The U.S. Embassy Gaborone, under the auspices of the Office of the Regional Refugee Coordinator, is pleased to announce the availability of a funding opportunity through the 2022 Julia Taft Fund for Refugees.
What is the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees? The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is an initiative of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) to respond to critical unmet needs of refugees. Created in 2000, the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees supports projects that fill gaps in refugee services. Successful projects are those that are not being addressed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that already receive U.S. government funding.
NOTE: This notice is subject to availability of funding.
What types of projects in Botswana have been funded through the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees in the past? Past grant recipients have implemented projects focused on early child development, establishing job training/vocational training, establishing youth councils, human rights education, and HIV/AIDS education and advocacy.
Who is eligible to apply? The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is limited to registered NGOs with at least one-two years of experience working in Botswana. Local NGOs and international NGOs not receiving broader refugee program funding from the United States government are eligible.
Applicants should consider that much of this work may occur outside of Botswana’s capital and major population centers, which will require budgeting for travel to Dukwi and Francistown where refugees are located.
Note that the Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is meant to cover a one-time need and will not support multi-year projects, though funds may be used to lay the groundwork for such projects or programs. The project must be completed in 12 months or less; the grant period is expected to begin in July 2022.
How can an organization apply for funding? NGOs are invited to submit a brief description of their proposed projects by 5:00 p.m. Central Africa Time (UTC +2) on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 by email. Please send completed applications to: ManningS@state.gov, SchaperD@state.gov, and MoreengAR@state.gov
Please note the following guidelines when preparing proposals: Project budgets cannot exceed $25,000 USD. All proposals are required to have at least 50% of the beneficiaries be refugees.
Given the ongoing constraints on public gathering and travel posed by COVID-19, grantees should be prepared to explain how their proposals could be conducted virtually as a contingency if in-person events are not possible.
The following documents are required:
- Mandatory application forms
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance –individuals) at Grants.gov
- SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov
- SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov)
- Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.Project budget cannot exceed $25,000 USD and the proposal must have at least 50% of the beneficiaries to be refugees.
- Proposals, which should be no longer than three pages in length, and should include the following:
- Name of organization along with current funding support.
- Point of contact information.
- Project title.
- Project location (including a map showing how to get to the project from a major road).
- The refugee population to be served.
- Number of direct project beneficiaries.
- Statement of need (max. 200 words).
- Project description (how the project will be carried out – max. 300 words).
- Project goals and objectives (measurable).
- Project budget (major expenditures with budget breakdown) including the amount that your organization will be contributing toward the project.
- Supporting documents as a separate attachment:
- A detailed history of your organization and project, stating when it started, what has been accomplished, what you have done for the community, and how the community supports your work;
- Reliable contact information, with at least one cell phone number;
- Copy of organization/project bank account details;
- Code of Conduct as a separate attachment.
- All proposal submissions must include a copy of the NGO’s code of conduct, which must be consistent with the UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recommendations on the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation. Any proposal without a code of conduct will be ineligible for funding.
- Organizations must be registered in SAM.gov and registered and able to provide a DUNS number. It is advisable for organizations to register and obtain their DUNS number early. SAM.gov guides are available here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samInternationalUserGuide.jsf
- Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
- Attachments :
- 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program
- Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner
- If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.
- Official permission letters, if required for program activities
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars
- All pages are numbered
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
- All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
