International Grants Program

International Grants Program is sponsored by Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) International Grants Program provides financial support to international non-profit organizations, academic institutions, think tanks, and related organizations working to advance democracy and human rights. Projects in Guatemala focusing on these areas would be relevant.

**About TFD's International Grants Program** The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) is the first national democracy assistance foundation to be established in Asia, and is devoted to strengthening democracy and human rights in Taiwan and abroad. The Foundation's primary concerns are to further consolidate Taiwan's democratic system, to promote democracy in Asia, and to participate actively in the global democratic network.

The Foundation is committed to the vision of working together with like-minded organizations and individuals, building on Taiwan's experience to advance a new wave of democratization worldwide. The TFD's international grants program is designed to assist non-profit organizations based outside of Taiwan to carry out projects to promote democracy and human rights.

International non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, think tanks, and other related organizations are eligible to apply. The strategic priority areas for the international grants program are: * Projects that leverage Taiwan's experience in democracy and human rights development. * Projects that address the challenges to democracy and human rights raised by China, either internally or externally.

* Projects that strengthen democracy and human rights in East Asia (including both Northeast and Southeast Asia). **Advocacy projects:**Promoting democracy and human rights through developing effective, cooperative domestic and international networks at the civil society-level. **Research:**Conducting in-depth, systematic, analytical and/or empirical studies in the democracy and human rights fields.

**Conferences****:**Engaging experts and other interested parties in forums, seminars, or workshops, to discuss issues related to democracy and human rights. **Publications:**Advancing democracy and human rights through print or visual media, for example, through books, articles, and films. **Educational programs:**Enhancing knowledge of democratic and human rights systems, such as through capacity-building and training programs.

* International non-governmental organizations * Think tanks, and other related organizations NOTICE: Applications are now open for projects to be implemented in 2027. There will be three rounds of funding for 2027 projects. The deadline for the first round will be on August 15, 2026.

For applications received by that date (note: in hard copy, including the original signature of the head of the organization), applicants will be notified of the result no later than November 2026. The application should be submitted at least four months before the applicant plans to begin the proposed project, in order to allow sufficient time for the review process as well as sufficient prior notification of the review result.

In any case, applicants should pay careful attention to the schedule of deadlines, detailed in the table below. Note that an application may be submitted in an earlier round, but not a later one. Due to our fiscal year (see Funding Rules below), grants awarded in the first round may be used for the full 12 months of the year, while those in the second round may be used for up to 8 months, and those in the third round up to 4 months.

Application Schedule for 2027 Projects First Round Second Round Third Round Earliest Project Start Date January 1 April 1 August 1 Application Deadline August 15, 2026 December 15, 2026 April 15, 2027 Notification November 2026 March 2027 July 2027 After carefully reading the Strategic Priorities and Project Categories described in the Introduction on the previous page and the Funding Rules on the next page, organizations interested in applying for funding should complete the International Grant Application Form.

In addition to the completed Application Form, required documents include detailed project plans and a separate budget statement, as well as the organization's proof of registration and most recent annual report or financial statement. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The application should be submitted in the following manner: 1.

The Application Form should be sent by post in hard copy, with the original signature of the head of the organization affixed. 2. Please email a digital copy of the Application Form in WORD format (without signature) to grants@tfd.

org. tw. All other documentation should be submitted in PDF format by email to grants@tfd.

org. tw. There is no limit on the number of attached files that may be submitted, but in any case the total size of all files together must not exceed 10 MB.

3. The subject of your email should be as follows: [Organization's Name] - [Purpose of Email]. 4.

Both the Application Form (in hard copy) and the other documentation should reach our office no later than the close of business on the date of the deadline. If the deadline falls on a weekend or a public holiday in Taiwan, applications will be received until the close of business on the Foundation's next working day. 5.

Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed in that round; where appropriate, they may be assessed in the following round. 6. Please be sure to allow adequate time for delivery, especially for the hard copy of the Application Form; note that being postmarked before the deadline is not sufficient.

In particular, when using regular postal services, several weeks' advance posting is recommended, to ensure that the application can be considered. The proposals will enter a review process in which independent reviewers with relevant expertise will study the proposals.

Based upon the reviewers' recommendations, a final decision will be made, and for the proposals which are deemed to be successful, the grant amount and approved budget items then will be determined. The following key points are borne in mind when reviewing applications: 1. The relation of the proposed project to the mission and goals of the Foundation; 2.

The project's anticipated impact; 3. The likelihood of successful execution of the proposed project, judging from such factors as the feasibility of the proposal, the soundness of its methodology, and the experience of the project's executors; 4. The significance and innovativeness of the proposed topic(s) and subject(s) of the project; 5.

The reasonableness and clarity of the budget, and appropriateness of the requested funding in line with the project's goals; 6. The integrity of the documents submitted for review. The Foundation normally does not provide full funding for any particular project; therefore, other sources of funding should also be sought, and these should be indicated on the application form.

In terms of scale, the Foundation is not permitted to award grants exceeding US$100,000. The majority of grants awarded by the Foundation fall within a range between US$3,000 and US$20,000, and the average grant size is approximately US$5,000.

The Foundation's accounting rules do not permit funding for certain types of budget items, notably capital expenditures (i.e., purchases of equipment, etc.), salaries for permanent staff, and fixed overhead costs. The general principle is that the Foundation's funding may only be spent on direct project costs, and not for institutional support of grantees.

The following are examples of items that may or may not be covered (this list is not exhaustive, but for indication purposes only): Generally acceptable*NOT acceptable Transportation (only for the activities to be funded, excluding those for general administrative purposes), by the most direct and cost-effective routing Capital expenditures (including purchase of equipment, etc.) Meals Any other payments for personnel, including honorariums, trainers' fees, etc. Printing First or business class air tickets Equipment rental Gasoline/Petrol Venue rental Individual daily allowances/Per Diems *NOTE:for all expenses to be covered by TFD funding, original receipts from the service provider or vendor must be provided;the TFD reserves the right to refuse to cover items that are not properly accounted for according to our internal regulations.

Communication fees (including telephones, internet, etc.) Stationery or office supplies Administrative fees or overhead charges Finally, please note that all projects must be completed within a single calendar year(which is also the Foundation's fiscal year).

The Foundation may not undertake multi-year funding commitments, although a portion of a multi-year project may be considered, with the understanding that the TFD-funded portion of the project (if any) would be completed within that calendar year. After a grant has been approved, a contract between the Foundation and the Grantee will be signed, stipulating final conditions and mutual obligations.

Submitting a Final Report In addition to periodic reports as needed, all Grantees must submit a final project report stating the results of the project. This must be submitted within 30 days after the project's conclusion, unless otherwise provided for by the terms and conditions set out in the agreement between the Foundation and the Grantee.

The final report must include the following documents: * Anarrative report, describing * The implementation of the project and the extent to which the project achieved its objectives; * Photographic, video, or other audiovisual documentation of the project, as appropriate; * Final agendas of any meetings or events held during the project, as well as lists of participants; * Copies of any publications produced during the project.

* Afinancial report, including * An overall financial statement detailing the project's expenses and transactions, with variances from the approved budget explained as necessary; * Original receipts for any expenditures covered by the Foundation's grant funds, grouped according to the approved budget categories, and accompanied by an itemized list of the receipts.

The TFD will review the outcomes of all sponsored projects at the end of each accounting year. Future funding may be denied to those organizations whose reports are incomplete (for example, if required supporting documents are missing), or whose project results are found to be unsatisfactory.