The Step Up Fund for International Protection and Capacity Development

Six new partner organisations in Romania, Spain, Greece, and Italy are joining the Step-Up Fund. Below is an overview of the six organisations and their projects: 

• Romanian National Council for Refugees (CNRR): CNRR provides legal aid, social assistance and advocacy for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in Romania. Its team delivers personalised, needs-based support to ensure successful integration. 

With support from the Step-Up fund, CNRR will launch the Capacity Development for Trauma-Informed Practices and Mental Health Resilience project. The project strengthens staff wellbeing through trauma-informed practices and mental health training, enabling them to maintain high-quality service despite challenging work conditions. 

• Fundatia Inovatii Sociale Regina Maria: This Romanian NGO is dedicated to improving health, education, and integration for vulnerable groups, including refugees and migrants. Through its medical clinics and educational centers, the organisation provides essential healthcare and tailored programs to support disadvantaged individuals and refugee integration. 

The Global and Local Fundraising Pathways: Building Capacity for Sustainable Support project will boost the foundation's fundraising capabilities to ensure long-term support for Ukrainian refugees and other vulnerable communities. The initiative includes hiring a fundraising specialist, providing staff training, and equipping the team to secure diverse funding sources, ensuring the sustainability of humanitarian programs. 

• Mosaico - Azioni per i Rifugiati:  Founded in Turin in 2006 by refugees, MOSAICO supports asylum seekers and migrants by providing crucial information, fostering dialogue, and promoting social inclusion. Originally a grassroots initiative, it has grown into a structured non-profit with a diverse team of social mediators and strong local and international partnerships. 

Through the LEAD: Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Data for Inclusion project, MOSAICO will strengthen its advocacy efforts addressing inclusion and protection challenges for refugees and migrants. The project will provide sustainable solutions through structured work packages.

• GREEK FORUM OF MIGRANTS: GFM, a network of 42 migrant and refugee organisations founded in 2002, promotes integration, equal rights, and mutual respect. Acting as a cultural mediator, it connects diverse communities with Greek society and advocates for social inclusion and collective growth. 

The Training and Support of Migrant and Refugee Network project, GFM focuses on strengthening its fundraising capacity to ensure long-term financial sustainability. By empowering member organisations and leaders to secure funding independently, GFM will empower its network to support integration and advocacy initiatives effectively.

• Comissió Catalana d’Ajuda al Refugiat (CCAR): CCAR defends the right of asylum and supports refugees and migrants in Catalonia through legal aid, social and occupational programs, and advocacy. Its holistic approach promotes inclusion and autonomy for displaced people. 

The Refugees Welcome to Catalonia project enhances refugee reception by training and empowering volunteers to foster inclusion through critical and transformative actions. By strengthening social networks and countering xenophobia, the project supports intercultural coexistence and complements state reception programs. 

• Associació Iguality Lab i Comunitat: As a is a non-profit based in Catalonia, Iguality provides free mental health support to refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers who face barriers like financial constraints or mental health stigma. Iguality’s work ensures the access of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to care that improves their well-being. 

The Strengthening Capacity for a Higher Impact on Mental Health for Refugees in Spain project focuses on enhancing Iguality’s volunteer recruitment, management, and training. The project will help in building strategic alliances and fundraising skills to expand the organisation's impact and ensure sustainable support for mental health initiatives.

For Step Up Fund IV, seven projects from organisations from Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Italy and Malta were selected:

• Diaconia Spain is an NGO and social action platform with a mission to assist vulnerable people in the community, including asylum seekers, refugees and victims of human trafficking, providing shelter, legal aid, and integration support to families and individuals. Across 7 regions, and 12 locations in Spain, Diaconia provides 500 reception places for asylum seekers and refugees. 
  
  Through its Step Up Fund project – 4Children - Diaconia aims to develop and implement a Children's Action Plan that will help them better to support and assist accompanied minors within the reception system.  The ultimate aim is to enhance the participation and protection of refugee children and contribute to their growth and safety. 

• Defence for Children Greece: works to secure a just and viable future for all children present on the Greek territories, with a specific focus on children on the move, whether unaccompanied or with their families. The organisation provides direct legal services and support to children in need. It also advocates for better protection. Support includes psychosocial assistance, mentorship, and ensuring access to housing, healthcare, and education. 
  
  Its Step Up project Exelixis is aimed at advancing its capacity for trauma-informed support. Many of the displaced people that DfC Greece is assisting  those who have severe trauma from their experiences at home and en route. Through the project, a complete training cycle will be developed and implemented for staff and focal persons in refugee communities. The training will ensure that their legal counselling and other support will be more trauma-sensitive and will prevent retraumatization. 

