Meaning “massive open online course”, the MOOC is an online course available on S.A.L.T.O. Youth. It provides an e-learning process on a canvas platform, upon enrollment. Its development comes from the collaboration of S.A.L.T.O. Youth with the National Agencies.

The currently available MOOC is on the Erasmus Plus funding opportunities for youth. And it covers the 3 Key Actions of the Erasmus Programme.

Open Online Course

After enrollment, the applicant can freely use the learning resources at any time from any device. The access is open to an unlimited number of participants and provides interactive course materials such as videos, online forums, quizzes, reading lists and publication references.

Not to forget that it is also an opportunity for organsiations to build networks and partnerships.

The ideal participants for the MOOC on Erasmus Plus funding opportunities for youth are: project managers, youth workers, youth leaders, plus anybody with an interest in the youth field, from Erasmus+ Programme and Partner countries.

Course’s Contents

The course goes through the basics of youth work and gives an overview of youth work practices and policies across Europe. The organisations can learn about the best practices in the field, share their own experience and get to know others’ experiences in the field.

It provides 6 thematic modules:

1. Introduction to Erasmus+: Youth in Action;
2. KA1 Youth Exchanges;
3. KA1 Mobility of youth Workers;
4. KA2 Strategic partnership;
5. KA3 Structured Dialogue Projects;
6. Erasmus+ Youth in Action Application procedures.

The creators keep the contents up-to-date, allowing participants to get the best knowledge possible on Erasmus Plus for youth, together with the changes that come along. Each module sees from 7 to 9 sessions, offering different interactive learning content.

Enroll To the Erasmus Funding Course

Everything is available on a Canvas Platform. It necessary to register upon application.

The course has a potential commitment of around 3-4 hours per week, for 5-6 weeks duration. To start off, please register or log-in to the Canvas platform.

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L'articolo MOOC: Erasmus Funding Opportunities proviene da Youth Networks.

Have a look at the list of the beneficiaries here.

L'articolo Selection results – Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree EAC/03/2018 proviene da Youth Networks.

What do we mean with “European Universities”?

According to the guidelines provided by the Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2019 (see p. 125), “European University” is a KA2 initiative, under the Sector Skill Alliances, based on “sustainable bottom-up networks that are geographically and socially inclusive and work seamlessly across borders” (as stated in the comunication of the Commission dating back to 22 May 2018), within which the students will be able to combine several experiences of studying and training abroad. What’s relevant is that not only universities, but also any public or private organisation is entitled to take part to the project – as associated partner of an Higher Education Institution holding a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).

The goal

As one can read on the Programme Guide, there are two main goals:

• the first, “to promote common European values as enshrined in article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and a strengthened European identity by bringing together a new generation of Europeans;
• the second, to reach a substantial leap in quality, performance, attractiveness and international competitiveness of European higher education institutions and contributing to the European knowledge economy, employment, culture and welfare”.

These follow the comunication of 22 May 2018 (“Building a stronger Europe: the role of youth, education and culture policies“), that set out the main components of the future European Education Area – to be implemented by 2025.

It is then a long-term joint strategy “for pursuing a high level of enhanced, sustainable cooperation across various levels of the organisation, and across different areas of activity, building on their complementary strengths”. All of this will also serve as a model of good practice, enabling also the partner organisations to contribute to the developmet both of the initiative and of the EEA itself.

“Establishing the European Education Area will enable the EU Member States to do more, faster, to drive up the quality, competitiveness and inclusiveness of their education and training systems, while providing inspiration to non-EU countries to follow”, as per the 22 May Comunication.

The role of organisations

The link between education and “research, innovation and society at large” is underpinned when remarking that the whole initiative is based on sharing competences. Any partner can welcome students, doctoral candidates and staff, enabling them to complete their education.

The Budget

The total budget for this inititive is EUR 30 mio for 2019, with each grant that will have an average value of EUR 5 mio for three years.

For further information, check out our section “available grants“.

L'articolo European Universities: how to take part in the brand-new initiative of 2019 proviene da Youth Networks.

These projects aim to recognize and improve youth work, non-formal learning and volunteering and link them to education systems and the labour market. Even more, KA2 also support regional and transnational non-formal learning mobility schemes to encourage the participation of youth in society.

Examples of capacity building activities
* Conferences, workshops and meetings
* Similarly large-scale youth events
* Information and awareness campaigns
* Communication and media tools
* Even more, development of methods, curricula, training and documentation such as Youthpass
* Open and flexible learning materials, virtual cooperation, open educational resources (OER)

What does Erasmus+ KA2 supports – Capacity Building

* Promote cooperation between:
* youth organisations and public authorities in Partner Countries
* youth organisations in education and training and the business and labour market
* Even more, strengthen youth councils, youth platforms and authorities in Partner Countries (local, regional, national)
* Furthermore, support the overall operation of youth organisations in Partner Countries
* Also help implement youth work practices which include:
* tools for the development of youth works and trainers,
* non-formal learning methods to improve skills,
* new training schemes, flexible learning, virtual mobility and better ICT
* peer learning activities to improve the leadership of youth organisations

Profile of applicants
First of all, a participating organisation can be any public or private organisation based in a Programme Country or an eligible Partner Country.

