The Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation is currently accepting applications from local non-profit organizations from the following countries:

+Sri Lanka

Projects will be funded provided they meet our funding guidelines and fall within our focus areas. (Details below and in our application handbook)

Our vision.

Every person has access to independent, self-determined and sustainable livelihoods.


Our mission.

As the Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation, we support entrepreneurial and income-generating initiatives in regions that currently do not have fair access to the global economic system. We work with local organizations that implement projects for positive change and economic independence in their communities.


Funding guidelines.

1. Organization.
The applicant organization must be recognized as a non-profit organization, NPO or NGO in its respective country. Ideally, organizations apply directly, without intermediary organizations, as we prefer to fund organizations directly to avoid duplication of expenses.

2. Project countries.
Applications will be considered from organizations with projects in the following countries: Sri Lanka. The project country is fixed and is not flexible.

3. Timeframe & budget.
Amounts between 10,000€ – 50,000€ per calendar year can be funded. The maximum project duration is three years. We encourage applications for multi-year projects as we like to build relationships. However, if there is a good case for a one-year application, it may be considered.

4. Evaluation.
The entire process from evaluation to funding can take up to 6 months. The main criteria here are:

+ Does the project speak to one of our focus areas?

+ Does the project seem feasible in the form presented?

+ Who is involved in the project? Behind every effective project there is always a strong organization. And both must fit together. That’s why we also take a close look at the implementing organization.

5. Grant approval.
In case of a positive decision on your application and after clarification, visitation and administration, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between your organization and the Foundation.

6. Reasons for non-consideration.
Applications will not be considered if:

+ it is not complete

+ the organization is not located in a project country

+ the application does not relate to one of the priority areas

+ the application contains discriminatory content

Our focus areas.

As our vision and mission already state, our concern is to contribute to a system that gives all people the opportunity to be economically included, to be entrepreneurial and to generate income. As such, our project grants focus on the interconnected areas of education, access to finance, value chains, and advocacy. In this context, our cross-cutting themes strengthen the inclusion of marginalized populations, gender, innovation, our climate and planetary resources.

Value Chains: Growth as we have known it so far tends to be exclusive and not beneficial for a large part of the population. Therefore, this focus area aims to create access to value chains and value for those who are often at the end of global value chains.

Education: All of our projects aim to empower people in different ways and on different topics. They contribute to inclusive and equitable quality education that enables individuals to make their own informed choices and understand the impact of their actions on the environment.

Advocacy: Campaigning for a marginalized group or issue is necessary to potentially gain more support or funding, or simply to bring attention to an underfunded issue. It can also be a necessary activity, complementary to direct project implementation, to ensure project success on a systematic level.

Access to Finance: The term “access to finance” is often used concurrently with the term financial inclusion and aims to provide access to financial services for groups that do not have access to formal finance. It is an enabler for entrepreneurial action that has a greater social impact on the surrounding society.

Cross-cutting themes.

Cross-cutting themes are topics that we believe need to be addressed in order to contribute holistically to a more equitable world. These do not have to be the sole focus of a project, but can be addressed in parts and are often interconnected.

Gender: We support projects that work to reduce structural gender inequalities.

Marginalized people: We work with projects that target groups of people who have historically been excluded from development initiatives, such as indigenous groups or people with disabilities.

Innovation: In innovation lies the key for any entrepreneur. Projects that focus on a pilot project or try out new ideas and share lessons learned are innovative.

Climate & Resource Management: We consider projects that contribute to the resilience of their communities to climate shocks and promote resource management to mitigate the ongoing global climate crisis.

Apply now!

To apply, complete our application forms in compliance with the funding guidelines. Additional questions are answered in the application guide. Applications should be sent to the following e-mail address: projects@lemonaid-charitea-ev.org. Please note that the application and funding process can take up to six months.


How to: watch our virtual application session!


To watch our virtual application session with additional information please click here


Application Deadline

The application deadline is the 15th September 2023.


All necessary application documents can be found here: 

Application handbook

Application document

Finance and budget plan



Please do understand that we can only accept completed application documents in our templates.