Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Global LGBTI Human Rights Partnership

Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Global LGBTI Human Rights Partnership

Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Global LGBTI Human Rights Partnership

Deadline: Monday February 9, 2015

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice works for social, racial and economic justice in the U.S. and internationally. Our grantmaking, capacity building and philanthropic advocacy programs help lesbians, transgender people and allied communities challenge oppression and claim their human rights. Our mission is based on an enduring commitment to feminism, progressive social change, and an end to all forms of exploitation and discrimination. More information about Astraea can be found at

In September 2012, the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Global LGBTI Human Rights Partnership, an unprecedented initiative toward the attainment, enforcementand implementation of human rights for LGBTI people in participating target countries.The Partnership is designed to:

1)Provide grants to LGBTI organizations in target countries;

2)Strengthen the use of media, technology and communications by LGBTI activists;

3)Enhance LGBTI political and civil participation through capacity building, networking and leadership training; and

4)Develop evidence-based research to identify conditions for LGBTI rights gains and models for change.

Astraea is seeking Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for its 2015 competitive grantmaking cycle from LGBTI rights organizations in the following targetcountries of the Global LGBTI Human Rights Partnership:Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Kenya, Peru, South Africa and the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia).This call for LOIs relates only to the first area of the Partnership above (Provide grants to LGBTI organizations in target countries).

Interested organizations are invited to submit LOIs with the information requested below by Monday, February 9, 2015 (instructions below).Please note that funds are limited so it will be a competitive process.If you submitted an LOI but did not receive a grant in 2014 and are interested in reapplying for funds, we suggest contacting Astraea at first.

Astraea will review LOIs based on the following criteria:

  • Led by and for LGBTI people, especially communities that are historically marginalized and under-resourced (eg. youth, migrants, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities)
  • Active participation and leadership by community members
  • Clear, achievable input and outputs, with a rationale for how these inputs and outputs support the achievement of the development outcomes (see below) through the scope of work
  • Organizational capacity (eg. strategy, evaluation, governance, human resources)
  • Ability to manage grant funds
  • Alliances with other human rights and social justice organizations and movements

COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES

Through Partnership activities and grants, Astraea and USAID hope to spur the following development outcomes in target countries:

Colombia

  1. Equal inclusion in political rights for LGBTI people, including legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption rights
  2. Reduction of violence against LGBTI people and increased access to non-discriminatory police services
  3. Increased visibility of LGBTI communities and public awareness of sexual and gender diversity

Ecuador

  1. Reduction of violence and discrimination against LGBTI people, particularly lesbians and trans people
  2. Increased health and well-being of trans people
  3. Increased access to existing constitutional protections and expansion of legal rights for LGBTI people

Honduras

  1. Reduction of violence and human rights violations against LGBTI people
  2. Reform to Penal Code article 117 and article 321 (protection against SOGI-based discrimination) meaningfully implemented
  3. Expanded public support for LGBTI rights protections

India

  1. Increased economic outcomes, political participation and access to non-discriminatory services in the areas of healthcare and welfare
  2. Local, statewide and national level policy changes to restrict criminalization of LGBTI people, particularly lesbians and transgender people
  3. Increased public support for LGBTI communities through alliance building and cultural organizing

Kenya

  1. National policy reform that protects and expands LGBTI rights (includes: halting government attempts to increase criminalization)
  2. Increased access to non-discriminatory services in healthcare, law enforcement, and courts
  3. Increased LGBTI civic engagement, strengthened LGBTI organizations and movement collaboration, and civil society support for LGBTI rights
  4. LGBTI media and cultural production to support public and institutional shifts in attitudes

Peru

  1. Increased accountability from the state, access to existing constitutional protections and legal rights for LGBTI people
  2. Reduced violence and discrimination against lesbians, youth and trans people
  3. Increased access to non-discriminatory health care for lesbians and trans people
  4. Increased visibility of LGBTI communities and public awareness of sexual and gender diversity

South Africa

  1. Increased access to culturally competent public services for LGBTI people, including the areas of gender identity recognition and access to trans-sensitive healthcare
  2. Increased LGBTI activism to reduce violence and ensure accountability for implementation of existing legal protections
  3. Strengthened organizations serving those most impacted by violence and lack of access to essential services (e.g. black lesbian and transgender communities)

Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia)

  1. Increased state-civil society partnerships to ensure equal inclusion in political rights for LGBTI communities
  2. New legal protections for LGBTI communities in the areas of gender identity recognition, family recognition and ending violence
  3. Leveraging of regional and international mechanisms to secure LGBTI rights nationally
  4. Increased LGBTI civic engagement through strengthened and emerging LGBTI organizations and alliance-building (including development of supports for underserved lesbian, transgender and intersex communities), including on a regional level

LOI SUBMISSION

Please send your LOI via email to by February 9, 2015. Organizations with successful LOIs will be notified and will receive a full proposal form byFebruary 19, 2015 due on March 20, 2015.Applicants will be notified of final grant decisions by July 2015.

I. Organization Information

Full name of your group:
Mailing address:
Country:
Telephone:
E-mail address:
Skype:
Website:
Contact person name and title:
Organizational budget for this year:
Organizational budget for the last year:

II. References

Provide the names of 2 people who are familiar with but not part of your organization.

Reference #1

Name:
Organizational affiliation:
Relation to your group:
E-mail address:
Telephone:
Skype name:

Reference #2

Name:
Organizational affiliation:
Relation to your group:
E-mail address:
Telephone:
Skype name:

III. Narrative

  1. 1. Briefly tell us about your group. What is your mission? Who are the communities you work with? What are the most pressing issues you face, and what strategies do you use to address them?

2. Briefly describe your funding request. What are the anticipated outcomes of your work? How will your work contribute to the country development outcomes above?
3. Briefly describe the activities you plan to carry out in order to make progress toward the outcomes above.
4. Briefly describe your group’s leadership, structure and capacity, including the role that LGBTQI people play in your group. If you have staff, please share the number of paid full-time and part-time staff. If you have external financial support, please list the names of your donors and grant amounts.

IV. Miscellaneous

How did you hear about this application?
In relation to this LOI, Astraea's grant funds will be made in conjunction with the Partnership with USAID. (Note: Grants will be provided and managed by Astraea). A list of applying organizations will be shared with USAID staff. Please check one of the boxes below:
Astraea may share my organization’s information with USAID.
Astraea maynotshare my organization’s information with USAID. (Note: Checking this box will render your organization ineligible for a grant under the Astraea-USAID partnership. However, your organization may be eligible for Astraea's general grant cycle now or in the future.)
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