DRL Local LGBTQI+ Human Rights Initiative

Deadline: 29-Mar-24

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) from organizations interested in submitting a concept note for locally led programs that support DRL’s goal to protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons in the Western Hemisphere.

The goal of SOIs should align with the intention that LGBTQI+ persons exercise their human rights with dignity and equality. SOIs must advance one or more of the following overarching objectives:

• Freedom from Violence: LGBTQI+ individuals, organizations and communities are safe and secure from violence, such as threats, intimidation, harassment, abuse, sexual violence, and psychological or physical harm.
• Access to Justice: Civil society works to ensure equal protection under the law through improved jurisprudence on the human rights of LGBTQI+ people and that the rule of law is fairly and consistently implemented and enforced to affirm and include LGBTQI+ people. Additionally, civil society is better able to shape public policies that advance their human rights and increase participation of LGBTQI+ people in elected public office as well as legal and policy reform processes
• Empowered & Inclusive Movements & Organizations: LGBTQI+ communities and civil society are strengthened, included in other grassroots human rights movements, working intersectionally with other key human rights organizations and movements.
• Social Inclusion: The human dignity of LGBTQI+ persons is affirmed and protected, and the community is included in social, economic, and human development as equal members of society in line with guidance such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and should have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources. DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.

DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. Programs should seek strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status. Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.

Funding Information

• Award Ceiling: $750,000
• Award Floor: $250,000

Activities that are not typically considered competitive include, but are not limited, to:

• The provision of large amounts of humanitarian assistance;
• English language instruction
• Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware;
• Purely academic exchanges or fellowships;
• External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months;
• Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary due to security concerns.

Eligible Countries

• SOIs should outline detailed plans for locally led civil society initiatives in one or more of the countries/areas: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, the Eastern Caribbean (including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) and Trinidad and Tobago.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organizations submitting SOIs must meet the following criteria:
  • Be a U.S.- or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organization (NGO), or a public international organization; or
  • Be a private, public, or state institution of higher education; or
  • Be a for-profit organization or business (noting there are restrictions on payment of fees and/or profits under grants and cooperative agreements, including those outlined in 48 CFR 30, “Cost Accounting Standards Administration”, and 48 CFR 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures”);
  • Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders including private sector partner and NGOs; and,
  • Have demonstrable experience administering successful and preferably similar programs. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.