Deadline: 15-Feb-21
The U.S. Embassy Gaborone, under the auspices of the Office of the Regional Refugee Coordinator, is pleased to announce the availability of a funding opportunity through the 2021 Julia Taft Fund for Refugees.
The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is an initiative by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) to respond to critical unmet needs of refugees. Created in 2000, the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees supports projects that fill gaps in refugee services not already being addressed by other organizations and that can be filled locally.
Successful projects are those that are not being addressed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are already receiving U.S. government funding.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $25,000
- Note that all proposals are required to have at least 50% of the beneficiaries be refugees.
- The 12-month project performance period will begin in/around July 2021.
Ineligible Funding
The following is not eligible for funding:
- Projects relating to partisan political activity. While this funding is intended to support women interested in politics, it is not intended to promote the political agenda of any party;
- 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;
- 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.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is limited to register NGOs with at least one-two years of experience working in Botswana.
- Local NGOs and international NGOs not receiving broader refugee program funding from the United States government are eligible to apply.
Proposal Requirements
Proposal should be no longer than three pages in length, and should include the following:
- Name of organization along with current funding support.
- Point of contact information.
- Project title.
- Project location (including a map showing how to get to the project from a major road).
- The refugee population to be served.
- Number of direct project beneficiaries.
- Statement of need (max. 200 words).
- Project description (how the project will be carried out – max. 300 words).
- Project goals and objectives (measurable).
- Project budget (major expenditures with budget breakdown) including the amount that your organization will be contributing toward the project.
Note: They do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the NOFO. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials will not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330856
