Information on Grantmaking Rounds | For Grantseekers

Information on Grantmaking Rounds

The Disability Rights Fund and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund are grantmaking collaboratives that supports organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) around the world to build diverse movements, ensure inclusive development agendas, and achieve equal rights and opportunity for all.

Below you will find information about our biannual Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

Visit For Grantseekers – Disability Rights Fund for more details.

General Information About Applying for a Grant from DRF or DRAF

All applicants should read our guidelines thoroughly, as they have recently changed. Please also refer to our Frequently Asked Questions, Glossary of Terms, and information on What DRF Does Not Fund.

Important Information for 2021 Round 2

The 2021 Round 2 RFP opens on August 2nd and applications are due on August 31st. This round of grantmaking includes new DRF/DRAF target country, Nepal, as well as Rwanda, Uganda, and the following Pacific Island Countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea , Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

  • In response to changing conditions on the ground, grantmaking for Haiti has been shifted to Round 1 (publicized in early 2022). To address the gap of time between Rounds, current grantees will be provided extensions and other forms of support.
  • The 2021 Round 2 RFP for Nepal and the Pacific Island Countries is open to any eligible organization of persons with disabilities (OPDs). Please refer to the “Eligibility Criteria” section below.
  • The 2021 Round 2 RFP for Rwanda and Uganda is by invitation only: Organizations that are invited to apply will receive the application by email in the first week of August. As part of efforts to review and simplify our grantmaking, the LOI process – used for Uganda in recent years – has been suspended for 2021.
  • All applicants are encouraged to consider constraints and/or advocacy opportunities related to COVID-19 in preparing proposals. At DRF/DRAF, we remain committed to adapting and innovating in support of our grantees’ redoubled efforts to secure rights for all during the pandemic and beyond.

Eligibility Criteria

To meet the basic eligibility requirements for DRF/DRAF funding consideration in 2021, applicants must:

  • Be based in and conduct the majority of activities in a country targeted by the specific Round;

  • Be a legally registered non-governmental OPD, or a group of persons with disabilities acting under the fiscal sponsorship thereof; and

  • Be invited to apply, if based in the below countries:
    Nigeria, Indonesia, or Malawi (in Round 1) Rwanda or Uganda (in Round 2)

How To Apply

The 2021 Round 2 Request for Proposals (RFP) has been released, and applications are due on August 31, 2021. This round of grantmaking includes new DRF/DRAF target country, Nepal, as well as Rwanda, Uganda, and the Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

For Rwanda and Uganda, this round is by invitation only. If your organization did not receive an invitation from DRF/DRAF providing you with the application information, you should not apply this year.

For Nepal and the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), the round is open to any eligible organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). To determine whether your organization is eligible to apply, you must first submit an Eligibility Survey consisting of four short questions. There are two ways to submit your responses:

  1. Complete the survey online here.

  2. Download the Word version here and follow the instructions in the document to submit via email.

If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact us at info@disabilityrightsfund.org and visit For Grantseekers – Disability Rights Fund

Frequently Asked Questions

What DRF Does Not Fund

Glossary of Terms