Calls for proposals are a procurement method designed to encourage initiative on the part of civil society by describing the expected results to be achieved through the grants while still allowing civil society actors to independently suggest the means and methods by which such results should be achieved. These grants are allocated through a strict and transparent process and do not exceed ZAR 2 million.

A Targeted call grant is a procurement mechanism that is used to identify and/or appoint grantees or service providers where the FHR itself has determined the nature and scope of the services it requires and has called upon civil society organizations to express an interest in providing the service by way of application in response to the call.

The social justice and human rights sectors often have to respond to immediate human rights needs and initiatives at a grassroots or national level. This requires a certain level of flexibility in the funding process. Accordingly, the FHR introduced a system for discretionary funding of eligible projects relevant to our strategies. This expedites the grantmaking process while ensuring that the required level of transparency and accountability is observed. We therefore accept unsolicited proposals for funding up to R250 000 subject to approval by our Executive Director. In some circumstances discretionary grants may exceed ZAR 250 000, but in these cases the chain of approval requires the involvement of one or more FHR board members.

The Executive Director of the FHR has the discretion to fund projects considered to be ‘urgent’ to a maximum amount of R150 000. ‘Urgency’ is defined as “a situation where an initiative of strategic importance requires immediate action and cannot wait for Board approval, and where failure to take immediate action would adversely affect the human rights sector.”