Federal Women & Girl Services Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support and training for women entrepreneurs from under-represented backgrounds in Quebec, Canada, to develop essential business skills and create scalable business models.

This funding opportunity supports programs that empower women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia by providing them with essential skills, resources, and networks to start and grow sustainable businesses.

This grant provides funding to organizations that support women entrepreneurs in Cameroon, helping them improve their businesses and access U.S. export markets through training and resources.

This funding opportunity supports non-profit organizations in Mauritius to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with essential business skills, resources, and networking opportunities through a structured educational program.

This funding opportunity supports non-profit and educational organizations working to promote U.S. values and cooperation with Sudanese communities through initiatives in areas like women's leadership, peace promotion, and civic engagement.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for training correctional staff to improve the safety and well-being of women in correctional facilities through gender-informed strategies.

The U.S. Mission to NATO is inviting proposals for programs and initiatives that promote an increased understanding of NATO's role in regional peace and security, as well as the rules-based international order. All programs must have a direct tie to the United States, which could involve American experts, organizations, or institutions. The grant aims to support various activities, including academic lectures, cultural workshops, professional exchanges, and digital engagements. The deadline for applications is August 26, 2024, and the expected number of awards is one. The award amounts range from $20,000 to $50,000, making it accessible for various organizations to apply. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities that can contribute to the goals of the program.

The "Girls Democracy Empowerment Seminar" grant is designed to fund programs by non-profit and governmental organizations that aim to boost women's political involvement in The Bahamas, with the goal of promoting democratic policies for women's rights and encouraging their active participation in the 2026 elections.

