Funding Opportunity: Julia Taft Refugee Fund 2022
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 potential NGO partners 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 February 14, 2022. 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].
Maximum Award Amount: $25,000
Eligibility Criteria and Funding Guidelines:
- The Taft Fund is intended to meet gaps in assistance by issuing grants of up to $25,000 to national and local non-governmental organizations for quick impact projects to meet critical needs. Additionally, PRM seeks to support local organizations in providing equal access to protection, assistance, and other solutions for vulnerable groups, with priority given to refugees, migrants, and stateless persons. Special consideration will be given to applications that support LGBTQI+ refugees and migrants.
- The funds are meant to support projects that assist a target beneficiary base of at least 50% refugees or refugee returnees.
- Consideration for support is given to projects that benefit both populations of concern 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 operations or salaries.
- Applicants must be a registered organization (e.g., NGO, community-based organization, faith-based organization).
- Local and national 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:
- Proposal (no specific application form is required), but each application must include a description of the proposed program, benefits to beneficiaries, legal name and address of 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 an assigned Duns or EUI number before receiving the grant funding. If the SAMS.gov registration, DUNS, or EUI 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 good guidance on establishing strong 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: With respect to the specific location, activities, needs, and target beneficiaries of the proposed program, 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 of beneficiary targeting and selection; how refugees, returnees, host community members will be identified; and what actions you would take to ensure that potentially vulnerable and underserved groups are included.
- Project Description: This section should clearly and concisely outline the (1) key activities, and (2) 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 and end 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].
###