FoRB window

The window for Freedom of Religion or Belief is a new funding opportunity from 2020, which is also open to Danish civil society organisations – faith-based as well as non-faith-based – who are not members of Center for Church-Based Development (CKU). The window for Freedom of Religion or Belief is administered by CKU, financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and subject to the strategy of the Danish government in this area and the guidelines for administration of grant funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pooled funds and networks.

The main purpose of the window for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is to finance projects which increase respect, protection, and promotion of FoRB. The projects must be in agreement with and support the Danish government’s strategy for FoRB. FoRB means the human right as expressed in article 18 of UN Declaration of Human Rights: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.

Who can apply for support?

All Danish organisations which meet the requirements of the Administrative Guidelines for Pooled Funding of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (only available in Danish) can apply to the FoRB window:

  • be private and have legal residence and activities in Denmark. The chairman or the majority of the board members must be Danish nationals or foreigners residing permanently in Denmark.
  • have been in existence for at least one year.
  • have at least 50 contributing members or support persons, except for umbrella organizations, in which case the requirement must be met by at least one of the members of the umbrella organization.
  • have approved statutes.

The accounts, including the financial statements of the organization, must be audited. This includes both faith-based and not faith-based organisations, and organisations with strategic partnership agreements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organisation must have strong and consistent popular support in Denmark. The applicant organisation must take full responsibility for applications and grants from the FoRB window

GENERAL FRAMEWORK

For each Danish organization, the following applies:
1. It is possible to receive grants up to DKK 3 million per calendar year.
2. It is allowed to submit up to 2 applications (TA and TB) for the application rounds in April and October.
3. It is possible to obtain a maximum of two activity grants per calendar year.

The partners

To be eligible for funding: Applicants must have an active partnership between the Danish and the local organisation. For applications above DKK 200,000, the partnership must have been active for at least one year. All applications must be submitted by and developed in cooperation between the Danish organisation and the partner. The local partner cannot apply directly to the open FoRB window of the CKU fund. The implementing partner must have the necessary capacity to implement and monitor the FoRB intervention.

The recipient country

Support from CKU can be assigned to development projects in countries on the DAC’s list of developing countries, including lower and upper middle-income countries, where serious current or potential violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief take place. Support from CKU can be assigned to development projects in countries on the DAC’s list of developing countries, including lower and upper middle-income countries, where serious current or potential violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief take place. View the DAC list here. Please Note: The interventions must target specially marginalised groups. The general rule, in the assessment of applications, is that the wealthier the recipient country, the more emphasis must be placed on benefitting the most marginalised groups, including the poor, suppressed, discriminated, and persecuted groups. Read more about the different types of support in the menu (left). Here you can also download application forms and guidelines for applying. For applications below 200.000 DKK applications are welcomed at any time. For applications above 200.000 DKK, please see the coming deadline for applications here.