The following are extracts from the full solicitation document which can be downloaded from above website:
Dear Colleague:
I am pleased to send you the applications guidelines package for the FY 1998 competition for grant support under the Development Education Program administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The guidelines describe the focus, eligibility requirements, theme and selection process for the program; the application format provides specific instructions on how to write your application. I urge you to review them carefully.
In view of funding constraints for development education in FY 1998, the Agency will focus its limited financial resources on strategic partnerships that will a) leverage as much additional financial and programmatic support for development education as possible and b) have the potential to demonstrate project impact definitively. Only those applications which meet the criteria outlined in the attached guidelines and which adhere to the application format will be considered competitive.
Given the limited funding we expect to have available, BHR/PVC anticipates making a small number of awards in FY 1998 in the $100,000 range.
The deadline for receipt of applications -- including the required letter of commitment from each applicant's partner organization(s) -- is the close of business on Monday, December 8, 1997. If you have questions or concerns regarding this Request for Application, please call Susan Saragi at 703-351-0244 or Lisa Douglas at 703-741-0566.
III. DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM PURPOSE
The Biden-Pell Development Education Program administered by PVC [USAID's Office of Private and Voluntary Cooperation] is a public/private initiative designed to foster interest in, and awareness of, international development among U.S. citizens. The program supports activities by private, not-for-profit organizations to educate large segments of the American public about U.S. humanitarian relief and development programs overseas and to build understanding for these programs. Program audiences may not include overseas audiences.
VI. PROGRAM GOALS
Applications for funding through the USAID Development Education Program must be designed and implemented to serve the following program goals:
- Examine local-global links and communicate how U.S. public and private international development efforts are in U.S. national interests; and
- Use scarce program resources to leverage maximum educational impact through partnerships that reach new audiences for development education nationwide.
For the 1998 competition, USAID will support strategic partnerships that will: a) leverage as much additional financial and programmatic support for development education as possible; and b) have the potential to demonstrate program impact definitively. As a result of financial constraints, the 1998 program is expected to be highly competitive. Awards will be made for projects lasting one year only, and applicants must present an implementation timeline in which all activities funded under the award occur from September 1, 1998 - August 31, 1999. Given the limited funding we expect to have available, BHR/PVC anticipates making a small number of awards in the $100,000 range.
Consistent with the program's strategy to leverage the maximum amount
of resources for development education, preference will be given
to those applications proposing the highest match, either in cash or in
kind. The cash or in-kind match may be provided by the applicant
and/or partner. The value of any in-kind match (e.g., placement of
monthly article on project issues in the partner's national newsletter;
value of volunteer time; air-time for monthly cable television program
on project issues, etc.) must be fully explained in the budget narrative.
Other funds received from the U.S. Government will not be considered allowable
elements of the match.
VIII. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1. Eligibility for grant support in 1998 will be limited to programs proposed by U.S.-based registered PVOs, cooperatives, or other non-profit organizations actively engaged in sustainable development assistance or development education.
2. Applicants must propose national development education projects to be implemented by the applicant and a partner organization that is a U.S.-based, national membership or trade association. For the purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA), a "partner" is defined as a collaborating organization. Such partner organizations must possess natural links, through professional affiliations or a membership base other than donors, to large segments of the U.S. public; a demonstrated interest in international development or foreign affairs; and an existing, effective communication network capable of delivering lucid, concise educational messages. The partner organization must also have the potential for involvement in international development at some level. The partnership may entail a sub-grantee relationship to carry out program activities (e.g., to survey association membership on their understanding of development, sponsor a series of workshops, etc.).
3. Applicants proposing activities in partnership with other international development organizations will not be considered competitive against the Development Education Program strategy to engage new organizations and audiences in learning about development. Those applications that provide the greatest value added in terms of penetration of new domestic audiences and leveraging new resources for development education will be considered most competitive.
4. Letters of commitment from partner organizations must accompany the application and must indicate clearly the partner's financial or in-kind contribution to the program; partner staff involvement; the specific target audience(s) nationwide; and the strategy to be pursued by the partner in terms of program design, implementation, dissemination and assessment.
5. In selecting a sectoral focus for this required partnership, applicants should develop partnerships with national trade or membership organizations in shared areas of concern, such as: education and human capacity development, environment, agriculture, health, child welfare, women's issues, business, labor, media and international trade. Only those applications proposing partnerships with organizations whose memberships and programs are national in scope are eligible for funding.
Sample partnerships might include:
- are dissemination projects for existing materials with no value added in terms of new educational activities and audiences;
- promote the opinion or position of the applicant or the partner organization to the detriment of the educational intent of the activities;
- are designed to lobby elected officials or that present politically partisan views;
- involve religious proselytism;
- ask USAID to underwrite a program already being implemented;
- involve direct fundraising appeals for the applicant or for the partner
organization;
- request USAID funds to cover the costs of international travel, although this activity is allowed provided such costs are covered by the applicant or the partner organization as part of its match;
- are research projects (whether theoretical or applied research); or
- have implementation timelines that fail to conform to the September, 1998 - August 1999 project year.
Applications must adhere to the overall Development Education Program theme of "global-local links," i.e., they must demonstrate the connections between domestic and international concerns and must communicate effectively why international development assistance is in the U.S. interest. Programs may focus on a broad view of such connections as they affect the country as a whole or may interpret them more narrowly for relevance to the specific interests of targeted audiences.
In either case, the specific issues under discussion (e.g. environment, trade, health, etc.) should be used both to elucidate broader development concepts, and to demonstrate global interdependence. The development education content presented to stimulate informed discussion about international development issues and their connections to U.S. concerns must be balanced, objective and factual.
Although the methods, materials and strategies employed may vary with particular applicant organizations and their partners, all proposed programs should have the following characteristics:
- program content that accurately presents the nature of the relationship
between the
United States and developing countries, (i.e., "global-local links")
as well as the relationship of hunger and poverty to U.S. concerns for
the environment, security, trade and other global and domestic issues;
- inter- and intra-organizational involvement that maximizes the potential to disseminate program resources nationwide and produces an effect greater than could be achieved by independent action;
- an ability to affect people’s critical thinking and decision making and to encourage participation in activities related to international development; and
- a design that supports ongoing organizational activities and builds upon existing strengths.