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The U.S. Embassy Gaborone announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement community-initiated development projects through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF) Small Grants Program. Purpose of Small Grants: The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund program is a grass-roots assistance program that funds grants for small development activities that generate public awareness of U.S. foreign assistance efforts that fall outside the structure of other established U.S. assistance projects. This program provides targeted grants to assist small-scale, short term, community-driven projects that improve economic and social conditions at the local level. The ASSHF program is intended to be flexible and allow the Ambassador to respond directly to requests from local communities for assistance with projects that have immediate impact, and further Mission priorities. Equally important, the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund program is structured to encourage communities to be self-reliant and undertake similar activities on their own in the future. Proposed projects must be well planned and ready to be implemented and must be easily self-sustaining when the project is completed. The organization must obtain approval from the local development committee, tribal authority, local town and/or district council before submission of the proposal to the U.S. Embassy. Successful applicants should demonstrate strong ties and support to their local community and with local governmental bodies. Recipient organizations must demonstrate their substantial commitment by either contributing to the project financially or providing labor or supplies (in kind contribution) to carry out the project. Contributions may include labor, materials (bricks, sand, gravel, seeds, etc.), land, buildings, or money to ensure the success of the project. Organizations must be able to demonstrate that they have adequate internal controls and financial monitoring procedures in place. The organization is required to provide ongoing project reports. U.S. Embassy staff will make periodic visits to the project site. Acceptable project objectives include, but are not limited to the following: • Community-based natural resource management · Expand effective community ownership and management of natural resources; · Preserve and/or expand wildlife corridors; · Develop sustainable community-based tourism; · Promote conservation of natural resources. • Economic diversification, including small business creation and income generation · Generate sustainable income and employment opportunities in local communities; · Advance economic diversification at the grassroots level; · Encourage use of local natural resources for income generation; · Promote a culture of entrepreneurship; · Improve basic economic or living conditions of a community. • Social services to assist disadvantaged populations · Assist populations which may be disadvantaged or at-risk on a temporary or chronic basis, including people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, the elderly and female heads of household. • Youth and child development · Assist youth to gain knowledge and tools to live positively, set life goals and enhance their own health, safety and security; · Create opportunities for youth, including employment. Participants and Audiences: All applicants must be registered Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs). U.S. Embassy Gaborone welcomes proposals and applications from Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that work directly with communities. Organizations with currently running projects may apply as long as they justify the need for more resources in new directions. The following is not eligible for funding: · Projects relating to partisan political activity; · Purchase and set up of surveillance equipment; · Duplication of other U.S. Government programs; · Projects that would benefit, either personally or politically, to any employee (e.g. direct hire, contractor, part-time) of the U.S. Government, or the spouse or family member of a U.S. Government employee; · Production of agricultural commodities for export that can be expected to have a significant impact on competing U.S. exports; · Contributing to the violation of internationally recognized rights of workers; · Charitable or donation related activities; · Projects that support specific religious or military activities, as well as those relating to police, prisons, or other law enforcement; · Fund-raising campaigns; · Lobbying for specific legislation or projects; · Scientific research; · Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; · Projects that duplicate existing efforts; · Staff salaries or stipends; · Purchase of alcohol, medicine, school uniforms, school fees, bursaries, or personal expenses; · Support for educational or other facilities used to a significant degree by U.S. employees or their dependents; · Support for abortion-related facilities and services; · Purchase of used equipment – to avoid recurring maintenance and support costs. There is a general policy for financing only new equipment unless it is simple in design and spare parts are available locally, thus providing operational and maintenance advantages in less developed countries; · Creating, continuing, or supplement technical assistance programs; · Purchase of food and food parcels; · Support for private businesses, private crèches, or public/government schools unless through involvement of a Parent-Teacher Association; · Purchase of luxury goods and gambling equipment; · Purchase or production of toxic or otherwise unsafe products such as pesticides or hazardous chemicals; · Assisting any individual or entity involved in illegal drug trafficking as noted in Section 487 of the Foreign Assistance Act; · Support, benefit, or other services associated with those persons or entities listed under Executive Order 13224, or determined to be subject to this order or other subsequent laws or orders, who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism; · Support for any activity barred under the Foreign Assistance Act and legislation appropriating funds for foreign assistance. Length of performance period: One (1) year Number of awards anticipated: Five (5) to ten (10) awards (dependent on grant amounts) Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000 Anticipated project start date: October 1, 2020 Funding Instrument Type: Grant. Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in twelve (12) months or less. Submission Dates and Times Applications for fiscal year 2020 may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of May 15, 2020, extended to July 3, 2020. Applications received by the U.S. Embassy after the closing date will not be considered. Other Submission Requirements Complete proposals can be: · Emailed to: SSHBotswana@state.gov · Mailed to: U.S. Embassy, ATTN: Small Grants Coordinator, Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund Program, P.O. Box 90, Gaborone · Hand delivered to: U.S. Embassy, Government Enclave, Gaborone, ATTN: Small Grants Coordinator. If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact the Small Grants Office at: SSHBotswana@state.gov or call (+267) 373-2265.
Funding Opportunity Number: AFREO-20-GR-002-AF-012320. Assistance Listing: 19.700. Funding Instrument: G. Category: CD. Award Amount: $5K – $25K per award.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification). All applicants must be registered Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) based in Botswana. Proposals are welcome from Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that work directly with communities. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $5K – $25K per award. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was July 3, 2020, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Yes — Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund Program Botswana is offered by U.S. Mission to Botswana and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
U.S. Ambassador's Special Self-Help Small Grant Program is a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Zambia that funds small-scale community development projects led by Zambian community-based organizations. Awards range from ,000 to ,000, with up to four grants anticipated per cycle. Eligible areas include economic diversification, small business creation, youth and child development, and community-based natural resource management. Projects must be completed within ten months, benefit the greatest number of people possible, and demonstrate substantial community participation through labor, materials, land, or financial contributions. Only registered Zambian nonprofits — including CBOs, FBOs, and NGOs — are eligible; individuals and for-profit entities are not. Each community may only receive support once through this program.
