World Association For Christian Communication

Charity Number: 296073

Annual Expenditure: £1.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,339,756 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Typically 2-3 months from concept note submission
  • Grant Range: €8,000 - €15,000 (typically €10,000-€13,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Global South (DAC list countries)

Contact Details

Website: www.waccglobal.org

Email: WACC@waccglobal.org

Phone: 020 8142 5851

Project Enquiries: projects@waccglobal.org

Overview

Founded in 1968 through the merger of Christian broadcasting organizations, the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) is a pioneer of the communication rights movement and registered charity (296073) in the UK. With annual income of £1.34 million (2024), WACC partners with grassroots civil society organizations in approximately 35 countries each year. As a global ecumenical association, WACC promotes communication rights as a pillar of social change and sustainable development, with a particular focus on marginalized communities in the Global South. The organization operates through advocacy, education, training, and knowledge creation, collaborating with both faith-based and secular partners. WACC's current Strategic Plan (2022-2026) emphasizes building transformative movements that shape policies founded on human dignity, human rights, and democratic principles while maintaining its core commitment to supporting grassroots communication initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

WACC operates multiple thematic programs through annual Calls for Projects:

  • Communication Rights in the Digital Age: €10,000 per project (Africa and Middle East focus)
  • Climate Justice and Communication Rights: €10,000 per project (Middle East, Latin America, Africa)
  • Migration and Communication Rights: €10,000 per project (Caribbean, Middle East, Pacific)
  • Gender and Communication Rights: €13,000 per project (Caribbean, Asia, Europe, Middle East)
  • Community Radio Programme: Capacity building for community radio stations worldwide
  • Communication for All Program (CAP): Funded by Bread for the World-Germany

Most project support ranges between €8,000-€10,000, though WACC will consider grants up to approximately €15,000. Grants can cover entire project budgets or partial funding for larger budgets up to €30,000 where additional funding is secured from other partners.

Application Method: Two-stage process (concept notes followed by full proposals for selected applicants). Applications submitted to projects@waccglobal.org with relevant program subject lines.

Priority Areas

  • Communication Rights: Promoting the right to communicate and be in communication as a fundamental human right
  • Gender Justice: Advancing women's communication rights and gender equality in media (coordinates Global Media Monitoring Project since 1995)
  • Indigenous Rights: Strengthening Indigenous community media and communication capacities
  • Digital Rights: Addressing digital colonialism, AI ethics, and democratizing digital spaces
  • Climate Communication: Supporting climate justice advocacy through community media
  • Community Radio: Building capacity of grassroots radio stations for local development
  • Social Justice: Projects demonstrating empowerment, participation, freedom, and prophetic voice

Projects must align with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Justice, Peace, and Strong Institutions).

What They Don't Fund

  • Applications from individuals
  • Government institutions
  • Organizations outside DAC (Development Assistance Committee) list countries
  • More than one project per organization per year
  • Organizations without established track record in communication/media work
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Governance and Leadership

President: Embert Charles - Communications and media specialist from Saint Lucia with nearly 40 years of WACC membership. Re-elected for 2023-2027 term. Former Managing Director of Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (2008-17) and Director of Information Services for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

General Secretary: Dr. Philip Lee, D.D. (h.c.) - Joined WACC in 1975.

Treasurer: Stephen Brown - Elected 2019-2023, previously served 2015-2019. Member of WACC Europe steering committee since 2008, serving as vice-president (2011-2014) and president (2015-2019).

Board Structure: 12 trustees with 8 board members representing all WACC regions (four women and four men). The organization employs 6 staff members.

On Leadership Priorities: General Secretary Philip Lee states: “Truth, human dignity and non-violence are three universal principles that ought to shape and define communication rights in a divided world.” Lee emphasizes that "support for grassroots communication initiatives — for real people facing existential problems — has been and remains WACC's core enterprise," while stressing WACC's crucial role in working for structural change to address the causes of injustice. He warns that “the convergence of digital platforms and AI poses new challenges to communication rights that need to be identified, systematized, and independently regulated to prevent a global system from emerging that is entirely dominated and controlled by corporate interests and despotic regimes.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

WACC uses a two-stage application process:

  1. Stage 1 - Concept Note: Initial applications submitted as concept notes to projects@waccglobal.org with subject line indicating the relevant program (e.g., “Migration and Communication Rights Program”)
  1. Stage 2 - Full Proposal: Selected applicants are invited to submit full proposals by specified deadlines

Eligibility: Civil society organizations in DAC list countries, including church or church-related institutions, NGOs, and community-based organizations (CBOs). Must share WACC's vision of “Communication for All.”

