What is the purpose of the community fund?

What is the desired outcome of establishing this fund?

The purpose of the ECCP Community Fund is to provide financial support to specific projects within the Community of Practice initiated by community members. The projects supported by the fund should align with the mission of the ECCP: learning, connecting, and taking action together. 


In 2025, we are piloting this community fund and acknowledge that changes, adjustments, and tweaks to the process will likely need to be made!

The ECCP Community Fund process aims to:

  • Support initiatives that advance shared learning, relationship-building, and action for cross-cutting or intersectional topics related to the ECCP, including peacebuilding, conflict management, conservation, natural resource management, and/or climate change adaptation & mitigation.

  • Provide (micro)grant experience to those who receive the funds and those participating in the participatory budgeting process.

  • Build community and trust within the ECCP Community.

How much money is there in the fund? Who donates to it?

Income

Any institution or individual can donate to the fund. More information on contributions can be found below in this document. In 2025, the ECCP Community Fund has received the below contributions:

  • PeaceNexus Foundation - 10,000 CHF

  • Austrian Centre for Peace - 1,000 EUR

Total: 11,615 EUR

Note: Conversion rates may differ over the course of the year. 

Expenses

The ECCP has a few fixed costs that are covered out of the Community Fund, deducted from the total. These are:

  • ECCP website - 215 EUR

  • Translation/Interpretation - 505 EUR

  • 2025 - Budget process honorarium paid to CCDP* - 530 EUR

Total: 1,250 EUR

* From 2026 onwards, a 15% overhead cost will be paid to the CCDP for hosting the funds (see below for more on overheads)

As of 15 February 2025, there are 10,365 EUR available in the fund. 

Who can propose ideas? What kinds of ideas can be funded?

There are a few parameters for proposals:

  • A proposal should be towards a project, initiative, or event, rather than general operating costs. Proposals for core costs will not be considered for the 2025 fund pilot.

  • At least one of the people submitting an idea must be a member of the ECCP. Members of the budget committee cannot submit ideas (see below). 

    • An ECCP member is considered any person on the mailing list or in an ECCP WhatsApp group. 

  • Ideas can be submitted by individuals or institutions.

    • Individuals must only submit one idea per cycle (see below). 

    • Different individuals from the same institution can submit different ideas. 

  • Ideas must always be submitted by at least two people or groups. 

    • These two people cannot not work for the same organization or branch office.

    • Only one submitting party needs to be an ECCP member. 

  • Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the idea supports the mission of the ECCP.

  • The funding requested for the idea cannot exceed 20% of the total amount available from the fund at the time of submission, as published on the fund’s webpage.

Proposals are initially received by a budget committee, and reviewed along the following criteria:

  1. Is the idea aligned with the ECCP’s mission?

  2. Is the idea feasible within the proposed budget and timeline? 

  3. Does this idea have potential to make a positive impact, in line with outcomes outlined above?

  4. Does the idea include some way of engaging the broader ECCP community, such as in sharing lessons learned?

How are decisions made about which ideas receive funding, and how much?

Step 1

An individual or institution submits an idea, together with a partner (see above criteria and parameters).

Step 2

A budget committee reviews what is feasible, realistic, and promising (see below committees). Ideas are anonymous at this stage.

Ideas that meet the stated selection criteria (above) will enter a light-touch due diligence phase. 

The most feasible or promising proposals can receive development support from the committee and/or Manager, and move onto the next round. Development support, for example, can be accompaniment to ensure that the language is clear and compelling, or that the budget realistically also covers administrative costs that may cause undue burden to idea proposers. This support is optional and determined on a case by case basis.

Step 3

The budget committee shares which ideas meet the requested criteria, and where desired, can choose to make a recommendation for the use of funds based on ideas submitted. That recommendation could suggest a creative solution to meet multiple submission’s requests or to proceed with partial grants.

In the first cycle, the recommendation will be circulated to the group of individuals whose submitted ideas met the requested criteria. (Submitted ideas who did not meet the criteria will not move forward onto this stage.) After the first cycle, this system will be evaluated. In future cycles, the recommendation could be circulated to the full ECCP community.

Step 4

The use of funds is decided by vote of ranked choice by the individuals whose submitted ideas met the requested criteria. In the unlikely event that the vote is inconclusive, or two ideas are tied, the decision will go back to the budget committee to break the tie.

In the first cycle, the voting will be done by the group of individuals who submitted ideas. They cannot vote for their own ideas. In the future, the voting could be done by the full ECCP community. (And submitters still could not vote for their own ideas.)

Step 5

The successful submitters are notified, and work together with the Community Manager and host holding the funds to transfer the funding. Funding transfer details (number of payments) and financial justification (receipts, invoices, etc.) will be determined by the CCDP on a case by case basis.

