Voice Philippines is opening its first Call for Proposals with specific foci as part of an Innovate and Learn Grant. This aims to address emerging issues and trends affecting Voice target groups.

Two topics are identified for the first call:

• Issues and challenges in agriculture and fishing communities that impact local farmers and fishers

Rural farmers and fishing communities continue to remain among the poorest in the Philippines. Despite not being specifically identified as Voice target groups, the issues in farming and fishing impact multiple Voice target groups living in these communities.

Do you have innovative ideas on how women fisherfolk can be more included in the decision-making process?  Are you thinking about how elderly farmers can engage the youth in agriculture? Do you want to test ways on how persons with disabilities can participate in farming and fishing? Are there cases of discrimination and exclusion of LGBTI persons in farming/fishing communities that you want to address?

If these and other similar questions are what is driving you forward, then you should apply for an Innovate and Learn grant!

This call is open to local organisations that are: led by local farmer and fishing communities actively involving Voice target groups.

Please take note, Voice focuses on empowering marginalised groups so that they may be able to advocate for themselves and raise their own voices. The grants are not intended to be seed-funding for livelihood and infrastructure projects.

2. Collaborative work between Voice target groups and faith-based organisations

For decades, faith-based organisations are known to be one of the social justice pillars in Philippine society. Some Voice target groups regularly rely on faith-based groups as allies in furthering their rights as well as access economic and social services. Yet the most recent context analysis of marginalised groups in the Philippines, it was identified that mainstream civil society actors, such as faith-based organisations, are still not seen as being inclusive.

To further build on their role in promoting social justice and strengthening local civic spaces, Voice Philippines is opening a call specifically for ideas on how faith-based organisations can collaborate with any of the following Voice target groups:

• Age-discriminated groups: children, youth and elderly;
• Women facing exploitation, abuse and violence;
• LGBTQI groups; and
• Persons with disability

Interested applicants should propose a project that involves two-way learning and can look into answering the following questions:

• How can faith-based institutions go beyond charity models and follow a rights-based approach in the work they do?
• How can inclusion be promoted in development work done by faith-based institutions?
• How can faith-based institutions further the empowerment of target groups to be able to advocate for themselves?

Prospective projects should have innovative responses to the needs and experiences of Voice target groups as outlined in the Context Analysis. Moreover, the implementing project team should involve Voice target groups as proponents of the project.

Note: Voice recognise the equal rights of every human being regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation, social class and age. Any discriminatory views that further marginalise and exclude LGBTQI persons or take away people’s right to make their own choices on their sexual and reproductive health are not tolerated. Organisations that might have contradictory beliefs against the rights of any of the Voice target groups are not allowed to apply. These will be explicitly evaluated during the required organisational assessment.

For either topic, we accept proposals for projects spanning 12 Months, ranging from €5,000 to €85,000 (approx. ₱265,000 to ₱4,845,000).

What do we mean by Innovation?

Innovation means anything that has not been tried before in a particular context, prioritising human-centred methodologies and approaches. If you have a new idea, method or approach, you are welcome to propose it in your application. Innovation does not only mean the use and applications of new technologies. It also means using tried and tested methods but for new purposes and with new target groups, audiences and themes.

 The guiding questions that could be useful for you on designing the proposal:

• How have you or others addressed the issue(s) before?
• What did you learn from what has happened before?
• What are you doing differently this time?
• What are you doing to find out if it works?
• How will others find the innovation useful?
• How will the target group/s be involved in this innovation?

Based on the results of the previous Innovate and Learn Grant, here are some tips for interested applicants:

• Prioritise the key issues to be addressed by the project. These should be directly linked to the needs of the target groups, and contextualised to the situation of the target areas.
• Maintain a balance between the presentation of the key issues and the proposition of the innovative solutions. Any proposal that focuses only on the latter without the former have low chances of being approved.
• Write learning questions you want to answer yourself. Answers to these questions are at the core of what the project wants to achieve. Integrate how you will share what you have learned throughout the whole process.
• Describe how target groups will meaningfully engage in the project. Social innovation is more effective when driven or demanded by the target groups themselves. Voice follows the principle of nothing about us without us.
• Articulate clearly your previous efforts related to the project (direct or indirect), This is necessary in showing your commitment in achieving the project goals.
• Rethink what innovative approaches and methodologies are. Voice promotes and supports effective solutions to address current social issues. You are challenged to assess whether the proposed strategies are business as usual or actually breakthrough solutions.

 Linking and Learning

Linking and Learning is at the heart and soul of Voice. All grantees, as part of the Voice community, are expected to participate in facilitated meetings and gatherings enabling the exchange of ideas and learnings from each other’s experiences.  Applicants must demonstrate in their proposals how they will identify, document, and share their learnings as they implement their project. These may come in many forms such as blog posts, videos, photo essay or audio recordings.

Voice values diversity and inclusion. All grantees are expected to be able to interact with and learn from a diverse group of people coming from different backgrounds, orientations, and experiences. Interested applicants must be willing to work in a diverse community, which includes representatives from all of the Voice target groups.

Practising the Values of Voice

Voice believes in the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us. In practise, this means Voice target groups need to be at the centre of any effort. They must be involved in the conceptualisation, planning, and implementation of any grant. They are equal partners in any consortium, network, or coalition, playing key governance and leadership roles.