Three kind of grants are being proposed: Renew, Rethink, Resist.

Support for new initiatives and ideas that promote systemic change. Open to: Members / Funding up to: 20.000 €

Creating a European network and community through funds for collaboration, exchange and capacity building. Open to: Members / Funding up to: 5.000 €

Rapid funding to respond to urgent actions. Open to: Everyone / Will be launched in 2018

FundAction is based on core values that underpin everything: Democracy, Inclusivity, Openness, Peer-to-Peer working, Transparency, Trust, Respect and Autonomy.

The Assembly is our collective community. We meet digitally and in-person. The online platform allows group decision-making and discussions, and proposal submission and review. This is where FundAction funds action!

FundAction’s members are European activists. We define ‘activist’ and ‘Europe’ loosely. What is important is commitment to our values, and the ability to contribute experience. FundAction accepts emerging and experienced activists; professionals and volunteers; and those involved in social movements or NGOs. Click here to find out who can be a FundAction activist.

The group manages the daily FundAction’s load of work, and consists of eight members. They bring different perspectives to the project, being from across Europe; from a range of organisations including a foundation representative; and from a wide variety of backgrounds and expertises, including open tech and feminist organising.

In order to do a deeper review and oversight of larger grants, FundAction will establish temporary Peer to Peer Review panels. These small groups will be drawn from the wider Assembly, with the intention of building understanding and solidarity across Europe and across themes.

Where we gather a large part of the Assembly in-person. This meeting allows members to get together, build relationships and connections, and define the strategy of FundAction for the coming period. FundAction is constantly reviewing and renewing itself, and relies on its members to contribute and create this process.

It can be a more effective way of reaching people and addressing issues of power. Many funders have experimented with participatory funding, and some funders solely use this method. 

As part of designing FundAction, we’ve looked to progressive participatory funders for guidance, such as the Red Umbrella Fund, FRIDA Young Feminist Fund, and the Edge Fund.

Each of them leave decision-making about where funding is spent to those closest to the issues – the communities that they intend to serve. 

They convened over 30 activists from their networks at a gathering in Seville at the end of 2016. As a result, the establishment of a participatory platform for progressive activism in Europe was proposed.

The first Facilitation Group was established in May 2017, mandated by the larger group of funders and activists. The group currently consists of seven activists with diverse backgrounds and two funder representatives. The funder representatives do not make decisions about funding, but have a supportive role in the development of the funding platform.