Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Welcome Alliance Fund was established to channel funding to the right places in society even during crises. This funding instrument consists of both public and private funds. "And we, as Project Together with the Welcome Alliance team, have created the framework for this," explains Sebastian Heinrichs, fund manager at the Welcome Alliance Fund. An external expert committee made up of representatives from government, civil society, and the economy, along with individuals with migration or refugee experiences, decided together who would receive the funds. Project Together has managed the application process, funding agreements, and disbursement of the funds as an organization.
The investments cover a wide range of areas. "On one hand, there are issues like statelessness or perhaps a completely different direction. Then there are discrimination and racism. Prevention. And how are structures in job centers and immigration authorities regarding housing and processes related to housing and accommodation? Labor market integration was a major topic, and everything from networking, lobbying, and community work to things like digital platforms that should be developed or toolboxes that should be created and then disseminated," Heinrichs states.
In addition to organizations, funding for individuals is also part of the fund. However, certain criteria must be met to apply for funding. Sebastian Heinrichs describes the transparency: "The catalog of criteria, which was used to evaluate the projects, was developed together with the advisory board and was also made transparent for all evaluating projects online." The advisory board and the investing companies, foundations, and private individuals established the following seven criteria as prerequisites:
Structural participation of migrant organizations
Social innovation
Collaboration across sector boundaries
Scalability potential
Cooperation
Regional needs orientation
Momentum and relevance
Sebastian Heinrichs categorizes the mix of private and public funds as a significant advantage, "because public funds alone have greater restrictions, whereas private funds are significantly more flexible."
