U.S. Embassy Small Grants Program

U.S. Embassy Small Grants Program in Belarus

The goal of the program is to support civil society development in Belarus.
The program is interested in the projects promoting:
• Civic dialogue
• Public advocacy
• Social development and the strengthening of local communities
• Local self-government
• Gender equality
• Market reforms
• Preservation of cultural and natural heritage including environmental and post-Chernobyl issues.

Proposals that reach the broadest number of users, involve networking with other organizations and/or cooperation with local governmental agencies or business entities, and which include funding from other sources will have a strong advantage.

Competition is open to registered Belarusian non-governmental organizations.

Focus / Priorities

Proposals should:
-  Focus on a specific goal
-  Meet the needs of the target audience
-  Outline an action plan to reach the goal
-  Include an explicit justification
-  Be modest in size
-  Reflect the true and reasonable costs of implementation
-  Include cost sharing information.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:
-  Potential to contribute to the development of priority areas
-  Feasibility and financial soundness of the proposal
-  Past experience in successfully organizing and completing planned activities
-  Past experience working with other donor organizations
-  Contribution of applicant organization (cost-sharing).

Guidelines

Grant activities may not violate Belarusian legislation.

American or third-country organizations and individuals are not eligible for grants under this program.

Grants may not be used for partisan/political activity. 

Grants are normally made on a one-time basis.  Duplicative projects will not be supported.

Administrative expenses should be linked to specific grant activities, not fixed overhead costs.

U.S. Embassy Small Grants Program funds should not be used to pay for international travel.

Grant proposals pertaining to the publication of materials should describe the intended audience, content and how materials will be distributed.

Applications involving the organizations of conferences/workshops should describe the expected audience, content, timeframe and anticipated results.

All grant proposals should include the resumes of major participants of the project.

Proposals should be in English and Belarusian (or Russian).

Commonly Asked Questions

Who can apply? Belarusian registered NGOs.  Applications from governmental, international or political party organizations will not be considered.

How do I apply? Application form can be found here (PDF, 98KB).
Hard copies are available at our office located in Minsk at Gertsena Street 2A.

When is the application deadline? Applications are accepted at all times throughout the year.

How long will the process take? Turnaround time may vary but normally takes about 3 months.

What do I do if there are questions about the application process?  Contact our office directly at the following telephone number:  (017) 211-0567.  Staff will assist you with any specific questions.  

In what currency should the budget be?
The budget should be prepared in US$ and all costs must be itemized. Contact our office directly regarding budget amounts.

What is the maximum period of the grant?
One year. The starting date of the grant period is the date the project is registered at the Department for Humanitarian Assistance.

Contact Information

Address:
Public Affairs Section
U.S. Embassy, Minsk
Gertsena Street 2A
Minsk, Belarus 220030

Phone
(017) 217-04-81; 211-05-67

Fax
(017) 211-0384

E-mail
DFSGP@usembassy.minsk.by

Website
http://minsk.usembassy.gov