#diversityinitiative: "Diverse Switzerland" – national ideas competition

• Organisations or institutions that work with key persons* to strengthen diversity in society and culture and improve the target groups’ access to services. 
• Key persons or self-advocates who work together with an organisation or institution for a community and build bridges. 
• Organisations or institutions that have changed their structures and teams to be more inclusive – or want to get there. 

*Key people are committed, networked individuals who know what their community needs. They usually come from the community itself and stand up for a specific cause. They move out of their "bubble" and build bridges between groups, organisations and communities. For example, they encourage self-advocates in a community to contribute their ideas and perspectives. They open doors and facilitate access to society and culture.

For example:

• Projects that offer an uncomplicated place where people can meet and exchange ideas. These include museums, neighbourhood meeting places, open cafés, choirs, intercultural libraries and mentoring programmes. 
• Clubs that bring people together for leisure, sports, music or cultural activities: a shared hobby or starts a theatre project, for example, in which everyone participates on an equal footing.  
• The project must offer opportunities for self-empowerment and development, such as coaching or continuing education.  

They form teams of people with diverse perspectives and particularly include groups that are underrepresented or find it difficult to gain access. Diversity is naturally taken into account and experienced as an enrichment. Self-advocates play an equal role in teams, boards and committees and give the community a voice.  

For example: 

• When recruiting new team members, we ensure that the teams are more diverse. This is anchored in organisational development. 

Applications can be submitted from 1 October to 30 November 2024.  

From December to January 2025, the applications will undergo a formal and substantive review by a jury assembled for the ideas competition. In this selection process, the top 25 applications will be selected and included in a public vote at the end of February. The population votes on which projects should be supported by the Migros Culture Percentage. The 15 projects that will receive grants will be finalised in mid-March.  

The final decision will be communicated by email. The first instalment of the grants will be paid out at the end of March 2025. The second instalment will be distributed in August following an evaluation. 

The funding includes financial support ranging from CHF 10'000 to CHF 50'000. 

Workshops, known as project rooms, will be held in April 2025. Participation in a project room is mandatory. The project room serves as a networking event for the project managers of the subsidised projects. Here, project managers can get to know each other and help each other with challenging questions.  

If required, the project managers can take advantage of coaching. The grant covers a one-hour initial consultation and eight hours of coaching. Coaching offers the opportunity to tackle challenges in project work.