The U.S. Embassy's Public Diplomacy and Political Sections in The Bahamas announces an open competition for not-for-profit, non-governmental, public international, and governmental organizations to submit applications to carry out a program aimed at increasing womens involvement in politics and, in turn, increasing support for democratic policies that support womens equal rights. The program seeks to educate, mentor, and empower girls and women to advocate for democratic principles and increased political participation. The ultimate goal is to foster increased civic participation to advocate for legislative changes that improve the rights of women in The Bahamas and to encourage greater engagement by women, both as mentors and mentees, in the 2026 electoral process.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Niamey of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to increase womens participation as mediators in community peace processes in Tillaberi Region. Please follow all instructions below. Priority Region: Tillaberi Region Program Description and Objectives: In January 2023, community leaders in northern Tillaberi Regions Bani Bangou Department signed a landmark peace agreement between the Fulani and Zarma ethnic groups. The peace agreement ended three years of cyclical intercommunal massacres exacerbated by the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara (IS-GS)s vicious attacks and recruitment schemes in these localities. Six months later, Tuareg and Fulani leaders in neighboring Ouallam Department signed their own community peace accord to end similar intercommunal violence strategically spurred by IS-GS. Neither Bani Bangou nor Ouallam Department has experienced cyclical intercommunal massacres since the accords signature. The National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) has continued sponsoring the mediation of additional peace agreements in localities across northern Tillaberi Region since the coup detat in July 2023, targeting areas like Gourol Commune that have been devastated by intercommunal massacres, IS-GS warfare, and mass population displacement. Nigerien women did not serve as mediators in the negotiation of the Tillaberi Region peace accords. Instead, the men mediators held focus group discussions with women community members to incorporate their perspectives into their conflict analysis prior to the start of negotiations. This reflects a common trend in Nigerien peacebuilding and mediation: men lead and facilitate peace processes, involving women as passive informants and participants in the peace accord ceremonies. Peacebuilding interventions have had a transformative impact on the ability of women leaders in Tillaberi Region to mediate disputes and promote peace in their communities. Yet older men continue to dominate the mediation of community peace processes, ultimately leaving local patriarchal power structures untouched. Prospective projects should respond to the following goal: Women leaders will increase their participation in northern Tillaberi Region peace processes as mediators and institutionalize their leadership in partnership with national and local authorities by 2026. Prospective projects should reflect a strong strategic vision with clearly defined procedures for overcoming gender inclusion barriers in northern Tillaberi peace processes. Prospective projects should build on previous women peacebuilding interventions in northern Tillaberi and work with local women leaders who have been already trained on mediation skills and conflict resolution. Applicants are strongly encouraged against holding new trainings for local women leaders and are instead advised to work with local women leaders who have previously received mediation training. Applicants are advised to focus on strategic activities that advance womens integration into local peace process mediation. Possible project activities include: - Rapid gender inclusion assessment of northern Tillaberi Region peace processes - Gender inclusion strategy development for northern Tillaberi Region peace processes - Advocacy meetings to implement a peace process gender inclusion strategy - Gender-inclusive peace monitoring - Public gender inclusion sensitization activities Close collaboration with Nigerien authorities like the Ministry of Interiors Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP) as well as other partners implementing peace process support activities in northern Tillaberi Region is essential for successful project implementation. The successful applicant will demonstrate a successful track record of gender inclusion in local peacebuilding and will have collaborated previously with national or local Nigerien authorities. Applicants should budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group that will ensure coordination with Nigerien authorities and other women, peace, and security implementing partners. Participants and Audiences: The successful applicant will work with women leaders in northern Tillaberi Region who have been trained by previous peacebuilding and gender inclusion programs to co-design and implement gender inclusion activities. The successful applicant will build on pre-existing relationships with local and national Nigerien authorities, community leaders, and womens leaders in northern Tillaberi Region to manage a broad coalition of partners critical to successful gender inclusion.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Niamey of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to increase womens participation in security decision-making in Maradi Region. Please follow all instructions below. Priority Region: Maradi Region Program Description and Objectives: Armed banditry and transnational organized crime have surged along the Niger-Nigeria border in Maradi Region since the coup detat in July 2023. Armed banditry and transnational organized crime thrive on the criminal groups close relational ties to individuals in targeted communities. Women in criminally targeted communities have both extensive information and unique influence over these relational ties, which facilitate the selection of banditry targets as well as the planning and implementation of illicit trafficking and other transnational criminal activity that sustains violent extremist organizations (VEOs) like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Prior to the coup detat, women civil society leaders in Maradi Region gained a hard-fought representative seat on the Maradi Regional Security Council due to the advocacy and training provided by the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership- funded Women Preventing Violent Extremism Project. Unfortunately, the coup detat cost the women leaders their seat on the Council when the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) replaced key advocates like the former Governor of Maradi Region and various local officials with new appointees who have not received gender mainstreaming training. The surge in armed banditry and transnational organized crime in Maradi Region necessitates renewed efforts to ensure that women civil society leaders secure formal representation in regional and departmental security councils and other deliberative bodies. The U.S. Embassy Niamey thus seeks applications to formalize womens representation in regional and departmental security councils in Maradi Region. Prospective projects should respond to the following objective: Women leaders in Maradi Region will increase and institutionalize their leadership in community policing and security decision-making by 2026. Prospective projects should reflect a strong strategic vision with clearly defined procedures for institutionalizing womens leadership in community policing and peace and security decision-making. Prospective projects should build on previous women-led peacebuilding interventions in Maradi Regionparticularly those led by the Martaba Networkand work with local women leaders who have been already trained on mediation skills and countering violent extremism (CVE). Applicants are strongly encouraged against holding new trainings for local women leaders and are instead advised to work with local women leaders who have previously received mediation and CVE training. Applicants are advised to focus on strategic activities that advance womens integration into local peace process mediation. Possible project activities include: - Rapid gender inclusion assessment of Maradi Region community policing and security decision-making - Gender inclusion strategy development for Maradi Region community policing and security decision-making - Advocacy meetings to implement a security decision-making gender inclusion strategy - Gender-inclusive peace monitoring - Public gender inclusion sensitization activities Close collaboration with Nigerien authorities like the Ministry of Interiors Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP) as well as other partners implementing community policing activities in Maradi Region is essential for successful project implementation. The successful applicant will demonstrate a successful track record of gender inclusion in local peacebuilding and will have collaborated previously with national or local Nigerien authorities. Applicants should budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group that will ensure coordination with Nigerien authorities and other women, peace, and security implementing partners. Participants and Audiences: The successful applicant will work with the Martaba Network of women community leaders in Maradi Region. The successful applicant will build on pre-existing relationships with local and national Nigerien authorities, community leaders, and womens leaders in Maradi Region to manage a broad coalition of partners critical to successful gender inclusion.