This includes the following:
* a non-profit organisation, association, NGO (including European Youth NGOs)
* Similarly a national Youth Council
* a public body at local, regional or national level
* a school/institute/educational centre (at any level, from pre-school to upper secondary education, and including vocational education and adult education);
* a public or private, a small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises)
* a social partner or other representative of working life, including chambers of commerce
* craft/professional associations and trade unions
* a higher education institution
* a research institute
* a foundation
* an inter-company training centre
* a cultural organisation, library, museum
* a body providing professional counselling and information services.

Deadline for submission
8 March 2018 at 12pm (CET – midday) while projects must start between: 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2018

The maximum grant that can be awarded is 150 000 EUR.

L'articolo Capacity building in the field of Youth proviene da Youth Networks.

What type of activities the strands supports

The strand – Democratic engagement and civic participation offer grants to:
– Activities covering civic participation, focusing in particular on European Union policies
– Initiatives developing opportunities for mutual understanding, intercultural learning, solidarity, societal engagement and volunteering at EU level

For that reason, it includes three specific measures:
Town twinning – supporting projects bringing together citizens from twinned towns. By mobilising citizens at local and EU levels to debate on concrete issues from the European political agenda, this measure will seek to promote civic participation in the EU policy making process and develop opportunities for societal engagement and volunteering.
Networks of towns – providing funding to municipalities and associations working together on a common theme in a long term perspective, and wishing to develop networks of towns to make their cooperation more sustainable
Civil society projects – supporting projects gathering citizens in activities directly linked to EU policies, providing an opportunity for direct participation in the policy making process. Funded activities may include: promotion of societal engagement and solidarity, gathering of opinions, volunteering.

Type of grants available under the umbrella of Europe for Citizens

For actions with a limited lifetime during which proposed specific activities are implemented
Town twinning (town/municipalities and non-profit organisations representing local authorities):
* The maximum eligible grant for a project is 25 000 EUR
* The maximum project duration is 21 days
Networks of towns (Town/municipalities or their twinning committees or networks, other levels of local/regional authorities, federations/associations of local authorities, non-profit organisations representing local authorities:
* The maximum eligible grant for a project is 150 000 EUR
* The maximum project duration is 24 months
Civil society projects (Non-profit organisations, including civil society organisations, educational, cultural or research institutions):
* The maximum eligible grant for a project is 150 000 EUR
* The maximum project duration is 18 months

In order to apply, you must create an EULogin (European Commission Authentication Service) account. Furthermore, each organisation involved in your project (applicant and partners) must register in the Participant portal and receive a Participant Identification Code (PIC). The PIC will be requested in the application form. To access the Participants’ portal, you will need your EULogin username and password.
Finally, create your official electronic application form, also called the eForm. To create your eForm, your will be asked to go through the follow steps, without interruption:
* Select the funding opportunity
* Even more select a language option
* Select the organisation(s) participating in your proposed activity (applicant and partners)
* Even more create the application eForm
* Above all save the application eForm to your local computer or network drive
* Finally fill in the e-form and save regularly

Your project has better chances to be approved it it has consistency with the objectives of the Programme and Programme strand, quality of the activity plan of the project, a good dissemination plan and a real impact and citizen involvement.

Read more here.

L'articolo Europe for citizens – how to access the Programme proviene da Youth Networks.

People most affected by a problem are in the best position to determine the solutions. Therefore, leadership development is an essential component of social change work.
True change occurs only when underlying, systemic forces are understood and addressed.
Grassroots, constituent-led organizing is among the most effective means to create social change. They define organizing as collective action from the bottom up that challenges the status quo, demands changes in policy and practice, educates communities about root causes, and advocates and agitates for systemic and just solutions.
Finally, lasting change occurs when Social Justice Movements are built from the ground up and grassroots groups come together across sectors and constituencies to work for the common principles of Human Rights and Justice for All.
Furthermore, the Grassroots Organizing for Social Change program supports organizations that share and embody this theory of change.

