ILGA-Europe as a funder

What kind of funder is ILGA-Europe?

One of the tools developed by ILGA-Europe to support capacity-building is re-granting. Re-granting means that ILGA-Europe act as an intermediary, administrating and distributing money received from a large funder to a number of other organisations. Indeed, ILGA-Europe has substantial experience in giving small grants to LGBTI organisations across Europe through our Documentation and Advocacy Fund, as well as through other re-granting programmes. Since the start of our re-granting work in 2006, we have awarded over 100 small grants.

ILGA-Europe is not a traditional funder in the sense that it does not provide ongoing support to organisations. Instead, ILGA-Europe provides funding focused on a limited number of priority areas in line with our own strategic plan. Funding is awarded through a variety of mechanisms that are designed to best serve the needs of the beneficiaries. The funding that ILGA-Europe provides is restricted to the 49 European countries (47 member states of Council of Europe plus Kosovo and Belarus), which means that the organisation does not fund initiatives outside of Europe.

A key characteristic of the funding ILGA-Europe provides is that we work hand-in-hand in most cases with grantees on the implementation of projects we fund. ILGA-Europe provide our grantees with necessary coaching, consultations, trainings and methodology to ensure the successful implementation of projects.

ILGA-Europe do not provide recurring funding to LGBTI organisations, but only one-time grants. However, ILGA-Europe closely coordinate our own work with funders of LGBTI issues. In this context ILGA-Europe work in various ways to increase funding available in Europe, as well as to ensure that the needs of the LGBTI movement in Europe are understood by funders.

What does ILGA-Europe fund?

• Through our Documentation and Advocacy Fund ILGA-Europe strive to support organisations in activities relating to the monitoring and documenting of human rights violations, as well as related advocacy work.
• ILGA-Europe is a member of the Dignity for All consortium that provides emergency funds, advocacy support, and security assistance to human rights defenders and civil society organisations under threat or attack due to their work on human rights and equality for LGBTI people.
• The Creating Opportunities programme provides assistance to support mobilisation and campaigning activities that help prevent backlash or use opportunities to drive strategic progress for LGBTI communities in Europe.
• ILGA-Europe occasionally also re-grant awards to organisations through regional projects. Such projects generally aim to support LGBTI organisations in regions that require targeted support. This type of assistance is offered where it is needed most and subject to the availability of funding and alignment with ILGA-Europe’s own strategic plan.

Why is this work so important?

ILGA-Europe only provide funding in cases in which we believe our support adds value to the work that is already going on in a country. The funding also needs to fit with ILGA-Europe’s thematic priorities set by our membership. This way of working allows organisations to benefit from learning through the programming that ILGA-Europe supports. In most cases we aim to facilitate peer learning through multi-partner projects. Furthermore, ILGA-Europe ensure that the outcomes of projects supported become available widely.

For funders that have little knowledge of the European region or limited capacity to administrate grants, ILGA-Europe can function as an efficient interlocutor. We are happy to act as a re-granter if programmes are in line with our own strategic plan and capacity for implementation is available.

How does ILGA-Europe approach issues concerning funding?

In line with our strategic plan ILGA-Europe continuously evaluate the needs of the European LGBTI movement. If we are aware that needs are shared among a wider section of the European LGBTI movement, then ILGA-Europe can undertake the creation of regional programmes that include re-granting. Throughout our re-granting work ILGA-Europe’s function is more than just a funder: we provide support and coaching towards the successful implementation of projects and links beneficiaries of funders to our network.

Beyond the provision of funding, ILGA-Europe also advise funders on issues concerning the European LGBTI movement. We aim to facilitate dialogue between funders, to ensure greater coordination of funding efforts, increase funding availability and identify funding gaps within the European LGBTI human rights landscape.