U.S. Embassy Praia welcomes the submission of project applications for funding through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program (SSH). If interested, please carefully review the instructions below. The SSH is a grass-roots grant assistance program that allows U.S. Ambassadors to support local requests for small community-based development projects. The purpose of the Special Self-Help Program is to support communities through modest grants that will positively impact local communities. The SSH philosophy is to help communities help themselves. Projects submitted for SSH must align with one or more U.S. Embassy priorities: Economic diversification, including small business creation and income generation Projects must aim to 1) generate sustainable income and employment opportunities in local communities, 2) advance economic diversification and encourage use of local natural resources or income generation, 3) promote a culture of entrepreneurship, and/or 4) improve economic or living conditions of a community. Women start-ups and women entrepreneurs Eligible projects assist women who are launching a business or who are overseeing the early stages of business development (between one to two years). Such projects must promote a culture of women-led entrepreneurship and innovation that can be replicated in the community. Projects must also promote profitable businesses that generate revenue and benefit the community. Social and economic inclusion and creation of opportunities Projects in this category must assist youth, children, women (particularly female heads of household), and other vulnerable groups to gain access to basic services (for example water, sanitation, and primary/pre-K education). They can also assist the creation of opportunities for vulnerable groups, particularly employment for youth. Environmental protection, sustainability, resilience to environmental vulnerabilities, and adaptation to environmental change Eligible projects will increase the capacity of communities to cope with vulnerability to drought and other environmental changes by building resilience, increasing capacity to adapt, and promoting income-generating activities. For example, projects may involve activities to improve water management, diversify agricultural practices, or provide benefits to the environment. Local Community Involvement: Local involvement of the organization or group must be at least 10% in cash or in kind of the total project costs. The community contribution of funding may be crucial to make a choice between two viable requestors. In-kind contributions could be: labor (wages of masons and workers), food, accommodation for qualified labor, carts of sand or gravel, bricks for construction, sand, fence, water supply, transportation costs, donations of materials etc. Additionally, community leaders can sign a statement of interest. Community leaders include local municipal leaders, religious leaders, civil society leaders, or any governing body that has oversight over where the project will be implemented. One community leader can sign the statement of interest; however, multiple signatures are strongly encouraged. Community leaders may also submit letters of support for the project. Elements of a Successful Project The project is initiated by the community. The project plan contains pre-established long-term goals and a coherent plan to keep the project running in the future. A capable project manager who is a long-term resident in the community is responsible for the project. There is strong coordination and communication among the grant recipient, local leaders, and local government representatives. The project makes use of materials and supplies that can be maintained by the community, and the materials that will not harm the environment. The project has a high beneficiary to budget ratio, benefiting a significant number of community members The project budget is clear, complete, and well defined. The project responds to a community need and is based on a well-developed proposal that is responsive to the priorities and criteria explained in this NOFO. Project activities and results show long-term sustainability. Application Documents and Procedures 1. Applications for Special Self-Help Funds should include the following: a. Completed SSH form, which can be downloaded here. b. Detailed building plan with dimensions (if necessary/ if small-scale construction envisioned in the project proposal). c. Project location (include map if available). d. Any additional information/literature you have about your organization and/or project. 2. The following documents are required: Mandatory application forms · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) · SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) The forms can be downloaded from grants.gov. Instructions are available on the Embassy website at the grant support resources toolkit 3. Make sure that the below is addressed in your SSH form, or submit the following: Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. Proposal (3 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include. Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact. Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed. Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate. Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. 4. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. Proposals can be submitted in English or Portuguese languages. Submit the complete application package to the U.S. Self-Help Coordinator/ Praia Grants. Applications will be accepted in electronic format, on a rolling basis. Email all required information to praiagrants@state.gov Application Deadline: Applications received after June will be considered with the next application period or will not be considered. Project selections will be announced by October. Applications will be evaluated on the following factors: Completeness: Did the applicant submit all of the materials requested, including but not limited to requirements in the SSH forms found on U.S. Embassy Praia’s website. Embassy priorities: Does the application describe how the project’s goals are related to the Embassy priorities stated in this document? Sustainability: Is the project sustainable in the long term? Will the project be able to continue without additional investment? Are the suggested measurements of success adequate? Need: Does the project adequately fulfill a stated need within a community? Budget: Is the budget complete, and well defined? Is the budget reasonable? Completion within one year: Can the project be completed in a single year? Community support: Does the project show strong community support? Impact: Does the project benefit the broadest numbers of beneficiaries possible? Is there a substantial impact on the affected community? Contribution and Group Capabilities: Does the group provide adequate resources and show commitment to the project? Is the group capable of administering the project as designed? Review and Selection Process: A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. Other Required Documentation/ Reporting: Groups selected for funding will subsequently need to submit several required forms, including U.S. Standard Form 424, a grants award document, and any other terms and conditions required by U.S. Embassy Praia. Performance and financial reports will be required throughout the duration of the award. Publicity Campaign: It is expected that publicity will be given to the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help program and its projects, including press and radio releases, photographs, and project site plaques that acknowledge the shared efforts of Cabo Verde and the United States. Publicity costs should be considered in the proposed budget. Funding: U.S. Embassy Praia is not required to fund any applications. Submitting an application does not guarantee selection. Funding Opportunity Number: AFPRA-20-04. Assistance Listing: 19.220. Funding Instrument: G. Category: O. Award Amount: $3K – $10K per award.
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