Deadline:
Jun 2, 2026Background and Institutional Overview:
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the globe. Established by the United States Congress in 1983, NED operates as an independent, private foundation that makes direct grants to nongovernmental organizations worldwide working to advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions. Each year, NED makes more than 2,000 grants to support projects by civil society organizations operating in more than 100 countries across six continents, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. NED is guided by a five-year strategy and governed by a bipartisan Board of Directors that makes quarterly funding decisions. The Endowment supports a wide range of democratic institutions and activities, including political processes, civic organizations, trade unions, free markets, business organizations, independent media, the rule of law, human rights advocacy, and civic education. NED also operates specialized programs including the Impact Lab for experimentation and evidence-building, the Democracy Accelerator for activists and scholars, and the Carl Gershman Fund for Democracy Advocates at Risk.
Relevance to Nepal:
Nepal is explicitly listed among NED's eligible and actively funded countries. NED has a documented history of supporting civil society and democratic institutions in Nepal, including grants to organizations like Antenna Foundation Nepal for raising awareness of constitution-drafting processes through national and local radio programming. In its most recent reporting, NED specifically highlighted Nepal as one of the countries where citizens seized fragile openings, started the hard work of building more democratic institutions, pressed for fair elections, reclaimed civic space, and laid foundations for longer-term democratic progress. Nepal's status as a country undergoing continued democratic consolidation, with active civil society engagement, federalism implementation challenges, and evolving governance structures, makes it a strong fit for NED's funding priorities. Nepali NGOs, civic organizations, independent media outlets, and associations working on democratic governance, human rights, rule of law, civic participation, accountability, transparency, media freedom, and inclusive democratic processes are well-positioned to apply for NED funding.
Eligibility Requirements:
NED funds only nongovernmental organizations, which may include civic organizations, associations, independent media, and other similar entities. NED does not make grants to individuals, governmental bodies, or state-supported institutions such as public universities. NED does not fund democracy-related projects proposing a program implemented in the United States or other established democracies, but does support organizations based in those countries that work on eligible countries and regions. All proposed projects must be consistent with NED's general purposes as outlined in the NED Statement of Principles and Objectives. NED encourages applications from organizations working in diverse political environments, including nascent democracies, countries undergoing democratic transitions, semi-authoritarian countries, and highly repressive societies.
Priority Areas and Types of Projects:
NED is interested in proposals from local, independent organizations for nonpartisan programs that seek to promote and defend human rights and the rule of law; support freedom of information and independent media; strengthen democratic ideas and values; promote accountability and transparency in governance; strengthen democratic political processes and institutions; support civic education and civic participation; strengthen civil society organizations and networks; promote democratic labor rights and labor organizations; support market-oriented economic reform and the development of free enterprise; and engage in any other activities consistent with NED's democratic mission. Projects should clearly outline their objectives, expected outcomes, and strategies for strengthening democratic participation or governance within the applicant's specific political and social context.
Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals are evaluated and selected according to three primary criteria: how a program fits within the Endowment's overall priorities and strategic direction; its relevance to specific needs and conditions in the particular country where the project will take place; and the democratic commitment and experience of the applicant organization. NED's Board of Directors makes funding decisions on a quarterly basis, assessing proposals holistically against these criteria and the broader portfolio of NED's global grantmaking.
Application and Submission Process:
To apply for a grant, applicants must complete three required forms and write a narrative proposal describing their project. The required application materials are the Organizational Profile Form (collecting basic organizational information), the Application Proposal Form (collecting project-specific information), and the Proposal Narrative (following NED's Proposal Guidelines, describing the project in detail in English or the applicant's local language). Additionally, applicants must prepare a Proposal Budget using NED's budget template, providing a detailed financial description of the project that corresponds to the activities described in the narrative. All application forms have been updated to PDF format; old Excel versions are no longer accepted. Completed applications must be submitted via email or secure communication to the appropriate regional address based on where the project will take place. For projects based in Nepal and other Asian countries, proposals should be submitted to asia@ned.org. Physical submissions may also be sent by post to: National Endowment for Democracy, Attn: Grant Proposals, 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA. If applicants need help submitting their proposal, they may contact NED staff for region-specific assistance.
Grant Duration and Deadlines:
The average NED grant lasts approximately 12 months. There are four proposal submission deadlines per year, corresponding to quarterly Board of Directors meetings in January, April, June, and October. Exact deadline dates are published on the NED website. Proposals submitted after a deadline are considered for the following funding cycle. The next upcoming deadline is June 2, 2026. Decisions are communicated after each quarterly Board meeting.
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Deadline: Jun 2, 2026
Wellcome + NIHR: £1M–£8M for randomised controlled trials optimising infectious disease treatments. Must be led from Africa/South Asia/SE Asia. Nepal explicitly eligible. 8–12 awards. Deadline: June 2, 2026.
Deadline: Jun 5, 2026
Together Women Rise offers two-year Featured Grants of $35,000–$50,000 to women-led organizations empowering women and girls in the Global South, including Nepal. Requires US 501(c)(3) status or a US fiscal sponsor. Deadline: June 5, 2026.
Deadline: Jun 5, 2026
Together Women Rise: $35,000–$50,000 over 2 years for orgs empowering women/girls in Global South. At least 12 grants/year. Nepal eligible via US 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsor. Apply: May 5 – June 5, 2026.
Deadline: Jun 5, 2026
AmplifyChange Strengthening Grant: £100,000–£200,000 for small/medium CSOs advocating for sexual & reproductive health & rights. Nepal explicitly listed. 2–3 years. Opens May 21 – closes June 16, 2026.
