Support. Don’t Punish Initiatives programme 2024

The Support. Don’t Punish campaign’s Initiatives Programme awards strategic, creative and collaborative projects to carry out ambitious campaigning and advocacy work-plans.

Call for Expressions of Interest

Through this call, the Support. Don’t Punish campaign aims to identify and support local partners (up to 7) with funding of between USD 4,000 – 5,000 for strategic, creative and collaborative projects to be carried out from October 2024 to February 2025.

The activities proposed must seek to advance drug policy reform, bolster harm reduction and build bridges with/within/between communities disproportionately impacted by the ‘war on drugs’ (e.g. people who use drugs, farmers of crops deemed illicit, youth, racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, sex workers, among many others).

Kindly note that the Support. Don’t Punish Initiatives Programme differs in size and scope from the regular small grants that the campaign deploys yearly to support the realisation of activities during the Global Day of Action (26 June).

Grant specifications

Since 2013, Support. Don’t Punish local partners have organised over 2,100 activities in more than 120 countries — accelerating moves toward reform in response to local needs. These events range from sports and arts events, to press engagement workshops, to formal advocacy with policymakers, and many more.

Successful applicants to the Initiatives Programme will have demonstrated how their proposed work-plan of activities strategically, creatively and collaboratively tackles specific challenges experienced in their communities in relation to drug policy and harm reduction, as part of wider ongoing efforts for change.

In seeking inspiration, please do check out the activities organised as part of prior rounds of the Initiatives Programme: 2020, 2022, 2023.

We expect this to be a highly competitive process. We tend to receive close to 90 applications and can only award a handful of applicants. If you have questions on eligibility, please drop us a line. While we are not be able to offer detailed advice on your proposal, we are happy to provide orientation.

While colleagues from all regions are invited to apply, priority will be given to proposals from the Asian and African continents. Groups that have previously received an Initiatives Programme grant are unlikely to be awarded on this round.

Application and selection process

  • Application period: 12 August 2024 – 2 September 2024.
  • Assessment period: 2 – 16 September 2024.
  • Notification of support: 23-27 September 2024.
  • Initiative implementation: 1 October 2024 – 15 February 2025.
  • Feedback submission period: 15 – 28 February 2025.

To apply, please fill in the application form available here. A preview of the form can be accessed here.

We can receive applications in English, French and Spanish. Other languages can be considered on a case-by-case basis.