FUNDING INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Cosc is an online platform that is dedicated to the prevention of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in Ireland. While we do not directly provide funding for services for victims, we are committed to guiding service providers and individuals through the complex landscape of funding opportunities available to them.

Awareness Raising Activities

Cosc is deeply invested in raising awareness about domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. We acknowledge the importance of changing societal behaviours and attitudes regarding these critical issues. In recent years, national awareness campaigns have been initiated to increase recognition and understanding of this violence. We believe that continuous local and national awareness campaigns are vital in achieving our goals.

Although Cosc is not a direct funding body, we help organisations and individuals understand and access different funding resources to support their awareness raising activities. Past campaigns have received support, and we encourage more organisations to tap into such resources.

Funding Opportunities for Perpetrator Intervention Programmes

Perpetrator intervention programmes are crucial in combating domestic violence. These programmes work to change the attitudes and behaviour of perpetrators of violence. There are currently various intervention programmes throughout Ireland, working with individuals referred in various ways, including self-referral and by court mandate.

While we do not directly fund these programmes, we believe it is essential to guide organisations in accessing financial resources to ensure the sustainability of their invaluable work.

Additional Funding Opportunities

We understand the importance of diversifying funding sources for domestic violence services. Hence, we also provide information on other possible funding avenues.

The European Commission, for instance, provides funding opportunities under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme and the Justice Programme. These programmes are particularly relevant to organisations focusing on domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

One notable funding opportunity is Daphne, an initiative designed to prevent and combat all forms of violence against children, young people, and women, and to protect victims of such violence. There are two funding streams under Daphne, the Action grant funding and Operating grant funding. While the latter is restricted to organisations operating as European Networks, Action grants are more relevant to Irish organisations.

How to Access Funding and Raise Funds

Applying for and securing funding can often be a challenging task. However, understanding how funding bodies operate and what they are looking for can significantly improve your chances of securing the necessary resources for your organisation.

Here are a few tips:

  1. Identify Relevant Funding Bodies: Based on your project needs, research and identify the funding bodies that are most likely to support your work. Check their grant cycle, application guidelines, and eligibility criteria before applying.
  2. Create a Compelling Proposal: Crafting a compelling grant proposal is crucial. Ensure it clearly outlines your project’s objectives, the problem you’re addressing, your proposed solution, and the impact it will have. Include a detailed budget and timeline.
  3. Acknowledge Funding: Once you receive funding, remember to acknowledge the funding source in your promotional materials and reports. Most funding bodies require this acknowledgment as part of their funding agreement.
  4. Report Your Progress: Regularly report the progress of your project to your funder. This can help build trust and increase your chances of securing future funding.
  5. Explore Crowd-funding Platforms: In addition to traditional grant funding, consider leveraging crowd-funding platforms to raise funds for your projects.
  6. Build Partnerships: Collaborate with other organisations or corporate entities. Partnerships can not only bring additional resources but also enhance the scope and reach of your project.

At Cosc, we are committed to providing support and resources for combating domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in Ireland. Although we do not directly provide funding, we hope this guide can aid organisations in their mission to raise funds for the support of this cause in Ireland.

A Resource on Domestic Violence: Your Guide to Funding and Awareness Initiatives

Welcome to the new home of a valuable resource on Domestic Violence in Ireland. Here, we are dedicated to providing crucial information, resources, and strategies to address domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Our focus is on raising awareness, sharing guidelines for perpetrator intervention programmes, and providing crucial information about funding resources. This page is intended to serve as a guide for organisations, professionals, and anyone else interested in these issues.

Raising Awareness

A Strategy for Prevention and Recognition Addressing domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in our society is a high-priority goal for us. The approach includes the promotion of a culture of prevention and recognition through an increased understanding of these forms of violence.

The process of raising awareness is a significant aspect of this strategy, and we hope to help service providers and professionals develop and implement national and local campaigns. These campaigns should challenge existing myths and misunderstandings about domestic violence and increase awareness and understanding of the problem.

In the recent past, various successful campaigns were carried out in Ireland, such as the national awareness campaign “What would you do?”, which was launched in 2016 as part of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021.

The campaign aimed to change established societal behaviours and attitudes regarding domestic and sexual violence. It recognised that both men and women can be victims of these crimes. This campaign is a useful benchmark for future campaigns, emphasising the need to activate bystanders with the goal of preventing violence.

Funding: Resources and Opportunities

While we do not directly provide funding, we believe in the importance of supporting service providers in their pursuit of financial assistance. Many opportunities for funding exist, and we are committed to providing information about these sources.

Some of these sources include Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. They provide funding for capital, staffing, and running costs.

EU Funding Programs

The European Commission under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme and the Justice Programme offers funding opportunities. The Daphne funding stream under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme is particularly relevant to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. There is also one stream of funding under the Justice Programme which organisations may wish to investigate, related to projects supporting victims under the EU Victims Directive.

DAPHNE

An EU Funding Stream The purpose of Daphne is to prevent and combat violence against children, young people, women, and other at-risk groups. It focuses particularly on groups at risk of violence in close relationships and aims to protect victims of such violence. Daphne has two streams of funding: Action grant funding and Operating grant funding. Operating grants are typically restricted to organisations operating as European Networks, while Action grants are more relevant to Irish organisations.

Perpetrator Intervention Programmes

Developing suitable interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence is a key focus for us. These programmes seek to change attitudes and behaviour while ensuring support for the victims during this transition period. Currently, there are about 13 intervention programmes in the country, dealing with clients referred in a variety of ways, including self-referral and court mandate.

Guidelines & Resources

We offer a range of resources aimed at aiding public awareness-raising activities related to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. The Guiding Principles for Public Awareness Raising Activities offers recommendations for conducting such activities. These guidelines encourage a shift from focusing on the victim to including a focus on the perpetrator and bystander.

Similarly, the Guidance on Approaches to Promoting and Developing an Understanding of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence presents strategies for raising awareness among professionals and the wider community. It aims to promote understanding of these forms of violence, their root causes, and their impact on individuals and society.

In addition, we offer guidelines for organisations seeking to apply for funding to support their work. These guidelines can be found in the Funding Application Guidelines document. This document provides detailed instructions for how to apply for different types of funding, what to include in your application, and what funders are looking for.

National & Local Policy

Understanding the national and local policy landscape is vital for organisations working to address domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. We provide resources that summarise key policies and their implications, including the National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence and the local implementation plans developed by each of the Local Authorities and the Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

We also offer guidelines and resources for engaging with policymakers and advocating for changes in policy to better address these forms of violence. This includes the Policy Advocacy Guidelines, which provide advice on how to effectively communicate with policymakers and influence policy decisions.

Educational Opportunities

We list educational opportunities related to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, such as training courses, seminars, and workshops. These may be useful for professionals seeking to increase their knowledge and skills in this area, or for organisations looking to train their staff. In addition, we list relevant academic programmes and research opportunities.

Our mission is to provide a valuable resource for everyone interested in addressing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland. This includes professionals, service providers, educators, researchers, policymakers, and members of the general public.

By providing information on awareness-raising strategies, funding opportunities, perpetrator intervention programs, guidelines and resources, national and local policy, and educational opportunities, we hope to support and empower those working to address these serious issues in our society. We invite you to explore our resources and to join us in our mission.