After a thorough review process with feedback from users, recommendations from the DERF Advisory Board as well as external analysis, a few adjustments have been implemented in the DERF funding guidelines, which are now available in an updated version on the DERF website.
The adjustments have primarily been focused on making the fund more user-friendly and with a stronger focus on locally led development.
- With the adjustments to the DERF funding guidelines, we wish to give our users a clearer set of guidelines that increasingly emphasize the purpose and principles of the fund – especially in terms of strengthening local leadership, Rune Vinter Pedersen, DERF’s new fund manager, explains and adds:
- As a user of the DERF, you should not expect major changes. One of the main conclusions of the review was that the DERF operates effectively. The adjustments therefore focus on strengthening and further developing an already well-functioning funding mechanism. One concrete example is the refinement of application formats and assessment criteria to ensure greater clarity and coherence, and to better reflect the updated Core Humanitarian Standards.
The adjusted guidelines will come into effect from January 1, 2026. You can find the guidelines and updated formats on the DERF material site.
New fund manager in the DERF
Rune Vinter Pedersen has been part of the DERF team since 2022 and has now taken over the role of DERF Fund Manager, following Christoph Lodemann’s decision to take on other responsibilities within CISU.
Prior to his employment in CISU, Rune has worked for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in both Sierra Leone and South Sudan gaining extensive experience in humanitarian work.
- My work abroad has given me great insight into the way acute humanitarian work unfolds in practice, and how pivotal it is that the help given is timely, relevant and locally rooted, Rune Vinter Pedersen explains.
- Throughout my work with the DERF, I have been impressed by the significant difference Danish organisations and their local partners are able to make for the most vulnerable when crises strike.
- I am very much looking forward to being part of our continued efforts to strengthen the DERF, making it possible to act rapidly and responsibly in humanitarian crises, he concludes.
Subscribe to the DERF mailing list
Changes in the DERF news setup have now made it possible to display the latest news and updates from the DERF – including alert notes and calls – directly on the main fund page, making it easier to get a quick overview of recent activities.
The DERF also continues sending direct emails to existing subscribers to the DERF mailing list. If you wish to receive news and updates on alerts and calls, you can subscribe to the list here. Please be advised that adding derf@cisu.dk as a trusted contact in your inbox will help keep DERF emails from ending in your spam folder.