The U.S. Embassy Nassaus Public Diplomacy (PD) section announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to develop and organize a Regional Alumnae Summit for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) network throughout the Caribbean. The PD section invites proposals from non-profit organizations, civil society organizations, and U.S. government alumni organizations to design and organize a summit to connect small and medium businesses of AWE Alumnae from across the Caribbean during a 2-day Summit in Nassau, The Bahamas in Spring 2025. This Summit will also provide a forum for AWE Alumnae to expand their professional network, share best practices and gain broader market access. In consultation with the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy team, the awardee is expected to organize all logistics for the Summit to include, but not limited to several deliverables. Therefore, the proposal should clearly describe how each item below will be addressed: Structure and Overall plan for the event. The estimated Cost for the proposed Venue for the Summit. Equipment (Equipment cannot account for more than 10% of the total project cost.) Marketing plan Proposed 6 Conference Speakers and associated costs (this should include Bahamian, Caribbean and American Entrepreneurs as well as a Keynote Speaker.) Travel Costs for participants from Family Islands. A Business Expo opportunity for participants. Opportunities for participants to scale up their businesses (ex. export, product development and scaling.) Cost Share (not required but looked upon favorably) Public Private Partnerships Pre and Post Surveys for participants (ex. To garner input for topics for summit)

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Kinshasa announces an Open Competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that promote accountable, transparent, and democratic governance and promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all individuals. In this vein, selected projects will target youth and women interested in becoming political leaders in their communities and country. Projects will focus on education and empowerment, and will develop curricula, that cover civic engagement, peaceful participation in political processes, ethics in politics, community leadership and advocacy. Goals Projects should demonstrate systemic change and be designed to achieve the following objectives: Objective 1: Inspire youth and womens desire to participate in democratic processes by enlisting experienced youth and women in politics to develop a mentorship program. Objective 2: Develop entrepreneurial capacities of youth and women that contribute towards access to educational programs, creating sustainable income-generating activities, and paying for involvement in electoral processes. Objective 3: Inspire youth and womens desire to participate in democratic processes by enlisting experienced youth and women in politics to develop a mentorship program. Objective 4: Develop entrepreneurial capacities of youth and women that contribute towards access to educational programs, creating sustainable income-generating activities, and paying for involvement in electoral processes. Objective 5: Establish centers of learning and capacity-building for open dialogue among youth and women, civil society, governments, and the communities they serve. Objective 6: Empower key reformers and actors to promote access to justice, strengthen checks on executive power, and incorporate citizen-responsive governance to reduce corruption and improve the delivery of public services. Objective 7: Provide technical support and integrate program with or leverage existing programs, local resources, and/or the activities of other donors.