• Caritas Cyprus is a grassroots, charitable organisation dedicated to helping those living in poverty, the oppressed, and the vulnerable. 95% of the people and families the organisation currently serves in Cyprus are refugees or asylum seekers. It has been providing wrap-around case-management services; delivering humanitarian assistance (food, medicine, diapers and household items); and serves as a one-stop-shop for those in need of information to gain access to social welfare, medical care, housing or employment. 
  
  Through the Step Up Fund, Caritas Cyprus, will work on its fundraising and communication capacity to ensure future sustainability of the organisation. The project will entail a series of trainings on tools for graphic design, donations management, crowdfunding and donor mobilisation. In addition, an action plan and best practices manual will be developed. The project will also include developing database-sections for fundraising monitoring, reporting and story-telling purposes. 

• Federación Andalucía Acoge Spain is dedicated to creating a plural and inclusive society that guarantees equal rights and opportunities for all people residing in Spain. The federation is currently made up of 9 associations, operating 21 centres for asylum seekers and refugees – serving thousands of people with legal, social and integration services each year throughout the region of Andalusia and in Melilla. 
  
  The federation has increasingly observed mental health challenges among people seeking international protection, as a result of traumatic experiences. Therefore, its Step UP project is aimed at improving mental health support for asylum seekers and refugees, through a series of staff trainings, by establishing internal mechanisms for dealing with mental health crisis situations, and the role of psychologist within it, and by collecting data and evidence to advocacy for coverage of mental health care by public institutions and resources.
• Fundacja Kocham Dębniki  was founded at the beginning of 2022 by local citizens in the city of Krakow to assist refugees from Ukraine seeking shelter in Poland. The organisation operates a community centre that has support thousands of refugees so far with basic necessities, psychosocial and childcare support, in addition to integration and language classes and hosting community events and workshops.  
  
  With its Step Up project, the organisation will develop and implement a community- focused communication & fundraising strategy. Throughout the year, communication and fundraising plans and materials will be developed, tested and rolled-out with the ultimate aim to secure the long-term viability of the organisation and the refugee and host communities they build and support.
• The Italian Council for Refugees (CIR): is an independent humanitarian organisation established in 1990, upon the initiative of the UN, with the aim of providing for and safeguarding the rights of asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Italy. The legal department of CIR provided legal assistance to refugees and asylum seekers. The social department of the organisation operates in six reception centres throughout the country, where it assists refugees to access social welfare, housing and to achieve socio-economic autonomy through vocational training and job placement. 
  
  In view of the hostile environment in Italy towards non-profits and refugees, and decreasing access to services, CIR’s Step Up project ‘Growing Up’ is aimed at creating secure and sustainable funding. The project aims to do so through training and counselling of staff by a fundraising expert, in addition to updating fundraising tools and the creation of a sustainable fundraising plan.
• Spark 15 Malta: is a grassroots, youth-driven, refugee-led organisation that aspires to foster an inclusive, fair, and welcoming environment for refugees within Maltese society. Spark 15 is led by volunteers and operates programmes centred around advocacy, sports, social events, and education, for example provided digital literacy and English language classes.
  
  Its Step Up project is geared towards creating a system for competency development of the organisation’s leadership. Through a series of train-the-trainer workshops and a buddy-system between leadership and new volunteers, skills and plans will be developed on communication and advocacy, and organisational and financial management, with the overall aim to improve the ability to advocate for the rights and well-being of displaced communities.

For Step Up Fund III, eight projects from organizations from Greece, Italy, Poland, and Spain were selected:

