Through our partners and grantees, meaningful change is already happening in communities around the world. If your organization goals align with our objectives, we invite you to apply and partner with us to expand this impact even further.
Hands of Mercy International Small Grants is a global funding and capacity development programme that supports impactful local and regional initiatives advancing health, women’s empowerment, child and youth development, and community resilience.
The programme prioritizes grassroots and community-based organisations working to improve the well-being of vulnerable women, children, and families in underserved communities.
This international call for proposals addresses local organizations based in ODA-eligible countries with an average annual revenue between $60,000 and $500,000.
Hands of Mercy International provides funding between $10,000 and $500,000 for locally led projects aligned with HoM’s mission and strategic priorities.
Updated Application Procedure to Simplify the Process
Hands of Mercy International has updated its application process to introduce an initial eligibility assessment before inviting applicants to submit a full project proposal.
This three-step process reduces the workload for organizations that may not meet the eligibility criteria and ensures that only qualified applicants proceed to the full proposal stage.
Eligibility Screening Process
After submission of the initial eligibility information:
- The HoM Small Grants team will review all applications.
- Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria will receive confirmation.
- Only eligible organizations will be invited to submit a detailed project proposal, including the project concept and budget.
Full project proposals must meet the criteria outlined in the official Call Guidelines and supporting documents.
Organisations will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible following each review cycle.
Rolling Application Process
The Hands of Mercy International Small Grants programme operates on a rolling application basis.
- Applications may be submitted at any time during the open call period.
- For a project to be considered in a given review cycle, it must be submitted no later than the 25th of each month (23:59 CET).
- Applications received after the 25th will automatically be considered in the following month’s review cycle.
Applicants are encouraged to submit early to allow sufficient time for review and any potential clarifications.
The duration of the projects covers a minimum of twelve months and a maximum of two years.
Budget must be within the limits specified in the email that will be sent to eligible organizations. HoM Small Grants selects project proposals with a total funding volume between USD 10,000 and USD 500,000. Furthermore, the requested funding volume must not exceed the average annual revenue of the implementing organisation over the past three years.
Projects must be implemented on a local, sub-national or national level.
Project proposals must align with one or more of the following Hands of Mercy International priority areas:
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
- Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity
- Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
- Child Protection and Safeguarding
- Youth Development and Skills Training
- Community Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods
- Access to Essential Health and Social Services
- Faith-Based and Community-Led Social Transformation Initiatives
Proposed initiatives should be community-driven, locally led, and focused on improving the well-being of vulnerable women, children, and families.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The FAQs below provide a summary overview. For full details on eligibility and funding criteria, please carefully review the HoM Small Grants Funding Information and Application Guidelines available on this website.
A: Who can apply for funding?
For detailed eligibility criteria, please refer to the official HoM funding guidelines.
In the current call for proposals, HoM Small Grants does NOT support:
- Government organisations (e.g., ministries, municipalities, public universities)
- Branch offices of organisations headquartered in high-income, non-ODA countries
- Consortia where funds would be forwarded from a lead organisation to partner organisations (re-granting is not permitted)
- Purely academic or research-only projects without a strong implementation component
- Projects with research components are eligible only if the primary focus is on direct service delivery, community impact, or systems strengthening.
B: What are the basic eligibility requirements?
Applicants must:
- Not-for-profit organisations
- Have been operational for at least two (3) years
- Demonstrate experience in implementing community-based projects
- Have dedicated accounting personnel
- Maintain financial management systems that ensure internal and external control mechanisms
- Have safeguarding policies or demonstrate willingness to adopt safeguarding standards
Private sector entities may apply only if the proposed project is strictly non-profit and community-oriented.
C: When can I expect feedback after submitting my application?
After the application deadline (or monthly cut-off date, where applicable), all submissions undergo an eligibility review.
Organisations will receive notification if they:
- Qualify to proceed to the next stage (full proposal submission), or
- Do not meet the eligibility requirements.
Once the full proposal review process is completed, all applicants will be formally informed of the outcome.
We kindly request that applicants refrain from contacting HoM regarding application status during the review process.
D: In what language must the application be submitted?
Applications must be submitted in English.
All communication during the application and implementation process will be conducted in English.
Perfect English is not required. However, at least one team member should have sufficient working proficiency in English to ensure effective communication with HoM.
Applicants are welcome to seek support from third parties for proposal development, including translation support where necessary.
Additional Guidance
HoM prioritizes:
- Locally led initiatives
- Community ownership
- Gender-responsive programming
- Safeguarding and protection standards
- Realistic and measurable outcomes
- Financial accountability and transparency
Incomplete applications or those that do not align with HoM’s focus areas will not be considered.
About Our Funding Partners
HoM International Grants are supported by institutional partners who believe in empowering local organizations as drivers of sustainable change. Through their support, we fund community-led initiatives that address climate action, gender equality, health, and resilience while strengthening the capacity of grassroots actors to create lasting impact.
