Bureau of DRL: Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, and LGBTI Persons

                                        

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) has announced an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a program entitled “Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTI Persons” that will advance an integrated, intersectional approach to advancing the human rights of women and girls; persons with disabilities, and; LGBTI persons.

DRL seeks to support programming ideas that will have a direct and lasting impact by promoting reforms and structural changes that take advantage of changing social and political dynamics.

Focus Areas

Protection from violence, including sexual violence and hate crime, and combating impunity: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, increased capacity to document violence targeting these marginalized populations, as well as investigation processes (or lack thereof); increased and proactive engagement from national authorities, including police and other law enforcement agencies, to prevent, mitigate, or respond to violence impacting marginalized communities; increased protection, safety and support for marginalized persons and their advocates at risk of violence, or who have experienced violence; and, establishment of or support to broad-based advocacy coalitions working to reduce and prevent bias-motivated violence.

Ensuring and increasing access to and inclusion within social systems: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, increasing access to justice, including through expanded access to and provision of legal services; advancing inclusion and tolerance in public attitudes and cultural norms; increasing political participation; improving capacity of lawyers and civil society organizations to assist target populations in accessing or protecting their full human rights; combating discrimination against and exclusion of and ensuring legal protections for target populations in access to employment, housing, education, family and relationship-based legal protections, and other social institutions; ensuring access to public services and assistance.

Organizational Development and Capacity: Objectives may include, but are not limited to, building or strengthening inclusive coalitions; building advocacy skills toward inclusive legislative reforms; increasing capacity of local or regional organizations to develop and implement strategic plans, work plans, budgets, communication strategies, risk assessments, and security plans; increased capacity of organizations to mobilize community members and build constituencies, and to improve documentation and reporting of human rights violations and abuses.

Funding Information

DRL anticipates having approximately$400,000 available to support between one to two successful applications submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding.

Applications should not request less than $200,000and no more than 400,000.

Applicants should include an anticipated start date between April 2017 and July 2017and the period of performance should be between 12 months to 36 months.

New DRL awards are typically between one to three years and must not be for longer than 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria

DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses.

DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this NOFO. Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined application. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with the other members as sub-award partners.

DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities.

DRL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status. DRL encourages applications from organizations working with the most at risk and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, members of ethnic or religious minority groups, and LGBTI persons.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can download the application packages via given www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=290132