Advocating for Human and Civil Rights for the LGBT Community | S EI300 NOFO1

Opportunity Information: Apply for S EI300 NOFO1

The U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section in Dublin, working with the U.S. Consulate in Belfast, offered a cooperative agreement to fund a public diplomacy exchange program titled "Advocating for Human and Civil Rights for the LGBT Community." The core idea is to strengthen mutual understanding between the United States and Ireland by bringing a small cohort of current and emerging leaders from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to the United States for a structured, professional exchange. The program is framed around a central U.S. foreign policy priority: protecting universal human rights, with a specific focus on LGBT equality and the practical, on-the-ground work of advocacy, law, policy, and inclusive public services.

The exchange is intended primarily for civil society advocates and legal experts who work on LGBT issues, human rights protections, and the development of related laws, policies, and programs. Academics and government officials engaged in LGBT advocacy may also be considered. Participants must be fluent in English, and the cohort is split evenly between nominees identified by the Embassy in Dublin and the Consulate in Belfast. The rationale reflects differing legal and social contexts on the island of Ireland: while the Republic of Ireland legalized same-sex civil marriage via referendum in 2015, significant challenges remain around bullying in schools, access to health services, adoption and parenting, and workplace inclusion. In Northern Ireland, same-sex marriage was still illegal at the time of the announcement, and local stakeholders also highlighted concerns about healthcare access, fertility treatment, adoption, school bullying, and the possibility that Brexit could slow or complicate progress on LGBT rights. A key goal is not only learning from U.S. approaches, but also building cross-border relationships and long-term collaboration between participants from both jurisdictions.

Program design requirements are fairly specific. The grantee must develop and run a two-week exchange consisting of 10 program days, hosted in two to three U.S. cities, for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 16 participants depending on available funding. Content should examine U.S. advocacy at local, state, national, and international levels, and help participants understand how legislative frameworks, political debates, societal attitudes, and judicial perspectives shape LGBT rights. The agenda is expected to cover the history of the LGBT movement in the United States, contemporary debates on equality and same-sex marriage, workplace rights, social inclusion and diversity, and the support needs of LGBT youth and families. The solicitation emphasizes practical learning: how advocacy organizations monitor discrimination, influence policy, counter defamation, and work with a range of stakeholders, including engagement with religious leaders to expand social acceptance. Particular emphasis is requested on healthcare access, adoption and parenting issues, bullying in schools, and workplace diversity.

The opportunity also includes a built-in follow-on component meant to extend impact beyond the U.S. visit. At the end of the exchange, participants choose (by consensus) a U.S. expert they met during the program and invite that expert to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a five-day speaker program. This follow-on is to be implemented by alumni and must include substantive youth engagement, with the broader aim of strengthening cross-border cooperation and reinforcing U.S.-Ireland and U.S.-U.K. ties on LGBT rights and inclusion.

Roles are divided between the grantee and the U.S. government partners. The selected organization is responsible for full program administration, building the itinerary and content, arranging all travel logistics (including lodging and per diem for participants), managing travel for the follow-on speaker, and providing progress reporting. The Embassy and Consulate identify participants, support visa processing, and retain approval authority over dates, locations, schedule, content, and other major logistical elements. They also provide a pre-departure briefing and a debrief after participants return, and may partner on the follow-on speaker program.

Funding is offered as a cooperative agreement, with an anticipated award range from $30,000 to $60,000, and the project must be completed within one year or less. Cost-sharing is not required, and the award cannot be used for construction. The solicitation also notes clear restrictions on using funds for religious or partisan political activity, fundraising campaigns, commercial projects, scientific research whose primary aim is institutional development, or any illegal activities.

Eligibility is aimed at U.S. nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that meet U.S. legal and technical requirements; individuals cannot apply. Subcontracting is allowed, but only one nonprofit NGO can serve as the prime recipient, and any partner roles must be clearly defined. Applicants must have a DUNS number, an active SAM registration, and must submit through Grants.gov (with the reminder that registrations can take weeks and SAM must be renewed annually). Applications must be in English, budgets must be in U.S. dollars, and pages should be numbered. The Embassy recommends using provided proposal and budget templates, and requires a budget narrative that ties costs directly to program activities. If local partnerships are part of the plan, one-page letters of intent are required, along with documentation proving nonprofit status (such as an IRS determination letter).

Proposals are reviewed by a technical panel and scored using criteria that prioritize meeting the program requirements and objectives, the strength and creativity of the implementation plan, a reasonable and well-justified budget, a clear monitoring and evaluation approach (including possible pre- and post-program assessment), and sustainability through ongoing relationship-building and continued activities after the grant ends. Applicants are generally informed of results within about 90 days after the deadline. The original closing date listed for this opportunity was August 19, 2016, under Funding Opportunity Number S EI300 NOFO1, administered by the U.S. Mission to Ireland.

• The U.S. Mission to Ireland in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advocating for Human and Civil Rights for the LGBT Community" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-07-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-08-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for S EI300 NOFO1

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