Commonwealth Foundation - Grants for Civil Society Action

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Periodic open calls for project grants to civil society organizations in Commonwealth countries supporting participatory governance, including for informal workers such as waste pickers. Supports waste picker cooperatives, representation and inclusive circular-economy governance in Africa and parts of Asia.

Source: https://commonwealthfoundation.com/grants/

Funding Details

Funder

Commonwealth Foundation

Funding Goal

Projects that support people's engagement in democracy and development across Commonwealth countries. Three streams: (1) Open Grants Call for civil society organizations working on democracy and development; (2) Creative Grants for individuals and organizations using creative expression for social change (regional focus rotates annually); (3) Capacity Strengthening Grants for small and vulnerable Commonwealth states civil society organizations to influence policy processes.

Funding Amount

Not specified on website — check individual grant stream pages

How to Apply

Annual open grants call; applicants directed to check eligibility carefully before applying. Applications submitted via the Commonwealth Foundation website.

Target Region

Commonwealth countries globally (56 member states across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Caribbean, Americas, and Europe)

Last Checked

2026-03-15 09:47

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a civil society organization based in a Commonwealth country
• Check eligibility information carefully on the grants page before applying
• Capacity Strengthening Grants are limited to small and vulnerable Commonwealth states

Project Scope

• Project must support people's engagement in democracy and development
• Creative Grants require use of creative expression as a vehicle for social change

Constraints

• Creative Grants are by invitation only — organizations cannot apply directly
• Open Grants Call is annual — check website for current call status

Summary

The Commonwealth Foundation funds civil society organizations and individuals across Commonwealth member countries to support democratic participation and sustainable development. Its open grants call is open annually to civil society applicants working on democracy and development themes. Creative grants support individuals and organizations using arts and creative expression as a vehicle for social change, with a rotating regional focus each year. Capacity strengthening grants are targeted at civil society organizations in small and vulnerable Commonwealth states, helping them build the organizational capacity needed to engage effectively with policy processes. The grants are primarily for civil society actors — NGOs, community organizations, and creative practitioners — who work within the Commonwealth's broad membership of 56 nations spanning Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, and beyond. The Foundation emphasizes people-centered approaches to governance and development. While the Foundation's mandate is broad and does not specifically target environmental or circular economy themes, it could in principle support civil society organizations that address community development, democratic participation in environmental governance, or advocacy on waste and pollution issues — particularly in Commonwealth regions overlapping with the target geographies of plastic-circular organizations (Africa, Southeast Asia, India).

Historical Context

Annual open grants call cycle. Creative Grants rotate regional focus each year. Capacity Strengthening Grants focus on small and vulnerable Commonwealth states.

Sources

• https://commonwealthfoundation.com/grants/
• https://commonwealthfoundation.com/

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