Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is an independent UK-based donor that has made grants in South Africa for over 30 years. The Trust has three grant cycles per year and the upcoming deadline for grant applications is 19 March 2007 followed by the August 20 2007.

The Trust supports work that promotes a just and peaceful South Africa:

• By addressing the problems of violent conflict on all levels of society
• By building a strong human rights culture
• Through the reduction of rural poverty

The trust only funds projects and organisations in KwaZulu Natal and its key concerns are poverty, inequality and conflict. It will consider funding work in urban or peri-urban areas, but prioritises work in rural areas. The trust funds work:

• that addresses the root causes of problems, rather than making problems easier to live with;
• that is long-term and collaborative, and which builds on and develops resources and partnerships;
• which is innovative, imaginative and which is not popular with other donors;
• where the grant would make a significant difference to the organisation receiving the grant.

Proposals that JRTC consider funding include:

• projects which promote community participation, local government accountability, and local implementation of national policies
• projects that support communities, community organisations or social movements to access resources and rights
• long-term programmes in specific communities to address problems of endemic violence
• organisations that help unions, advice offices, paralegals or other groups working directly with rural people
• the development and promotion of proven models of peacebuilding as accessible, replicable resources
• advocacy or policy work, on a local, provincial or national level, on issues related to rural poverty and inequality, land reform, conflict and violence.

The trust believes that work in South Africa should acknowledge the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS although it does not fund specific HIV / AIDS projects. JRCT will not consider applications:

• from organisations based outside of South Africa (including Europe and the US) to work in, or in connection with, South Africa
• for work elsewhere in Africa.

Click here for more information.

Click here for more information on how to apply.