Grants from Trust for Mutual Understanding (TMU)

Description

1) Objective 

The Trust for Mutual Understanding was established in 1984 by an anonymous American philanthropist as a private, grantmaking organization dedicated to promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater respect between the people of the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries in Eastern and Central Europe. It awards grants to American nonprofit organisations to support the international travel component of cultural and environmental exchanges conducted in partnership with institutions and individuals in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. Priority consideration is given to projects that involve direct, in-depth professional interaction, with the potential for sustained collaboration; that show evidence of professional accomplishment and innovation; and/or that respond to social contexts and engage local communities.

They focus on: (1) Arts and Culture: Creative artistic collaborations, curatorial research projects, performances given in conjunction with lecture/demonstrations and/or workshops, conservation and historic preservation projects, arts management programs, and cultural documentation activities; and (2) Environment: Ecosystem and habitat conservation programs, land use planning projects, activities that facilitate more effective international contact between environmental organisations, measures designed to preserve biodiversity, and efforts to encourage environmental sustainability.

2) Eligibility 

While the Initial Inquiry may be made by an individual or institution in any of the countries in which the Trust is active, the Final Proposal must be submitted by an American non-profit organisation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, as TMU does not make grants directly to institutions or individuals abroad.

3) Location 

The Trust is active in the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

4) Budget 

Expenses eligible for funding include: international airfare, airport transfers, travel insurance, visas (and all applicable visa processing fees), lodging, and per diem. The Trust also allows up to 20% of the total eligible expenses to be allocated toward ‘administrative costs’. Individual grant sizes generally are around $5,000 to $50,000. Their annual funding volume is around $2,000,000.

5) Application 

The online application process (applicants need to create a TMU user account) is divided into two stages: (1) the Initial Inquiry, and (2) the Final Proposal. Once the Initial Inquiry is submitted, applicants will be notified of the status of their project within two-weeks. Due to the large number of inquiries the Trust receives, potential applicants are urged to submit an Initial Inquiry at least three months prior to the deadline for submitting the final proposal (the deadlines are 1 May and 1 November each year).