Reporting requirements are light, and idea-holders will simply be asked to  tell the story of how the money was used and what happened. That story can be shared in written, video, photo, audio, or other formats. Heavy reporting requirements will not be imposed, regardless of the future scale of funding.

How do I submit an idea? When are applications open?

Proposals for funds are submitted online via google form. If an interested submitter has an issue using google forms, they should contact the Community Manager at ecosystemforpeace@gmail.com for an alternate submission pathway.

We plan to open the application cycle three times in 2025, from 1 April to 30 June, from 1 July to 30 September, and from 1 October to 31 December.

Applications will open on this webpage on 1 April, and will be open for submission for 6 weeks.

Who can be on the budget committee? How is it formed?

  • The role of the budget committee is to (1) move proposals through the process by assessing their alignment with the requested criteria, (2) accompanying proposals before the voting process to work through any unclear language or suggested changes, and (3) sharing the final list of ideas for voting. Where desired, the committee can propose creative solutions to meet multiple submission’s requests or to proceed with partial grants.

  • The budget committee will have 5 members (an odd number, but small enough to reasonably call meetings).

    Someone cannot be a member of both the budget committee and ECCP Steering Committee.

    Members of the budget committee cannot submit a proposal or idea for funding during the year they serve on the committee.

    Terms are for one year. Members are welcome to re-apply after each term.

    After the first year, the committee can determine whether or not to impose limits on the number of terms an individual can serve.

    Budget committee members are expected to regularly attend committee meetings and/or submit their feedback in writing for each cycle. Every effort will be made to account for time zone differences, as well as language.

  • The composition of the committee will be determined through an open call for participation and/or nominations,

    Anyone can nominate themselves or someone else to participate on the committee.

    If more than 5 people want to participate on the committee, those who are in the running will meet to decide the final composition together.

    The group will be encouraged to pay attention to geographic distribution and gender, without necessarily imposing quotas.

    The recommended composition of the committee will be announced to the ECCP, and all community members will have 2 weeks to challenge.

  • In order to ensure coherence between the Steering and budget committees, the ECCP’s co-host, CCDP, will serve as an observer of the budget committee.

    As a matter of principle, an observer place could be offered to any institution who contributed financially to the fund. The ethos of the fund is to put the decision-making power into the hands of the community.

    The ECCP should have 1-2 participatory budget experts on call in case support is needed on specific questions or challenges. These are individuals with experience managing participatory budget processes.

    Coordination and logistical support will be provided by the Community Manager. The Manager does not have decision-making rights on the committee, and the group can choose to meet with or without her.

What are some details that funders or financial contributors to the fund need to know?

Funds transfer: The ECCP Community Fund is held by the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Geneva Graduate Institute; the CCDP is one of two institutional co-hosts of the ECCP community. Funds can be transferred to the CCDP after invoice, or the issuance of a light MOU, according to the needs of the funding institution. 

Overheads: From 2026 onwards, 15% of funds transferred through the CCDP will go towards overhead administration costs. These costs cover CCDP’s time in the participatory budgeting process, the time drafting and completing MOUs and invoices, the time working with fund recipients to transfer money, the time receiving and organizing impact stories from fund recipients, and fulfilling reporting requirements from financial contributors. The CCDP is a not for profit research centre located within a university, with extensive experience managing complex projects and funds. 

The CCDP recognizes that different institutions have different regulations and requirements on overheads. If this overhead requirement would prevent your institution from contributing to the fund, please contact the Community Manager at aericksonpearson@gmail.com to discuss other options.  

Reporting: The ECCP recognizes the need for financial tracking and reporting. The budget committee will keep and share a transparent record on the Community Fund webpage to all members, including information on funds used and funds available. The ECCP will discuss requirements with funders, and provide reporting in the preferred framework of the funder or if none, the below:

  • Date

  • Nature of expense

  • Quantity

  • Cost per unit

  • Total amount


For ECCP members who submit and pursue projects, reporting requirements are light. Project groups will simply be asked to tell the story of how the money was used and what happened. That story can be shared in written, video, photo, audio, or other formats. Depending on the project itself, financial evidence such as receipts may be requested. As outlined above, this will be determined on a case by case basis.


Other funding opportunities: The ECCP Community Fund is meant to be a project in participatory budgeting. It may not be aligned with your institutional requirements or needs. If the structure of the ECCP Community Fund does not work for your institution but you’d still like to contribute to the ECCP in other ways, there are other avenues for your financial engagement. Get in touch with the Community Manager, Annika Erickson-Pearson, at aericksonpearson@gmail.com.