Application process for Grassroots nonprofit

Step 1 – Above all, carefully read guidelines – Familiarize yourself with what we fund, our priorities & restrictions, to ensure a good fit
Step 2 – Complete Pre-application by reviewing grant cycles. Register or Log in to their platform to complete pre-application
Step 3 – Even more, complete the full proposal – If invited, submit full proposal by relevant deadline

Guidelines and priorities
The Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Program offers general or project support to non-profit organizations throughout the United States. The one-year grants for up to $25,000 is for organizations with budgets under $500,000. Only organizations with 501(c)3 status, or who have a fiscal agent with this status are eligible to apply.
The foundations goals are to further social and environmental justice and support sustainable and just food systems. Therefore, they focus on the types of activities and strategies an organization uses for creating social change rather than on the specific issues the organization is addressing.

So, they will only consider proposals from grassroots, constituent-led organizations that are using community-organizing and base-building strategies to accomplish their goals.

Priority Strategies Areas

* Community & ally outreach
* Leadership development
* Constituent empowerment &
decision-making
* Popular education
* Root cause analysis
* Power analysis
* Campaign development
* Mobilizing constituents & allies
* Coalition building
* Direct action
Applications are to be submitted through their online grant management system This tutorial can be useful.

Deadlines
Once you have determined that your organization fits their funding guidelines and funding priorities, you will need to submit the application by October 15, 2018.

Read more here. Also, discover more grants here.

L'articolo Grassroots NGOs – Call for projects proviene da Youth Networks.

What are Lifeline Advocacy Grants?
Lifeline rapid response advocacy grants give local nonprofits the resources to push back against closures of civic space as they arise. Lifeline advocacy grants are highly flexible, and can support a wide variety of activities: community mobilization, policy and legal analysis, civil society coalition building, strategic litigation, awareness raising campaigns, and advocacy capacity building.

Applications can be made directly to CIVICUS.

The CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund, established in 2007, serves as a mechanism for mobilizing quick, principled and effective advocacy responses to events that threaten civil society’s fundamental right to associate and assemble freely.

Advocacy supported through the Crisis Response Fund
The Crisis Response Fund will provide small grants of 10,000 USD maximum to primarily national civil society organisations in order to conduct advocacy activities over a course of a maximum of 6 months. These activities, designed by the applying organization, should be relevant and have the largest chance of bringing about positive change. These activities could be, but are not limited to:

– National workshops with civil society actors to discuss and plan advocacy strategies, such as to repeal restrictive legislation;
– Advocacy meetings with decision makers at to give recommendations on how to ensure freedom of association and assembly within the given context;
– Public engagement campaigns conducted via social media, traditional media or alternative advocacy tools;
– Fact-finding and report publication with the aim of conducting evidence-based advocacy;
– Regional networking with other civil societies under siege to exchange best practices and share legal expertise;
– Solidarity visits or missions by international high level bodies and/or celebrities.

How to apply
1. Please read the Crisis Response Fund Guidelines and Protocols document to know the criteria for applying
2. Complete the Crisis Response Fund Application Form
3. Complete the Crisis Response Fund Budget.
4. Email the completed Crisis Response Fund Application Form and the Crisis Response Fund Budget to crisis.response@civicus.org

Download the documents here or  discover other advocacy grants here.

L'articolo Civil society organisations, supported by Lifeline proviene da Youth Networks.

How to apply for the advocacy grant

One-to two-page letters of inquiry or concept notes can be sent to  latinamerica@opensocietyfoundations.org.
Your letter should include:
1 A paragraph about your organization and its mission
2 A description of the project(brief summary of the main objectives and proposed strategies)
3 The total amount of support being sought for the project, and the proposed duration of the project.
4 The letters of inquiry can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese
5 There’s no deadline. The applications are reviewed on ongoing basis
6 Most noteworthy the Latin America Program makes every effort to review letters of inquiry within six weeks
7 If you have not received a response from us after that time, please assume that your letter of inquiry is not being considered.
8 Furthermore, only those inquiries that staff members consider will receive a response.

What types of grants do the Open Society Foundations award?

Every year, Open Society awards grants for a wide range of activities, everything from small project grants to general operating support.
In some circumstances, the organizations flexibility in how they use the funding, while in others situation, they can offer grants for specific projects. Even more, another type of grants is the one dedicated to individuals, rather through scholarships and fellowships. Even more, Open Society is able to make recommendations to the Open Society Policy Center for 501(c)(4) grants in support of policy advocacy (lobbying).

Profile of the organisations

Formally established organisations can access funding directly. Seems like the informal organizations or networks can receive grants through intermediaries (fiscal sponsors, fiscal agents). Each program within the Open Society Foundations has its own strategy and process for selecting grantees. Organizations or individuals whose values, goals, and work align with their strategies may inquire with the relevant program.

Search more calls here or read more about the program here.

L'articolo Advocacy grants for Latin American non-profits proviene da Youth Networks.