The U.S. Embassy Nassaus Public Diplomacy (PD) section announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to develop and organize a Regional Alumnae Summit for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) network throughout the Caribbean. The PD section invites proposals from non-profit organizations, civil society organizations, and U.S. government alumni organizations to design and organize a summit to connect small and medium businesses of AWE Alumnae from across the Caribbean during a 2-day Summit in Nassau, The Bahamas in Spring 2025. This Summit will also provide a forum for AWE Alumnae to expand their professional network, share best practices and gain broader market access. In consultation with the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy team, the awardee is expected to organize all logistics for the Summit to include, but not limited to several deliverables. Therefore, the proposal should clearly describe how each item below will be addressed: Structure and Overall plan for the event. The estimated Cost for the proposed Venue for the Summit. Equipment (Equipment cannot account for more than 10% of the total project cost.) Marketing plan Proposed 6 Conference Speakers and associated costs (this should include Bahamian, Caribbean and American Entrepreneurs as well as a Keynote Speaker.) Travel Costs for participants from Family Islands. A Business Expo opportunity for participants. Opportunities for participants to scale up their businesses (ex. export, product development and scaling.) Cost Share (not required but looked upon favorably) Public Private Partnerships Pre and Post Surveys for participants (ex. To garner input for topics for summit)

Funding Opportunity Title: 2025 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Funding Opportunity Number: PD-SEOUL-FY24-05 Deadline for Applications: August 12, 2023, 11:59 p.m. GMT+9 CFDA Number: 19.040 Public Diplomacy Programs Total Amount Available: $75,000 This notice is subject to availability of funding. A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION After a successful inaugural program in 2024, U.S. Embassy Seoul is excited to launch the second Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Korea. The U.S. Department of State created AWE to support and empower women entrepreneurs globally. The program provides the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to build, manage, and scale successful businesses a key priority highlighted by both President Biden and President Yoon during the 2023 U.S.-ROK State Visit. Participants will gain skills to maximize their contributions to the Korean economy and facilitate entry into the U.S. market. The selected grantee will facilitate a pre-made curriculum combining online and offline components. The curriculum covers topics including entrepreneurship, business planning, marketing, financial management, and pitching. The grantee will also collaborate with U.S. Embassy Seoul to organize networking activities for participants to build relationships amongst themselves and to expand their networks of Korean and American business leaders. Prior to the program, the grantee organization will receive an AWE training session to familiarize themselves with the program's curriculum. Key Outputs: Recruitment: The grantee, in close collaboration with U.S. Embassy Seoul, will recruit 25 women entrepreneurs who have been running their businesses since inception. Detailed participant selection criteria will be designed in close collaboration with the grantee organization. Program: Training: The first phase of the program will focus on Thunderbird University's three-month-long 100 Million Learners Program, delivered online. During this phase, the grantee organization will maintain regular check-ins with participants to ensure their active engagement. Monthly in-person meetings will be held to facilitate discussion of the material and best practices for adapting these skills to their own businesses. Networking: The grantee organization will organize networking activities. U.S. Embassy Seoul will supplement these activities with invitations for participants to attend related ongoing programs or events. In particular, these networking activities should involve the inaugural 2024 AWE cohort and their mentors, when possible. Events: The program will culminate in a graduation ceremony in Fall 2025. Select, high-performing participants will be invited to attend Select USA in 2025 and/or to become mentees in the Select USA Global Women in Tech program. Monitoring and Evaluation: The grantee organization will conduct ongoing surveys to assess participants' experiences before and after attending the AWE program. These surveys will assess the relevance of the materials to their businesses and reflections on the trainings. Note: Not mandatory, but you may use the templates provided here: Proposal Template / Budget Template All application materials must be submitted by email to [email protected]

