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Convening Fund

Convening fund

Convenings are critical venues for movement building in the anti-slavery space. However, survivors and other marginalised individuals are often excluded from opportunities to attend, lead and shape their agendas – resulting in convenings that reinforce existing power imbalances and, ultimately, preventing the development of a more cohesive and powerful movement. The Freedom Fund provides small grants to existing Freedom Fund movement building partners to promote more inclusive convenings and ensure meaningful inclusion of survivors.

This funding takes two forms, support for convenings and support for individual survivor participation, each of which are detailed below. If you have questions or wish to make a funding request, please contact Antonia Musunga, Program Manager for Movement Building, at [email protected].

Please note that we may not be able to fulfil all requests for funding. Our ability to provide funding will also be dependent on the country’s legal requirements and prevailing contexts. We are not able to fund organisations or individuals in India.

Criteria

  • The Convening Fund is open to organisations and individuals that are current grantees or participants under the Freedom Fund’s Movement Building Portfolio, including Survivor Leadership Fund grantees and Freedom Rising participants.
  • Convenings must have clear objectives, including among them an intention to build the global anti-slavery movement.
  • Convenings must be regional or international (including participants from more than one country) and should have ten or more participants, from more than two organisations / networks / collectives. Convenings must be associated with one or more organisations (not solely individuals).
  • Organizers of the convening must demonstrate a clear and coherent safeguarding plan.
  • Individuals with lived experience of modern slavery and/or from communities impacted by modern slavery must be substantively included in the planning and execution of the event. Individuals with lived experience should not be limited to speaking about survivorship or traumatic experiences (see section on ethical conduct below).
  • We prioritise funding for convenings taking place in the Global South and particularly in countries where The Freedom Fund has programmes operating. If the event has an international remit, individuals based in the Global South should compose at least 50% of attendees. Organisers must be able to articulate the steps they are taking to ensure that the event is accessible and inclusive of attendees with a diverse range of experiences & identities.
  • Organisers must sign onto the following two pledges: Survivor Alliance Pledge to Interact Ethically with Survivorsand My Story, My Dignity. Organisers are strongly encouraged to provide free or discounted admission to survivors and to compensate survivor speakers.
  • Organisations may request and receive up to US $25,000 per year under this Fund. Individuals may request and receive up to $3000.
  • Funding can be used for the cost of survivors’ attendance at convenings (including travel, accommodation, visas and interpretation support). Funding may not cover any other costs associated with the convening, including staff or organisational costs.