Deadline: 31 March 2020

The U.S. Embassy Antananarivo Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is seeking proposals for its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program.

PAS Antananarivo awards a limited number of grants to individuals, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions to support exchange between the U.S. and Madagascar or the Comoros with the aim of improving mutual respect and understanding. PAS will only consider programs that have an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

The PAS Small Grants Program supports projects that:

• Improve and expand English language learning through curriculum development, teacher training, developing partnerships with U.S. education institutions, promoting U.S. culture and values.
• Advancing good governance, democratic institutions including accountability and human rights in Madagascar/Comoros through the promotion of enhanced and educated civic participation, particularly of youth and women, the promotion of voters’ education, the promotion of a free and responsible press, the advocacy for women’s rights, etc.
• Increase public support for U.S.-Malagasy/U.S.-Comorian cooperation in women and girls’ education, in youth empowerment, and in business, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic and commercial growth.
• Deepen cultural ties and understanding between the United States and Madagascar/the Comoros.
• Improve sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity conservation through environmental awareness programs.

Activities that are not funded under this program include, but are not limited to:

• Social welfare projects;
• Individual travel to conferences;
• Construction projects;
• Completion activities for projects begun with other funds;
• Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns;
• Political party activities; and
• Projects that support specific religious activities.

Funding Information

Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $25,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• PAS encourages applications from organizations located in Madagascar, the Comoros, the United States, or abroad:
  • Individuals
  • Registered not-for-profit think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
  • Non-profit educational institutions
• Applicants are encouraged, but not mandated, to include cost-sharing elements from additional sources in support of their proposals.

For more information, visit https://mg.usembassy.gov/pas-small-grants-program/