The ILGA-Europe Documentation and Advocacy Fund started in 2006 as a pilot project. Since then it has grown to collect valuable evidence about LGBTI human rights violations on a systematic basis. First of all, it supports small grant applications from member organisations. Besides that, ILGA-Europe and its members use this evidence strategically for advocacy purposes.

Therefore, their goal is to promote documentation of cases of discrimination, hate crimes and other human rights violations against LGBTI people according to international human rights standards.

How can be achieved the goal?

1. Work  towards LGBTI equality by gathering evidence of human rights violations
2. Support evidence-based advocacy throughout Europe
3. Build capacity of LGBTI organisations in Europe. Likewise, monitor and document human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
4. Enable the use of well-documented information for advocacy purposes at the national level
5. Develop methodology and tools that can be replicated in other European countries
6. Promote documentation of cases of discrimination, hate crimes and other human rights violations against LGBTI people. Furthermore, these should be according to international human rights documentation standards.

Open calls for grants

Calls for proposals are announced once or twice a year, with almost 5 to 10 grantees per call. There are two types of grants – a documentation grant and an advocacy grant.

About ILGA Europe and human rights

ILGA-Europe are an independent, international non-governmental umbrella organisation bringing together 490 organisations from 45 European countries. ILGA-Europe are a driving force for political, legal and social change in Europe and Central Asia. Therefore, their vision is of a world where dignity, freedoms and full enjoyment of human rights are protected and ensured to everyone regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.

More info here.

L'articolo Grants up to 10.000 euro for LGBTI non-profits proviene da Youth Networks.

Lines of actions for Knowledge Alliances

Furthermore if you have in mind a project who aim to:
* develop new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning;
* stimulate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills of higher education teaching staff and company staff;
* facilitate the exchange, flow and co-creation of knowledge.

Activities supported by Knowledge Alliances who are:
1) Boosting innovation in higher education, business and in the broader socio-economic environment:
* developing and implementing new learning and teaching methods (like new multidisciplinary curricula, learner-centred and real problem-based teaching and learning)
* organising continuing educational programmes and activities with and within companies
* jointly developing solutions for challenging issues, product and process innovation (students, professors and practitioners together)

2) Also, developing entrepreneurial mind-set and skills:
* creating schemes of transversal skills learning and application throughout higher education programmes developed in cooperation with enterprises aiming at strengthening employability, creativity and new professional paths
* introducing entrepreneurship education in any discipline to provide students, researchers, staff and educators with the knowledge, skills and motivation to engage in entrepreneurial activities in a variety of settings
* opening up new learning opportunities through the practical application of entrepreneurial skills, which can involve and/or lead to the commercialisation of new services, products and prototypes, to the creation of start-ups and spin-off

3) Similarly, stimulating the flow and exchange of knowledge between higher education and enterprises:
* study field related activities in enterprises which are fully embedded in the curriculum, recognised and credited
* set-ups to trial and test innovative measures
* exchanges of students, researchers, teaching staff and company staff for a limited period
* involvement of company staff into teaching and research

For that reason Knowledge Alliances may organise learning mobility activities of students, researchers and staff. They support/complement the other activities of the Alliance and bring added value in the realisation of the project’s objectives. Seems like mobility activities do not constitute the main activities of a Knowledge Alliance; extending and scaling-up these activities would need to be supported via the Key Action 1 of this Programme or other funding instruments.

Beneficiaries of Knowledge Alliances

First of all, a participating organisation can be any public or private organisation established in a Programme Country or any Partner Country
Hence, such an organisation can be:
* A higher education institution
* Also, a public or private, small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises)
* A research institute
* Certainly a public body at local, regional or national level
* An organisation active in the field of education, training and youth
* Even more, an intermediary or association which represents education, training or youth organisations
* An intermediary or association which represents enterprises
* Also, an accreditation, certification or qualification body

Timetable
Publication of the call for proposals: 25 October 2017
Deadline for submission: 28/02/2018 (Midday CET)
If approved: Project start date: 01/11/2018 or 01/01/2019
The duration of the project must be chosen at the application stage. Consequently, it can vary from 2 to 3 years.
In exceptional cases, the duration of a Knowledge Alliance may be extended, upon request by the beneficiary and with the agreement of the Executive Agency, of up to 6 months. In such a case, the total grant will not change.

How does it work
Organisations interested in participating must do so as part of a consortium, including:
* a minimum of six independent organisations from at least three Programme Countries
* of which least two must be higher education institutions (HEIs), and
* of which at least two must be enterprises/businesses (consultancies and intermediaries are eligible on the understanding that they demonstrate pertinent experience and commitment in the relevant field).

Discover more grants and funding opportunities by exploring our page

Read more about Knowledge Alliances here.

L'articolo Get familiar with Knowledge Alliances Grants proviene da Youth Networks.