| Disclaimer: This translation has been generated by AI.
**Dear Reader,**
Here is this yearâs final newsletter from CISU.
At the bottom of the newsletter, youâll find a holiday greeting from the management at the secretariat. For that reason, Iâll refrain from adding my own Christmas and New Yearâs wishes here and instead summarize the key points from the other news: Remember, the deadline for some advisory requests is already Monday, January 6. The spring courses are now available on the website. Submit your nominations for the Initiative Award. Participate in CISUâs photo competition.
Happy reading, have a great weekend, and Merry Christmas!
Kim Jensen
Spring 2025 Course Program is Ready
CISU's course program for Spring 2025 is now available on cisu.dk.
As usual, the program includes both returning and new courses. In Spring 2025, the focus on tailoring more courses to both member organizations and their partners will continue. This will be reflected in courses on project and program design.
- We have put together a course program that both strengthens the capacity of individual organizations and involves their partners in the process, says Søren Asboe Jørgensen, advisor at CISU.
- At the same time, we prioritize ensuring that civil society has a strong voice in the development of Danida's new development strategy, he adds.
This voice can be found in a series of courses and meetings in early spring.
You can find the full course program at the bottom of this newsletter.
CISU Seeks Grant Consultant for the Emergency Relief Fund DERF
The funding for the Danish Emergency Relief Fund DERF, managed by CISU, expires at the turn of the year, and no final agreement has yet been made regarding its extension. However, the proposed state budget for 2025 allocates 25 million DKK to the fund. CISU is acting on this and is now advertising a position for a grant consultant. The position, however, is contingent on the task being officially assigned.
- By advertising the position, we are demonstrating due diligence, as those affected by global disasters cannot wait for us to finalize everything if the good news of an extension comes, says fund manager Iben Westergaard Rasmussen.
The funds in DERF have been exhausted, and the fund is therefore currently closed. It will reopen as soon as possible if CISU's management of emergency relief funds is included in the final 2025 state budget.
Applications to DERF are reviewed by grant consultants who conduct professional evaluations based on criteria outlined in the fund's guidelines. They then submit a recommendation to the external grant committee, which processes the recommendation and makes the final decision.
The grant consultant position is advertised with the clear stipulation that no formal agreement has yet been made.
Soon, Itâs Time for the Annual Initiative Award
Each year, CISU's board honors an organization in Denmark that has done something extraordinary to inspire or mobilize people through its work.
The award is presented at CISU's general assembly in April, and the board selects a recipient from the nominations submitted via cisu.dk/initiativ by February 25. In 2024, the award went to Rapolitics.
For the first time, it has been emphasized that the award can also be given to fundraising campaigns.
Jesper Alstrøm, a member of CISUâs board, will review the submitted proposals.
- For many years, inspiring constructive awareness has been a part of CISUâs work. We achieve this through capacity building and awareness-raising grants. While the grants cannot support fundraising campaigns, much awareness-raising work happens precisely through organizations' fundraising initiatives. We want to use the Initiative Award to celebrate and reward organizations that successfully conduct fundraising campaigns that generate income and strengthen constructive awareness-raising, he says.
The award includes a statuette by artist Jens Galschiøt and a prize of 25,000 DKK, which can be used for the organizationâs public engagement activities.
Photo Competition with Four Themes and a Bonus
In connection with CISU's General Assembly 2025, a photo competition will once again be held, open to all member organizations.
The best photos will be exhibited at the General Assembly. The winning photo will receive 10,000 DKK and will be featured on CISU's annual poster.
Above is the winning photo from 2024, Mikkel Hørlyck's image of a child navigating through waste and water in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown. The photo was submitted by Engineers Without Borders.
The 2025 photo competition features four categories and a special anniversary category: Collaboration Everyday Life Struggle Symbolism And the special category:
Change, where participants can submit more than one photo to showcase the transformation achieved. This category welcomes both single images and before/after photos from initiatives spanning the past 30 years.
All member organizations can participate via cisu.dk/foto25. The deadline is April 6, 2025.
Grants Committee in Place
The Civil Society Fund has just appointed three members to the Grants Committee. Carsten Nørgaard from Spor Media and Karen Ansbæk from the Danish Institute for Human Rights will continue from previous terms, while Ida Eddy Brask Sørensen from the AIDS Foundation joins as a new member.
The selection process prioritized candidates with solid experience in evaluating project applications and extensive knowledge of the efforts and working methods of civil society organizations, both in Denmark and the Global South.
The Grants Committee will begin its work early in 2025. Therefore, it is crucial to seek advice well in advance, at least three weeks before the application deadline.
Organizations seeking guidance on applications for small or large projects must request it no later than Monday, January 6. For small program applications, the deadline is February 10.
Seasonâs Greetings from CISUâs Leadership
2024 has been a truly remarkable year in many ways: At CISU, we have seen a record number of participants in our courses and at our annual folk high school, as well as more projects than ever being implemented by Danish civil society organizations and their partners. This dedication makes a significant difference for vulnerable people.
However, this tremendous commitment is more necessary than ever, as geopolitical challenges have been mounting: violations of democratic rights, persecution of minorities, climate change affecting the most vulnerable, and the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II. Looking ahead, we anticipate that geopolitical challenges will increasingly shape the framework for development cooperation.
From the Secretariat, we would like to thank CISUâs member organizations for the excellent collaboration in 2024 and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. We look forward to working with you in 2025 to continue making the world a better place.
Iben, Nicolai, and Jeef |
