The INSTANT Capacity Fund

• aca
• February 14, 2014

The INSTANT Capacity fund is a grant-giving program of the Africa Capacity Alliance (ACA) which was established in 2009. INSTANT provides Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the grassroots with access to small mentored grants for implementing capacity building interventions that provide the greatest potential for better health outcomes in Africa. Through its in built mentoring approach, INSTANT also strengthens the abilities of CSOs in identification, design and implementation of relevant and innovative interventions.

INSTANT focuses on capacity building initiatives in three key technical areas that are aligned to ACA’s strategic plan. These are: 1) Significant and Infectious Diseases 2)Non-Communicable Diseases and 3) Health Equity and Rights.

INSTANT is conceptualized to achieve six key objectives:

• a) INNOVATION: INSTANT spurs the generation of new and cost effective methods of responding to health needs.
• b) RESPONSIVENESS: INSTANT, through its focus on community-level structures, ensures a capacity building approach that is responsive to emerging and priority areas directly affecting communities.
• c) ACCESSIBILITY: INSTANT enhances capacities of community actors at the grassroots level.
• d) INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY STRENGTHENING:INSTANT builds the capacities of grantees in organizational development in program design,monitoring and evaluation and financial management.
• e) REPLICABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OFINNOVATIONS: INSTANT is a seed bed/nursery for testing novel capacity building concepts which, on successful completion, can be scaled up or replicated.
• f) CROSS FERTILIZATION OF IDEAS: INSTANTencourages exchange of best practices between participating implementers.

INSTANT achieves these objectives by supporting projects that engage in Capacity Development, Information and Knowledge Management, Advocacy and Research and Monitoring and Evaluation. This fund ensures development of innovative projects by encouraging CSOs to leverage their unique and diverse comparative advantages to address current and emerging issues.

INSTANT achieves an exponential impact by building capacity through both the programs it funds as well as through the implementers themselves. INSTANT is therefore able to demonstrate a higher return on investment than typical small grant projects.

For more information, download the  INSTANT brochure here. [download id=”304″]