Week 8: Grant Proposal Writing and NGO Partnerships
This week started off very busy as the CEELI team began the process of writing the grant for the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ proposal. First, we started off the week with a meeting with a representative from the partner organization that CEELI would be working with if given the grant. The NGO, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), includes experts on working with election processes to promote citizens’ rights to participate in free and fair elections. As the proposal calls for changes to election process in target regions, along with the legislative reform for bribery and corruption and strengthening of judicial independence, the joint effort makes for a very strong team to meet the parameters of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ proposal. CEELI had been in contact with IFES since the early stages of the grant application, but this was the first time we have been able to sit together and talk about the proposal and potential steps to take if given the grant.
After spending a few hours deciding on an agreeable direction to move in, the grant writing was divided up between CEELI and IFES, then between individual CEELI members. I helped write the portions of the grant that involved the specific countries and GRECO recommendations that I had become most familiar with, as well as some of the general overview of why CEELI/IFES should be given the grant. After lots of collaboration with one of my CEELI colleagues in writing the CEELI portion of the proposal, we got the official stamp of approval from the Executive Director and sent it on to IFES to complete their portions. The grant writing process is very unique and reminds me a lot of writing cover letters – if cover letters were 15 pages long. The organization needs to demonstrate why they are relevant to the area targeted by the grant, what experience and connections the organization brings, what preliminary understanding they have of the issues being targeted by the grant, and what ways the grantor would benefit by the grantee. One of the big benefits that CEELI has in applying for this grant, as well, is that CEELI has been working with a grant provided by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The already existing connection will help them stick out amongst applicants.
Towards the end of the week, after the proposal was sent to IFES, I got assigned a new project based on the recommendations and feedback taken from the board meeting during the Annual Meeting. It involves the continued financial status of CEELI and how to make sure the organization maintains flexible funds that can be used to grow the organization. While grants are hugely helpful and fund the vast majority of the initiatives put forward by CEELI, they come with lots of restrictions that limit their use. Check out next week’s blog for more information about my next project!
Finally, this weekend I finally acted a little more like a Prague tourist. I had seen some of the sites of Prague, but I hadn’t gone to some of the major ones, like Prague Castle and the Jewish Quarter. My colleagues here have been amazing at showing me the local places to go and including me on their activities. Between spending more time at local sites and my traveling to other places around Europe and the Czech Republic, the major tourist sites of Prague had taken a backseat. However, since this weekend was my last weekend in Prague, I finally joined the masses of Prague tourists. It was easy to pick up on why Prague has become such an international city with lots of expats living here, but seeing the impressive Prague Castle and the many beautiful synagogues that span across the Jewish Quarter revealed why it is also a hot spot for tourists.