• The Melissa Network is an organization by and for migrant and refugee women in Greece, with over 500 members from 50 different countries. The organization provides a safe space for women to share experiences and learn, having developed an integration model with over 2700 women involved. Through the Step Up project 'Caring for the Carers,' the organization is creating a program for the mental well-being of its staff and volunteers.
• SolidarityNow works for an inclusive society in Greece. With 250 employees and 70 volunteers, the organization carries out projects across the country to help refugees and migrants to pursue a better future, with dignity and perspectives. Through the Step Up project 'Rights for All,'the organization is improving its advocacy strategy and efforts to better represent the collective interests of refugees.
• Starfish Foundation, founded by locas on Lesbos (Greece) in 2015, works for a better life for refugees and local residents on the island. The organization runs an open center for education and entrepreneurship. With the Step Up project 'Future Preparedness,' the organization is strategizing to adapt to the ever-changing reality for refugees on Lesbos and in Greece.
• The Italian Consortium for Solidarity (ICS) in Trieste offers shelter and guidance to asylum seekers and refugees in the city, with a team of about 140 people. The organization also implements projects in the realm of education and integration pf refugees With the Step Up project 'StreetInfo,' the organization provides legal and practical advice to refugees 'on the street' who are not (yet) in formal accommodation and protection services.
• Mediterranea Saving Humans is an Italian platform advocating for migrant and refugee protection and rights. The platform monitors and documents refugee protection ad sea and performs rescue operations with its ship 'Mare Jonio.' Their Step Up project 'You Are Welcome' aims to establish a network of aidpoints throughout Italy where refugees can seek advice and assistance.
• Egala Association (Poland) operates on the border between Poland and Belarus, offering humanitarian and legal aid to refugees in the border area and in Polish detention centers since 2021. Through their Step Up project, the organization is developing a strategy to ensure long-term work in the region and care for their team's mental well-being.
• Iridía – Center of Defense for Human Rights is a Spanish human rights organization from Catalonia that supports victims of human rights violations through legal assistance, strategic litigation, and campaigns for policy change. Iridía's Step Up project focuses on monitoring and exposing human rights violations at the Spanish borders in collaboration with activists and local organizations on the ground.
• Caminando Fronteras is a Spanish collective of activists and fieldworkers advocating for the rights of migrants and refugees at the Euro-African western border. The organization monitors human rights violations, and pushbacks, and provides legal support and assistance to refugees and famlies looking for their loved ones. . Through their Step Up project, Caminando Fronteras aims to improve their communication systems, so that refugees can access accurate information, and in order to ensure Caminando is a reliable source for media and researchers.

In 2021 - 2022, eight organisations were selected for Step Up Fund II. These organizations are located in Italy, Greece, and Spain and offer a range of services and support for asylum seekers and refugees. These include legal advice, job placement assistance, housing for youth in Athens, and contributing to the political debate to enhance protection and asylum procedures.

These organizations and projects were selected:

• A Buon Diritto Onlus (Italy): Creating structured and effective information storage software to strengthen the organization’s legal services to asylum seekers and refugees and its communication with donors.
• Asociación Kudwa (Spain): Learning to raise the voices of migrants and refugees in Catalonia through an intensive twinning and training programme with a refugee-led organization in the Netherlands.
• Congolese Community of Greece: Developing a communication and fundraising strategy through training and expert input, involving not only the Congolese Community but other migrant communities in Greece as well.
• ENGIM (Italy): Through the development of online course materials and video’s, ENGIM improved the quality of its in-house training programme for volunteers who assist refugees throughouth Italy.
• Mundo en Movimiento (Spain): The development of a horizontal peer-to-peer programme in which refugees providesupport to refugees to settle down in Spain after they no longer receive government-led support.
• Programma Integra (Italy): Practical inquiry into the pros and cons of attracting private investors through impact investmentin refugees integration programs.
• Velos Youth (Greece): Designing a new theory of change to create a stronger rationale that links the organization’s activities working with refugee youth in Athens with the change that Velos Youth aims to achieve for this group.
• SYMBIOSIS (Greece): Building an online learning platform to facilitate coalition building with other NGOs, thereby enabling joined advocacy and networking strategies and share learning initiatives.

In the first year of DCR's Step Up Fund, organisations from Croatia, Italy, and Spain were invited to apply. From 65 applications, eight projects were selected. These varied from developing projects to support boat refugees in Sicily to advocating against border detention in Italy, establishing a network of asylum lawyers, and providing psychological support for volunteers in Croatia.

These organizations were selected:

• Are You Syrious (Croatia): Training employees and volunteers to better serve the target group, from data collection to strategic litigation at national, European and UN level.
• The Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration - ASGI (Italy): Training association members accross Italy for effective communication and advocacy of their work.
• Centre for Peace Studies – CPS (Croatia): Strengthening volunteer management, from recruitment and training to practical support for asylum seekers and refugees.
• Croatian Law Centre: Development of an (online) network platform for asylum lawyers.
• Porco Rosso (Italy): Developing a fundraising and project development strategy building relationships with institutional funds, and identifying potential grant application opportunities.
• Progestion (Spain): Developing a training program for employees in the field of international asylum law, migration, gender, intercultural and psychosocial issues.
• Refugee Welcome Spain: Project management and fundraising to scale up an online platform for local residents who would like to (temporarily) share their house with refugees.
• Rescate (Spain): Fundraising for the protection of female refugees