United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Youth Solidarity Fund 2025 (up to $25,000)

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About United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Youth Solidarity Fund

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) invites youth-led organizations from eligible countries to apply for the 11th edition of the Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF). YSF supports projects that promote peace and social inclusion by enhancing mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration across borders, cultures, faiths, and beliefs.

Established in 2008, YSF was initiated in direct response to calls for action made by young civil society leaders across the world, who emphasized the importance and necessity of establishing funding mechanisms for youth-led organizations. As the global agenda increasingly acknowledges the role of young people in peace, development and security matters, it is critical to listen and respond by offering funding and partnership opportunities.

The funded projects are both youth-led and youth-focused, targeting individuals aged 18 to 35 years. While the principal beneficiaries of these projects are young people, the impact often resonates throughout entire communities, involving religious and political leaders, policymakers, educational institutions and media organizations.

• Sponsor Organisation: United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

Benefits of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Youth Solidarity Fund

YSF provides seed funding of up to USD $25,000 to implement impactful youth-led projects that advance intercultural and interfaith dialogue and are aligned with the mandate and mission of UNAOC.

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Youth Solidarity Fund Requirements

• Open to youth-led organizations registered and operational for at least 2 years in one of the eligible countries;
• Registered youth-led organizations with projects entirely developed and managed by youth.

To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill every one of the following criteria:

• Be youth-led: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the organization are held by women and men between the ages of 18 and 35;
• Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (except for national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation, or association;
• Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of two years prior to the deadline for applications with funding base and project implementation (operating in June 2023 or earlier);
• Be registered and operate in one of the eligible countries;
• Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies;
• Have an ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and record-keeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
• Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, beneficiaries, and activities;
• Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, gender, etc.; and
• Did not receive funding under past editions of YSF or did not receive support through the Intercultural Innovation Hub.

Eligibility criteria for projects:
All submitted projects must fulfill every one of the following criteria to be eligible and reviewed by the Selection Committee:
● Origin: The project was developed and written by youth;
● Target Audience: The project targets youth primarily. Gender balance among project participants is ensured;
● Objective: The project contributes to advancing UNAOC’s mandate of promoting a more socially inclusive world by building mutual respect among peoples of different cultural and religious identities;
● Management: The project is managed by a youth-led organization, responding to all eligibility criteria mentioned above;
● Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator is demonstrably affiliated to the applying organization and is between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of the application;
● Duration and Timing:The project must be implemented within 12 months of commencing. Final reports will need to be submitted no later than one month after the completion of the project;
● Location: Project activities are implemented in the country(ies) mentioned in the above list (see geographical coverage section below);
● Budget: The organization needs to guarantee its capacity to implement all proposed project elements with the funds requested. The amount requested must be no more than 50% of the organization’s annual budget in 2024. Grants provided by UNAOC will not exceed USD 25,000. The scope of the project and the amount requested is not a determining factor in the selection process. Projects with smaller budgets are encouraged to apply. Please note that the average grant in the 10th YSF edition was USD 15,000. The proposed budget will have 90 percent of costs associated with direct project activities, and only up to 10 percent of it will cover the Project Coordinator’s salary/fees. Office rent cost, utilities, and purchase of technical equipment (e.g., computers, copiers, printers, cameras, telephones, etc.) cannot be part of the budget;
● English: Application and CV/resume of the Project Coordinator must be submitted in English only;
● Registration certificate and statute: Copies of a registration certificate and a statute need to be attached to the application form. They can be submitted in the original language of the country where the organization is registered. Translations may be requested at a later stage of the selection process.

List of eligible countries, in alphabetical order:
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Argentina; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; Plurinational State of Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Costa Rica; Côte D’Ivoire; Cuba; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Fiji; Gabon; Republic of the Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea- Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Islamic Republic of Iran; Iraq; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kiribati; Kosovo1; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Federal States of Micronesia; Republic of Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nauru; Nepal; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Pakistan; Palau; State of Palestine; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Rwanda; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; United Republic of Tanzania; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tonga; Tunisia; Türkiye; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

Application Date and Process

To be considered complete and valid, the application package must include the following and be submitted through the online application system:

• The application form, completed and certified by the applicant's organization;
• A copy of the registration certificate of the applicant's organization;
• A copy of the statutes/by-laws of the applicant's organization;
• An organizational chart depicting the ages of key decision-makers within the organization;
• A biography of the current Executive/Managing Director, showing the date of birth (one page
• The resume/CV of the project coordinator (two pages maximum);
• A picture or scan of the project coordinator's passport identification page. If the project coordinator does not have a passport, upload his or her national identification card.

Application deadline: Friday, 15 August 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in New York.

More Information:
 About the Youth Solidarity Fund  
 Read the Press Release  
 Application Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria (text)  
 Application Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria (PDF)  
 Frequently Asked Questions: Content 
 Frequently Asked Questions: Technical Support

Application Deadline

15 August, 2025

Scholarship Application Portal

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