Briefly
Program description
The CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund (CRF) supports civil society organisations and initiatives facing new restrictions on their work to apply for funding for resiliency and advocacy actions.
It is designed to protect and strengthen civil society in the face of systemic threats, with a focus on safeguarding the rights to freedoms of assembly, expression, and association (FoAAE).
The CRF offers two types of grants:
- Advocacy/Sudden Opportunity Grants: These grants support responses to unexpected restrictions on civic space or seize opportunities to expand and strengthen the environment in which civil society operates, advancing rights or preventing backlash.
- Resiliency/Emergency Grants: These grants support organisations and groups facing immediate and ongoing threats, enabling them to enhance their resilience and implement security and protection measures.
Main Information
Eligibility
Civil society organizations and informal groups/actors, including social movements.
Financing
The Fund supports activities directly linked to crisis response, particularly in situations where civil society organisations:
– face repressive legislation or administrative pressure;
– experience attacks, harassment or smear campaigns;
– require urgent security measures (physical, digital, organisational);
– must reconfigure their work due to war, states of emergency, or political and social crises.
Eligible costs may include:
– staff and expert costs directly involved in crisis response;
– operational expenses necessary to implement supported actions;
– security, advocacy, communication or psychosocial support activities.
The Fund does not impose a rigid budget line structure, but assesses costs based on their relevance, urgency and direct connection to the crisis.
Supported Activities
The Crisis Response Fund supports a broad range of crisis-related and protective actions, including:
1. Advocacy and human rights actions
– urgent advocacy against legal or administrative restrictions on CSO operations;
– national or international campaigns to defend civic freedoms;
– strategic communications to counter the stigmatisation of civil society.
2. Protection of organisations and activists
– development and implementation of security strategies;
– digital security and protection of data and communications;
– physical security of offices, events and staff.
3. Organisational resilience
– adaptation of operational models to crisis conditions;
– support for core organisational capacity during acute instability;
– short-term institutional measures to sustain operations.
4. Psychosocial support
– wellbeing support for activists, human rights defenders and teams;
– burnout prevention in high-risk environments.
All supported activities must be clearly linked to a specific crisis and demonstrate immediate or short-term impact.
How to Apply
- Review the protocols and rules governing the grant award.
- Then complete a short eligibility screening test to check whether you qualify for funding (responses are not recorded).
- Download the application pack to prepare your application.
- Submit your application by completing the online form.
FAQ
Yes, personnel costs can be covered proportionally to the activities carried out under the grant. As the fund prioritises emergency and urgent responses, most requested funds must cover project implementation activities, and up to 40% of the budget may be allocated to personnel.
Like personnel costs, core costs such as rent, standard internet access, and other overheads may be charged to the project budget proportionally to project activities. Budgets with high overhead or core costs will be reviewed in discussion with the CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund team.
After submitting the online application, partners can expect feedback from the CRF team within 2–4 working days. If the application complies with protocols and partner verification is not delayed, processing, contracting, and initial payment typically take 4–6 weeks.
CIVICUS issues grants through a tranche system. Upon signing the sub-partnership agreement, partners receive an initial tranche (e.g. 60%) based on their risk profile. Upon submission of final reports confirming 100% expenditure, CIVICUS reimburses the remaining balance (e.g. 40%) within 14–20 working days.
Partners must submit monthly email updates describing implementation progress, opportunities, policy or practice changes, successes, and challenges. No specific format is required; a monthly email is sufficient.
Partners may reallocate funds between budget lines up to 10% of the total budget. Changes exceeding 10% require submission of a revised budget for approval by the CRF Lead. Partners may not exceed the approved budget.
Partners should inform the CRF Lead as soon as delays are identified, explaining how activities and objectives will be affected. Two weeks before the project end date, partners may request a no-cost extension, which will be considered case by case.
Narrative and financial reports are due within 14 working days after project completion or as stated in the contract. Impact reports are due three months after project completion. Failure to submit reports will affect future partnerships with CIVICUS.
Financial reports must include completed templates, receipts, invoices, proof of payments (in English or translated), and proof of exchange rates used.
Narrative reports must include completed templates, project reports, and all related multimedia and media publications.
CRF is not intended as a long-term or annual funding source. In mitigating circumstances, partners may apply for additional funding if ongoing threats to civic space are demonstrated. Additional resources are available at https://www.csolifeline.org/resources-1.