The Small Grants Program of the World Bank was created in 1983 to promote dialogue and disseminate information about development in forums outsides its own operations. The Program, open to civil society groups in developing countries working on development issues, supports activities that empower citizens to have greater ownership of the development process, include marginalized and vulnerable groups, and enhance the role of key players (i.e. government/civil society organisations) in the development process. All grant decisions are made by participating local World Bank offices and each have their own guidelines and application process.