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Kigali Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to organize and implement the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Program, which will include facilitating a course on Global Entrepreneurship Sustainable Business and planning and hosting a regional AWE conference. Please follow all instructions below. Program Objectives: The first program element is to facilitate the traditional DreamBuilder program, which brings together a cohort of 30 women who meet online and in-person to learn core business skills such as strategic planning, marketing, and finance, then discuss the material with local facilitators, business leaders, and U.S. exchange alumni mentors. The DreamBuilder program should run for a period of six months, one facilitation session per week for 13 weeks, followed by three months of mentoring. The content for the training is offered at no-cost through the DreamBuilder online platform. The second program element is facilitating a course that is part of the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, which will seek 15 participants whos businesses are at more advanced level. The course should run for six months using the curriculum of the Global Entrepreneurship Sustainable Business course. The third program element is organizing and hosting an AWE conference in Rwanda, designed to be a full two-day program targeting 80 AWE alumnae. The program will have the following objectives: Objective 1 Ensure that more women have the skills, capabilities, and resources to fully participate in the economy. Objective 2 Promote women's social and economic empowerment. Objective 3 Continue to build on past AWE cohorts to strengthen the entrepreneurial eco-system in Rwanda for women. Participants and Audiences: For the DreamBuilder program, selection criteria will be based on having a small business or business idea. The target audience will be 30 women aged 25-45 who are starting businesses or have just started one and want to learn how to grow it. For the Global Entrepreneurship Sustainable Business course, participant selection criteria should be based on type of business, maturity of business, and education level of applicants. This course targets women aged 25 to 45 who have strong computer and internet skills. A bachelors degree is required. For the conference, selection criteria should be based on graduation from an AWE program, include a mix of participants from prior AWE cohorts, and have the availability to participant for two full days.

GCJ seeks to advance victim-survivor-centered investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of atrocities committed in Burma since 2011, by supporting the implementation of the justice and accountability components of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/219 with respect to the situation of human rights of Rohingya and other ethnic and/or religious minority groups in Myanmar. A successful project will result in the advancement of victim-survivor-centered investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators of atrocities committed in Burma since 2011.

