The U.S. Mission in Ecuador, in collaboration with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), is pleased to welcome proposals for the Julia Taft Refugee Fund. Proposals may be submitted by non-governmental organizations working in refugee protection and assistance in Ecuador. The Julia Taft Refugee Fund is meant to meet one-time, low-cost gaps in refugee protection and assistance and to respond to urgent needs that have not been addressed by larger multilateral refugee programs. Support for proposals submitted in response to this notice is not guaranteed and will be based on availability of funding.
Deadline: Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm Quito time on January 25, 2023. Please send proposals to QuitoPRMGrants@state.gov. In the subject line, please include the following: Proposal for the Julia Taft Refugee Fund – [insert the name of the organization].
For FY2023, the U.S. Embassy may award multiple grants of up to $25,000 each, pending availability of funding.
This year, we encourage applicant organizations to submit proposals that include at least one of the following areas of focus:
- Legal Assistance, Protection, or Education: including activities that provide time-bound assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and/or vulnerable migrants in Ecuador. We will not consider proposals that duplicate the work or services provided by UNHCR, other UN agencies, or other U.S. Government assistance programs.
- LGBTQI+ Persons: including activities that provide innovative assistance, promote equal access to protection, and assist with durable solutions for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers, refugees, and/or vulnerable migrants. We will not consider proposals that are focused primarily on research or surveying needs.
- The funds should support projects that assist a group of at least 50% refugees/migrants or Ecuadorian refugee returnees.
- Successful projects will benefit both refugee/migrant populations and their host communities.
- The fund is not intended for recurring programs and is not meant as an emergency fund. Funds cannot be used to support NGO overhead or salaries.
- Applicants must be a registered organization with the Ecuadorian government (e.g., NGO, community-based organization, faith-based organization).
- Local NGOs will be given priority.
Application Package:
All proposals must be in English. .
Applications that do not include ALL of the components below will automatically be rejected:
- A proposal (no specific application form is required) that must include a description of the proposed program, the expected benefits to beneficiaries, and the legal name and address of the entity (local NGO) responsible for implementation. There is a firm two-page limit for all proposals.
- Detailed project timeline/calendar.
- Detailed budget (in USD).
- Proof of registration in SAMS.gov. The chosen proposal(s) must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number before receiving the grant funding. If the SAMS.gov registration or UEI has not been finalized, applicants must demonstrate proof of their request for registration in SAMS.gov.
- A copy of the organization’s code of conduct. PRM strongly recommends that Codes of Conduct provide guidance on establishing protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) implementation plans and are consistent with Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) Principles.
Review and Selection Process:
A selection committee at the U. S. Embassy in Quito will review all applications received under this announcement and will assess them based on the strength of the proposal components detailed below.
Proposal Format and Components
Proposals may not exceed two pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total; however, annexes cannot be relied upon as a key source of program information. Competitive applications will contain the following elements and the review panel will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
- Summary of Proposed Activities: Provide one to two sentences that summarize the proposed project, the number of beneficiaries, and a start and end date.
- Gap Analysis: Describe the current or anticipated elements of the humanitarian situation that this program seeks to address. Explain how this proposal addresses the protection and assistance needs of the target population which are not being met by other assistance efforts, including those being undertaken by the host country, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other international organizations, and/or NGOs.
- Profile of the Target Population: Describe the anticipated beneficiary population for this program, including the process for how refugees, returnees, and host community members will be identified; and how vulnerable and underserved groups will be included.
- Project Description: This section should clearly and concisely outline the project’s key activities and the implementation plan.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Provide a clear monitoring and evaluation plan.
- Sustainability: Provide a brief outline stating how the organization proposes to sustain its activities beyond the completion of the grant.
Once the review process is complete, the U.S. Embassy will notify the successful applicant(s) as well as the unsuccessful applicants.
To be considered for this funding opportunity, please submit your applications by email to QuitoPRMGrants@state.gov. In the subject line, please include the following: Proposal for the Julia Taft Refugee Fund – [insert the name of the organization].
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