What is the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation?
The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) supports projects to preserve a wide range of cultural heritage throughout the world, including in Botswana. Since 2001, the U.S. government through the Department of State has provided direct grant support in all regions of the world for the preservation of cultural sites, cultural collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression.
Project Categories
AFCP supports projects in the following three categories:
Cultural Objects and Collections – This include archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, photographic and film collections and general museum conservation activities. Proposals in this category may involve, for example:
- Conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects
- Needs assessment of a collection
- The creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections
- Specialized training in the care and preservation of collections.
Cultural Sites – This includes, but is not limited to, historical buildings and sites, sacred places, monuments, and archaeological sites. Proposals in this category may involve for example:
- Restoration of a historic building;
- An archaeological survey as a component of a preservation plan;
- Preservation management planning for a site;
- Documentation of sites in a region for preservation purposes;
Forms of Traditional Cultural Expression – This includes traditional music, rituals, languages, dance, drama and crafts. Proposals in this category may involve for example:
- Documenting and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms as part of a traditional expression and making the information and recordings available;
- Support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction;
Project Size
AFCP supports small and large projects.
- Small grants range between US $10,000 and $200,000
- Large grants range between US $200,000 and $800,000
Proposal Requirements
All project proposals must include or address the following:
- Purpose and summary
- Description
- Time frame
- Statement of significance
- Statement of urgency
- Statement of sustainability
- Rationale for U.S. support
- Detailed description of direct and indirect beneficiaries: number, gender, age, location
- Detailed project budget – itemized, “no miscellaneous,” add cost-share of other donors (quantify in-kind contributions if not cash contribution)
- Recipient information
- Resumes of the project coordinator and professional staff
- Official permission to undertake the project
- Other funding sources (if any)
- At least five high quality digital images (JPEGS) or audiovisual files of the site, object, or form of expression to be addressed in the proposed project.
Who can Apply
Eligible applicants are reputable and accountable non-commercial entities, such as registered non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations that have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage.
AFCP does not award grants to individuals, to commercial entities, to embassies, or to past award recipients who have not fulfilled the requirements of previous AFCP awards.
Application Deadline and Submission
The deadline for the AFCP 2020 submissions is Monday, December 9, 2019 by 09:00 GMT+2
All submissions must be received electronically. Hard copy applications will not be accepted. Please email completed proposals to GaboronePASAllStaff@state.gov.
Review and Selection Process
The U.S. Embassy in Botswana will conduct a preliminary review all submitted project proposals and vet all prospective recipients for suitability and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities before submitting to the Department of State for further and final review.
The Cultural Heritage Center in Washington will administer the proposal review and selection process. Awards will be announced as soon as possible through the U.S. Embassy in Botswana.
Applications will be accepted and rated as follows:
- Purpose, Description, and Importance: 25 points max
- Urgency: 15 points max
- Maintenance Plan: 10 points max
- Rationale for U.S. Support: 15 points max
- Embassy Media Plan: 10 points max
- Budget and Budget Narrative: 15 points max
- Supporting Materials: 10 points max
Applications for projects that directly support one or more of the following will receive additional consideration in FY 2020:
- U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations, such as cultural property agreements
- U.S. Embassy Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goals
- Disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas
- Post-disaster cultural heritage recovery
- Preservation of inscribed World Heritage sites
Resources