The "Strengthening Workers' Rights in Malaysia's Electronic Supply Chain" grant aims to provide $3 million for a project in Malaysia that supports workers and their organizations in advocating for improved occupational safety, health standards, and gender-responsive standards, while also addressing gender-based violence and harassment in the electronics sector through increased union participation and collective bargaining.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition, funded through the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund, for organizations interested in advancing the role of women in the global labor movement.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Executive Summary: U.S. Embassy Dushanbes Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) announces an open competition to implement the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Tajikistan, a program that seeks to elevate the economic livelihood of 25 women in Panjakent District. The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a global program that was established by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019 to provide women with the knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses. By promoting womens economic opportunities and ensuring that women have the capabilities and resources needed to participate in the economy, the AWE program directly supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. Background: Due to the high rate of male labor migration and unemployment, more Tajik women are considering how to financially support their households. However, womens entrepreneurial activities are highly dependent on the effectiveness of the business environment in the country. Successful small business development creates new employment opportunities in Tajikistan and helps women support themselves and their families. Small businesses are fast becoming the main source of income for women in Tajikistan. Panjakent, a former trading city on the ancient Silk Road, is located in a strategic geographic area bordering Uzbekistan. After a 25-year hiatus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have restrengthened bilateral ties, and both countries are working to expand trade and economic cooperation with each other. In this manner, they have established free economic zones where businesspeople can put their ventures to work. The city of Panjakent and its surroundings is home to unique natural beauty, newly recognized UNESCO cultural heritage sites, and agricultural projects - all of which makes it a strategic location to empower women to advance economic and human development. The skills that women will learn through AWE will not only be valuable to establish stronger economic independence for themselves but also to contribute to more cross-border trade with neighboring Uzbekistan. Project Audience(s): The primary audience is approximately 25 Tajik women in Panjakent District who have some entrepreneurial skills, either with the capacity to scale-up current ventures in hospitality management, eco-tourism, and trade, or with experience working at local markets, such as in the areas of agricultural products, handicrafts, artisan products, or in service industries such as beauty parlors and sewing. Recruitment Criteria: a) Women aged 18 to 45. b) Holding high school and/or university degrees. c) Approximately 1-2 years business experience. d) Motivation to engage in long-term business or entrepreneurial activity. e) Must reside in the district of Panjakent or nearby villages. f) Womens leadership experience. g) Community service experience. h) Some English proficiency preferred, but not a requirement. In coordination with PDS Dushanbe, the implementer will organize informational meetings to spread the word about the project, its goals, objectives, and vision, and identify current or aspiring entrepreneurs in Panjakent District. This could include information sessions at American Space Panjakent and other relevant NGO offices and entities, but also outreach with flyers provided to target women working in local markets in the specified fields. Project Goal: To elevate the economic livelihood of current or aspiring women entrepreneurs in hospitality management, eco-tourism, trade, and handicrafts in Panjakent to support the tourism infrastructure of Panjakent District. Project Objectives: Objective 1: Improve women entrepreneurs confidence and motivation in pursuing and growing their businesses. Objective 2: Increase the ability of women from the Panjakent region to create and grow their businesses in hospitality management, eco-tourism, and trade through targeted training and mentorship activities. Training topics may include but are not limited to: U.S. small business best practices, business plan development, marketing, accounting, financial management, investment and financing, leadership, strategic planning, business registration, and more. Objective 3: Increase women entrepreneurs awareness and knowledge of tourism initiatives and business opportunities in Panjakent. Objective 4: Increase women entrepreneurs abilities to apply for funding opportunities, including grants, loans, and investments, to fuel their business growth and attract potential investors. Project Activities: Select 25 women entrepreneurs for the AWE project in Panjakent. Provide women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses in Panjakent through online and in-person trainings. This could include a mentoring program or other form of connection with the business community. Use the online training platform DreamBuilder to teach participants the fundamentals of starting or growing a small business from a U.S. perspective, offering modules on marketing, pricing, and bookkeeping, and includes a built-in business plan generator. Organize sessions to increase entrepreneurs understanding of the tourism potential of the region; this could include a three-day business tour to the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, which holds high potential for cross-border tourism and trade. Organize and hold a final pitch event, inviting potential investors to provide feedback. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period: 12 months Number of awards anticipated: 1 Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of Total available funding: $39,504 Award Ceiling: $39,504 Award Floor: $25,000 Type of Funding: ECA Anticipated program start date: September 1, 2024 This notice is subject to availability of funding. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that Embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. The Department of State will be substantially involved in carrying out the following aspects of this cooperative agreement: 1) Selection of AWE personnel. 2) Selection of AWE participants. 3) Monitor AWE programming. 4) Connect recipient with the U.S. Alumni Network of Tajikistan (USANT) 5) Connect regional AWE alumni with the first cohort of 25 Tajik women entrepreneurs. 6) Publish a press release on project completion. 7) Produce a video on project accomplishments. Recipient Responsibilities: 1) Collaborate with PDS Dushanbe in selecting the participants for AWE programming. 2) Coordinate all logistics for the events including promotion, venue arrangements, set up and take down, monitoring and evaluation of the events. 3) Engage ECA exchange alumni in AWE programming. 4) Translate Dreambuilder Online Learning Platform from English into Tajik to conduct mentoring and facilitation in local languages (fundamentals of starting or growing a small business from a U.S. perspective, offering modules on marketing, pricing, and bookkeeping, and includes a built-in business plan generator.) 5) Strengthen communication, media, and outreach plans in collaboration with USANT. 6) Connect AWE alumni across the globe with dynamic U.S. experts who can engage both virtually and in person on entrepreneurship and innovation-related topics.t 7) Submit 2024-2025 AWE alumni data to PDS Dushanbe. Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. Support for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA): All programs should consider strategies for expanding the pool of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries to afford opportunities for as diverse and inclusive population as is feasible to bring diverse perspectives based on religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, and age to implementation of the program. The Public Diplomacy Section reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described under circumstances deemed to be in the best interest of the U.S. government, pending the availability of funds and approval of the designated Grants Officer. C. ELIGIBILTY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants The following not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply: Not-for-profit organizations Civil society/non-governmental organizations Public and private educational institutions Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing or matching is not required for this funding opportunity, but is encouraged, as well as potential public private partnerships.