The Active Citizens Fund is a left-of-center Croatia-based grantmaking program that is funded by the Norwegian government. ¹ It funds organizations that campaign to increase advocacy for social issues related to race and gender, migrant interests, and environmentalism. ²

Background

The Active Citizens Fund is managed by a coalition of advocacy groups including the Community Foundation Slagalica, the SMART Association, the Foundation Solidarna, and CNVOS. ²

The Active Citizens Fund makes grants to organizations that provide social services in Croatia, Iceland, and Norway. It is partnered with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Icelandic Human Rights Centre to implement grantmaking initiatives. ²

The Active Citizens Fund also makes grants to organizations that address gender, immigration, criminal justice, and other social issues. ²

Activities

In December 2020, the Active Citizens Fund conducted a survey of 1,000 Croatians to inform how its grantees can campaign to advocate for social issues. The survey asked respondents if they “disapprove of public statements that expressed negative views or hatred towards specific groups in society”; if they knew it is a crime “to incite hatred based on race, ethnicity and gender”; and “How does the Croatian law regulate public incitement to violence and hatred on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex and other features?” ²

Funding

In March 2020, the Norwegian embassy to Croatia announced that the Active Citizens Fund was founded with 8.5 million euros (about $9 million) in funding for its grantmaking projects, which were originally designated to last up to three years and are offered for advocacy groups that address social issues. The announcement also stated that the Norwegian embassy to Croatia would engage in fundraising for the Active Citizens Fund. ¹

Grantmaking

Mapping and Capacity Assessment of Civil Society Organizations in Croatian Underserved Areas working with Vulnerable Groups is an Active Citizens Fund grantmaking program that was created in 2020 to fund left-of-center advocacy campaigns that addressed social issues. Grantees received funding for community outreach programs where they would call individuals and engage in community events in so-called “vulnerable communities” to advise migrants, youths, female victims of domestic violence, women receiving improper healthcare, and mentally ill persons. It also engaged in outreach with individuals to advocate for gender issues and students dealing with interruptions to school due to Covid-19 restrictions. ^{2 2}

In March 2020, the Active Citizens Fund launched its Large Projects grantmaking program. It was a three-year grantmaking program with a budget of 3.15 million euros ($3.3 million) and provided 90,000 to 150,000 euros ($95,000 to $159,000) per grant. Eligible project areas included: projects that advocate for so-called “democracy, active citizenship, good governance, and transparency”; that address issues of alleged discrimination or oppression; that address gender issues and “gender-based violence”; and that promote environmentalism. ^{1 3}

In March 2020, the Active Citizens Fund announced a 600,000 euro ($634,000), three-year grantmaking project titled Sectoral Innovation Project. It reports that the project will make grants between 150,000 and 200,000 euros ($159,000 and $212,000) and towards projects engaging in the same objectives as those eligible for its Large Projects grants. Additionally, Sectoral Innovation Project grants are made towards what it describes as addressing “structural challenges” and “innovative sectoral solutions.” ^{4 5}

In March 2022, the Active Citizens Fund launched its Small Projects grantmaking program. It was a six-to-twelve-month program that had a budget of 315,000 euros ($333,000) and made grants of 5,000 to 15,000 euros ($5,300 to $15,600). It states grants were made to projects engaging in the same advocacy as its Large Projects grantmaking program. ^{6 7}

1. “Open Call: Active Citizens Fund.” Norgesportalen. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.norway.no/en/croatia/norway/news-events/open-call-ngo-programme/#OpencallforAd-hocactionprojects
2. “ANNUAL PROGRAMME REPORT FM14-21.” Active Citizen Fund, 2020. https://acfcroatia.hr/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/APR-HR-ACTIVECITIZENS-2020-2.pdf.
3. “Veliki Projekti.” ACF Hrvatska, February 18, 2022. https://acfcroatia.hr/veliki-projekti/.
4. “Active Citizens Fund in Croatia: Call for Sectoral Innovation Project.” fundsforNGOs, August 31, 2020. https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/active-citizens-fund-in-croatia-call-for-sectoral-innovation-project/.
5. “Projekti Sektorskih Inovacija.” ACF Hrvatska, February 18, 2022. https://acfcroatia.hr/projekti-sektorskih-inovacija/.
6. “Call for Small Projects in Croatia.” fundsforNGOs, Mary 2, 2022. https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/call-for-small-projects-2022-in-croatia/.
7. “Malih Projekata.” ACF Hrvatska, March 7, 2024. https://acfcroatia.hr/mali-projekti/.