresses human rights and rule of law issues. Funding is available for projects focusing on the following themes: implementation and enforcement of constitutional norms and international commitments of Uzbekistan in the field of human rights; freedom of expression and press; forced labor of adults and children; farmer and labor rights; minority rights; transparency and accountability of international assistance to Uzbekistan; and rule of law and equal access to justice as a precondition for business, economic, social, and human development. Special attention is given to research, documentation, monitoring, and reporting to UN mechanisms on human rights.
If you believe that your project meets the above-mentioned criteria, the Central Eurasia Project invites you to submit a one-page letter of inquiry in English summarizing your organization's mission and the proposed project's statement of purpose, main activities and requested budget. Letters of inquiry will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. To submit your letter of inquiry online, please complete all required fields and upload your letter of inquiry as an attachment.
Upon reception of your letter of inquiry, the Central Eurasia Project will consider your proposed project. Should the proposal meet the Central Eurasia Project’s criteria you will be invited you to submit a full grant application within six weeks of submission your letter of inquiry. If you are not invited to submit an application, you will receive a declination notice. When submitting your application, anticipate a project start date four to six months from date of submission, if approved.
Questions about the submission process or grant criteria may be sent to cep.grants@opensocietyfoundations.org.