Public Diplomacy Small Grant Program (Israel)

PAS invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the United States and Israel through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation.  All programs must include a U.S. cultural element, or connection with U.S. expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.  All proposals must include a monitoring and evaluation plan.

Objectives

• U.S. Embassy PAS invites proposals for programs that advance at least one of the following objectives:
  • Promote conditions conducive to Israeli-Palestinian peace
  • Enhance economic opportunities for citizens and residents of Israel
  • Bolster security and stability in Israel and the United States
  • Examples of PAS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to:
    • Educational, professional, and vocational training, seminars, and speaker programs
    • Programs designed to train the trainer
    • Discussions and encounters among and between diverse Israeli populations
    • Workshops, training, and competitions that improve understanding and/or advancement

Priority Program Areas 

• Proposals that address one or more of the following priority program areas, will be considered.  Preference will be given to those which are scalable.
  • Initiatives that strengthen and amplify moderate voices in order to generate conditions favorable to people-to-people peacebuilding and shared society activities
  • Initiatives that support capacity building among civil society peacebuilding and shared society organizations by offering expertise, resources, and/or training in conflict resolution, dialogue facilitation, and resilience
  • Initiatives that enhance meaningful participation and leadership by women and promote the inclusion of women in policymaking, advocacy, peacebuilding, and security affairs
  • Initiatives that improve understanding of U.S. policies, particularly regarding the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and U.S. perspectives on regional security issues
  • Initiatives that promote the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) that foster an inclusive and safe environment in education institutions and the workplace
  • Initiatives that create or expand economic opportunities and increase advancement and professional opportunities for historically marginalized or disadvantaged populations.  This can include improved instruction and advancement in the knowledge-based sector, soft skills training, entrepreneurship, job placement, English language proficiency, and/or the fields of environmental studies and climate change education, science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
  • Initiatives that enhance media literacy and critical news consumption skills to counter the effects of disinformation by foreign actors

Funding Information

• Total available funding: approximately $500,000
• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $20,000 to a maximum of $150,000
• Length of project performance period: depending on the needs of the initiative, performance periods may be as short as one day or as long as two years

Ineligible Funding 

• The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:
  • Programs relating to partisan political activity
  • Charitable or development activities
  • Construction programs
  • Programs that support specific religious activities
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
  • Scientific research
  • Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization
  • Programs that duplicate existing programs

Participants and Audiences

• Target audiences may include, but are not limited to:
  • Youth (ages 15-25), women, and/or members of other historically under-represented populations
  • Representatives of civil society and non-profit organizations – especially those serving under-represented sectors and advancing democratic values of pluralism, equity, consensus building, or intercultural communication skills
  • Social media influencers and journalists
  • Subject matter experts in academia and their students, teachers, think tanks, and research centers
  • Entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators, leaders in related industries and businesses
  • Young professionals (ages 26-35)
• Target audience and participant selection must align with the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from U.S. and Israeli:
    • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with program experience
    • Individuals
    • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
  • For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
• Other Eligibility Requirements
  • 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.
  • In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Israel.