This Call for Proposals (CFP) is a part of the "Ukraine National Initiatives to Enhance Reforms" (UNITER) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), implemented by Pact Inc.

The primary purpose of the UNITER project is to strengthen and assist leading pro-reform Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to sustain and consolidate democratic gains. The project addresses systemic, sector-wide challenges to civil society. It supports NGO monitoring and advocacy initiatives from various spheres of public life, which are essential in advancing Ukraine's reform process.

Pact's election activities all support the prime objective of the project: "NGOs better represent citizen interests and drive reform agenda through more effective advocacy, monitoring and activism." The goal of our election activities is to ensure citizen activism and informed engagement in the electoral process, in order to ensure long-term support for reforms by the Ukrainian public. Pact supports initiatives that bolster more effective engagement of NGOs and their innovative advocacy mechanisms in the electoral process.

Under this CFP Pact solicits proposals from NGO coalitions with the greatest potential to build new local and national constituencies and influence democratic reforms. Pact will support national NGO networks to empower Ukrainian NGOs with innovative tools to engage people, to identify key issues facing Ukrainian citizens, to advocate for policy change on their behalf, and thereby promote democratization.

The proposals supported under this CFP will look at elections as a means in democratic reform processes, not an ends, therefore should be not merely focused on election-day but targeted to have an effect on civil society beyond election-day.

The overall goal of election related grants are expected to be:

• Increasing the quality of the vote over the quantity, that is citizens make informed choices in the political arena,
• Persuading disillusioned citizens to stay engaged by informing and educating them about reform priorities, while building up stronger public support toward reforms

Possible grantee activities of the networks include but are not limited to:

• Efforts of citizens and NGOs to learn more about candidates and issues prior to the 2010 for example public hearings, expert roundtables, issues for and campaign debates, engaging networks into different activities like social events, exchange of experience, etc.;
• New innovative tools in polling and analysis of citizens' and country's priorities;
• Applying new media tools to analyse political and reform issues and educate the public;
• NGO monitoring and advocacy efforts that promote Ukrainian reforms and help citizens hold government accountable.

Grant amount: up to USD 8,000 - 10,000 per organization.

Tentative duration of the projects: 8-10 months.

NGOs activities will have to provide the message to voters that they not only understand why they have become disillusioned in the political process but inspire them to become active citizens anew.

All projects can be submitted in English, Ukrainian or Russian electronically or in hard copies, no later than Monday, December 7th, 2009 at the address:

Kyiv, 01601, Mechnykova 3, office 801
 or: [email protected]
Contact person: Yulia Yesmukhanova

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Established in 1971 as an independent international non-profit corporation, Pact is a networked global organization that builds the capacity of local leaders and institutions to meet pressing social needs by empowering communities, effective governments and responsible private institutions to give people an opportunity for a better life. Pact maintains field offices in 26 countries and implements projects in 57 countries. Pact established its Kyiv based office in 2005 implementing the Organizational Development Support (ODS) program in the Western NIS to promote increased, well-informed citizen participation in civic and community-based initiatives in the region. In 2008 it was awarded the UNITER project by USAID to strengthen civil society in Ukraine. More information at www.uniter.org.ua and www.pactworld.org