Annual Call for Projects: WACC issues annual Calls for Projects specifying thematic priorities, regional focus, number of projects to be funded, and submission deadlines.

Decision Timeline

Typically 2-3 months from concept note submission to final decision. Selected applicants notified and invited to submit full proposals, with final award decisions communicated after full proposal review.

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics not publicly available. WACC partners with approximately 35 organizations annually across multiple regions.

Reapplication Policy

WACC will support only one project application per year from any organization. Organizations may reapply in subsequent years. Specific waiting period for unsuccessful applicants not publicly stated.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Criteria Based on WACC's Priorities:

  • Communication Rights Focus: Projects must demonstrate how they advance communication rights as fundamental human rights, enabling people to “express themselves individually and collectively by all means of communication”
  • Empowerment Orientation: Demonstrate concern for empowerment through creating community, strengthening participation and freedom, developing cultures, and being prophetic (aligned with WACC's Christian Principles of Communication)
  • Grassroots Impact: Direct benefit to marginalized and vulnerable communities, particularly Indigenous peoples, women, migrants, and climate-affected populations
  • Capacity Building: Emphasis on building local communication capacities rather than one-off activities
  • Rights-Based Approach: Ground projects in principles of human dignity, equality, and democratic participation

Recent Funded Projects as Examples:

  • Methodist Development and Relief Agency (MeDRA), Zimbabwe: Helping communities access knowledge for climate change adaptation
  • AEPDI and Cultural Survival: Strengthening Indigenous community radio in Central America (Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama)
  • Community Media Network (CMN), Jordan: Using radio to change narratives around migration and support Syrian refugee children
  • Ideosync Media Combine, India: Enhancing digital inclusion of Soliga Indigenous communities in Karnataka
  • Argentine Forum of Community Radios (FARCO): Creating Indigenous communicators network
  • Uks Research Center, Pakistan: SafeWords initiative to combat online sexist abuse in Pakistani languages

Language and Terminology Used:

  • Communication rights, not just access
  • Empowerment and participation
  • Human dignity and social justice
  • Democratizing communication
  • Structural change
  • Marginalized communities
  • Community-led development

Tips for Standing Out:

  • Clearly articulate how the project advances communication as a fundamental right
  • Demonstrate understanding of WACC's theological/ethical foundation while showing secular partnerships
  • Show how project addresses root causes of injustice, not just symptoms
  • Include capacity building and sustainability components
  • Demonstrate organizational track record in communication/media work
  • Connect to global solidarity movements while maintaining local relevance
  • Show innovation in addressing digital challenges facing vulnerable communities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Communication rights lens is essential: Frame projects around the right to communicate, not just media production or access. WACC views communication as fundamental to human dignity.
  • Grassroots focus wins: WACC explicitly prioritizes “real people facing existential problems.” Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to marginalized communities, particularly Indigenous peoples, women, migrants, and those affected by climate change.
  • One shot per year: Organizations can only submit one application per year, so choose your strongest project idea and align it clearly with WACC's annual Call for Projects themes.
  • Two-stage process requires strong concept: The concept note is your gateway to a full proposal invitation. Make it compelling and aligned with WACC's priorities from the start.
  • Regional targeting matters: WACC specifies regional priorities for each program area in their annual calls. Ensure your project geography matches the specified regions.
  • DAC list eligibility is non-negotiable: Only organizations in Development Assistance Committee list countries are eligible. Verify your country's status before applying.
  • Structural change mindset: While supporting grassroots initiatives, WACC values projects that address systemic causes of injustice and contribute to policy advocacy or broader movement building.

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