Opportunity Information: Apply for S DR860 23 NOFO 0002
The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, under the U.S. Department of State, is offering a small-grants opportunity to support projects that promote LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion in the Dominican Republic. The program is framed as a Public Diplomacy (PD) initiative, meaning proposals should not only address local needs, but also strengthen connections between Dominican audiences and the United States through dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding. The funding is intended for activities that engage civil society organizations and local communities, with an emphasis on building goodwill and durable people-to-people relationships.
A central requirement is that every proposed project must include a clear "American element." In practical terms, this means applicants need to show a concrete link to U.S. experts, U.S. organizations, or U.S. institutions in a relevant field, and that this connection will help local participants better understand U.S. perspectives and policy approaches. The Embassy is looking for programs that create opportunities for communication and engagement between the United States and the Dominican public, rather than purely local activities without a U.S. partnership or U.S.-based expertise.
The Embassy provides examples of the kinds of activities that fit this PD model. These include academic or professional lectures and seminars, speaker programs, artistic or cultural workshops, joint performances or exhibitions, sports or cultural programming, and professional or academic exchanges. While these examples are not exhaustive, they illustrate the Embassy's preference for public-facing programming that convenes people, supports learning, and encourages respectful discussion and collaboration around LGBTQI+ inclusion.
The application process is intentionally staged in two steps. Applicants must begin by submitting a brief Statement of Interest (SOI) of no more than three pages. This initial submission is meant to communicate the core program idea, objectives, and overall approach in a concise way, and it is explicitly not a full proposal. The purpose is to allow the Embassy to assess and shortlist the most promising concepts before asking applicants to invest time in developing a complete application package.
After the SOI stage, eligible submissions will go through a merit review. Applicants whose ideas score well will be invited to submit a full proposal. Those full proposals will then be reviewed in a second merit review process before final funding decisions are made. The opportunity is offered as a grant, with an award ceiling of $10,000 per award and an expectation of making around four awards. The funding opportunity is issued by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic, under Funding Opportunity Number S DR860 23 NOFO 0002, and it originally listed a closing date of June 30, 2023.Apply for S DR860 23 NOFO 0002
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engaging with civil society organizations and local audiences to promote LGBTQI+ Rights and Inclusion" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 19, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity about?
This is a small-grants opportunity from the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo (U.S. Department of State) to support projects that promote LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion in the Dominican Republic.
Who is offering the funding?
The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic (U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo).
What type of program is this (and why does that matter)?
The opportunity is framed as a Public Diplomacy (PD) initiative. That means projects should not only address local needs, but also strengthen connections between Dominican audiences and the United States through dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding.
What is the main goal of the program?
The main goal is to support LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion while also building goodwill and durable people-to-people relationships between communities in the Dominican Republic and the United States.
What kinds of projects are a good fit?
Projects are a good fit when they engage civil society organizations and local communities and include public-facing programming that supports learning, respectful discussion, and collaboration around LGBTQI+ inclusion, while also incorporating a clear U.S. connection.
Is there a required "American element" in every project?
Yes. Every proposed project must include a clear "American element."
What does "American element" mean in practical terms?
Applicants must show a concrete link to U.S. experts, U.S. organizations, or U.S. institutions in a relevant field, and explain how that connection will help local participants better understand U.S. perspectives and policy approaches.
Can a project be purely local (with no U.S. partner or U.S. expertise)?
No. The Embassy is looking for programs that create opportunities for communication and engagement between the United States and the Dominican public, rather than purely local activities without a U.S. partnership or U.S.-based expertise.
What kinds of activities does the Embassy say fit this Public Diplomacy model?
Examples mentioned include academic or professional lectures and seminars, speaker programs, artistic or cultural workshops, joint performances or exhibitions, sports or cultural programming, and professional or academic exchanges.
Are the listed activity examples the only eligible types of activities?
No. The Embassy notes these examples are not exhaustive, but they illustrate a preference for public-facing programming that convenes people and encourages learning and dialogue.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling is $10,000 per award.
How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?
The Embassy expects to make around four awards.
Is this funding provided as a contract or a grant?
This opportunity is offered as a grant.
How does the application process work?
The application process is staged in two steps: first a Statement of Interest (SOI), and then (for shortlisted applicants) a full proposal.
What is a Statement of Interest (SOI), and how long can it be?
The SOI is a brief initial submission of no more than three pages. It is meant to communicate the core program idea, objectives, and overall approach in a concise way.
Is the Statement of Interest the same thing as a full proposal?
No. The SOI is explicitly not a full proposal. It is used for initial assessment and shortlisting before the Embassy invites selected applicants to submit a complete application package.
What happens after the SOI is submitted?
Eligible SOIs go through a merit review. Applicants whose concepts score well will be invited to submit a full proposal.
What happens after a full proposal is submitted?
Full proposals go through a second merit review process before final funding decisions are made.
What is the purpose of the two-step process?
The two-step process is designed to let the Embassy assess and shortlist the most promising concepts before applicants spend time developing full proposals.
What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is S DR860 23 NOFO 0002.
What was the originally listed closing date?
The opportunity originally listed a closing date of June 30, 2023.
What audience or participants should projects aim to engage?
The funding is intended for activities that engage civil society organizations and local communities in the Dominican Republic, with an emphasis on building people-to-people relationships and communication with U.S. counterparts.
What kind of outcomes is the Embassy looking for beyond local impact?
In addition to addressing local needs related to LGBTQI+ inclusion, proposals should strengthen connections between Dominican audiences and the United States through dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding.
What is meant by "people-to-people relationships" in this context?
It refers to durable connections built through direct engagement and collaboration between people and institutions in the Dominican Republic and the United States, supported by programming that creates opportunities for communication and mutual learning.
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