Deadline to apply: January 26, 2025
Cultural Survival's Indigenous Community Media Fund (ICMF) promotes partnerships and provides funding to strengthen the infrastructure and transmission systems of Indigenous community media and radio stations, as well as training opportunities for community journalists. Our goal is to improve and ensure the sustainability of community media managed by communities and Indigenous Peoples. Previous projects we have funded include improvements in internal organization and infrastructure, capacity building, systematization of experiences in community radio and media management, promotion of national legislation and policies that uphold the right to indigenous communication, and innovative communication strategies to increase political and community participation. We consider it a priority to fund projects that promote the participation and inclusion of women, other marginalized genders, and young people. This year, we especially seek to support activities related to environmental justice in the face of climate change, including prevention, mitigation, and response to natural disasters.
Eligible regions and countries:
- Central and South America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
- North America: Canada, United States and Mexico
- Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
- Asia: India, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand.
- Pacific countries: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and French Polynesia
Amount of funding: Indigenous community radio stations, collectives, and Indigenous community media may apply for a grant of up to $8,000 USD; and for Indigenous community media network proposals involving three or more community media, up to $12,000 USD.
Time frame for proposals: Proposed projects should be completed within a 6 to 10-month period.
Who is eligible to apply for this call?
- Community radio networks or Indigenous media
- Networks or collectives of Indigenous communicators
- Networks or collectives of Indigenous women communicators
- Collectives of Indigenous muralists and photographers
- Other media managed by Indigenous Peoples: written press, community television, audiovisual and multimedia production, intranet and community internet.
How to apply?
Applicants should send their narrative proposal and budget (in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese) in the formats provided by Cultural Survival; and send them to the e-mail address radio@culturalsurvival.org. Additionally, they can send or attach their radio or video productions with a maximum duration of 5 minutes, or a portfolio of their work (written, audiovisual, photographic, or mural) that corresponds to the project submitted. Cultural Survival's Indigenous Community Media Fund is interested in, but not limited to, Indigenous communication projects that include the following strategies and activities:
- Legal processes to access radio frequencies and other indigenous community media, including advocacy actions for the democratization of communication and defense of the right to their own communication.
- Institutional development including: strategic planning and financial sustainability; board development and internal governance; gender, environmental and protection policies; security systems for communicators and defenders; and monitoring and evaluation processes.
- Capacity building in communication, mainly aimed at women, youth and other genders, including: radio, audiovisual and written production; community investigative journalism; documentation and archiving; emergency coverage; and technical maintenance of equipment.
- Capacity building in new technologies and digital innovation, including: streaming and online radio; web design and applications; audiovisual production; community television; free software; digital platforms; and content archiving.
- Development of audiovisual, written and radio content on: Indigenous Peoples' rights; climate change and environmental justice; history and memory from their own perspective; ancestral knowledge and traditional medicine; food sovereignty; territorial rights; indigenous women's rights and youth; education and community communication; cultural and linguistic heritage; and legislation and public policies. Content in indigenous languages will be highly valued.
- Consolidation of indigenous community communication organizations and media with an inclusive approach, prioritizing the active participation of women, youth and other genders in communication processes.
- Exchange of experiences and strengthening of networks, including: meetings between indigenous communicators; exchanges of knowledge and communication practices; mutual learning spaces; festivals and exhibitions of indigenous production; and alliances between community media.
- Intranet network infrastructures or broadband internet installation at the stations, including recording studios, transmission equipment and digital archiving systems.
- Community murals, audiovisual and photography projects focused on Indigenous Peoples' rights, women's and youth rights, climate change, culture and indigenous languages.
Projects will be evaluated based on the legitimacy of both the medium or group (community base, management by Indigenous Peoples, and linkage with the community) and the proposal presented (relevance to community needs, coherence between activities and budget, and sustainability). Preference will be given to initiatives that strengthen Indigenous cosmovisions and identity, produce content in Indigenous languages, and promote the active participation of women, youth, and other genders.
Formats to download to apply:
English
Application proposal form Word
Budget form Excel
Spanish
Bases de la convocatoria 2025 PDF
Formulario de presupuesto Excel
French
Lignes directrices de l'appel 2025 PDF
Formulaire de budget Excel
Portuguese
Orientações para a chamada 2025 PDF
Formulário de orçamento Excel
