Inter-American Foundation

23 Apr
by sofia
Forums: 
General discussion

Spanish
Portuguese 
English 
French
Haitian Creole

Countries: Latin America, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica

Link: http://www.iaf.gov/index.aspx?page=96

Deadline: No deadline. Proposals can be submitted throughout the year

Grant size: The IAF does not fund requests for amounts under $25,000 or for more than $400,000

DESCRIPTION
The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) invites proposals for its grant program. The IAF funds the self-help efforts of grassroots groups in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve living conditions of the disadvantaged and the excluded, enhance their capacity for decision-making and self-governance, and develop partnerships with the public sector, business and civil society.

FOCUS AREA
The IAF does not identify problems or suggest projects; instead it responds to initiatives presented. Projects are selected for funding on their merits rather than by sector.

ELIGIBILITY
The IAF looks for the following in a project it funds:

  • innovative solutions to development problems;
  • creative use of the community's resources;
  • diverse array of community voices in project development and execution;
  • substantial beneficiary engagement in:
    • the identification of the problem addressed,
    • the approach chosen to solve it,
    • the design of the project, and
    • management and evaluation of activities;
  • partnerships with local government, the business community and other civil society organizations;
  • potential for strengthening all participating organizations and their partnerships;
  • feasibility;
  • evidence of eventual sustainability;
  • counterpart contributions from the proponent, the beneficiaries and other sources;
  • the potential to generate learning;
  • measurable results;
  • evidence of beneficiaries' enhanced capacity for self-governance.

The following are INELIGIBLE for IAF grants:

  • proposals presented or directed by government entities;
  • proposals from individuals;
  • proposals presented or directed by entities outside the country in which the project is located;
  • proposals from groups that do not contribute financial or in-kind resources to the proposed activities;
  • proposals associated with political parties or partisan movements;  •purely religious or sectarian activities;
  • pure research;  •welfare projects of any kind, charitable institutions or proposals solely for construction and/or equipment;
  • requests for grants under US$25,000 or more than US$400,000;
  • projects whose objectives do not encourage a shared capacity for self-help.

GUIDELINES  
Proposals can either be sent by regular mail or email to proposals@iaf.gov.
The IAF's application has three required parts:

  • Part 1: Cover Sheet. This must be completed with the requested information.
  • Part 2: Narrative. Responses to the questions cannot exceed 10 pages double-spaced in 12-point type.
  • Part 3: Budget.

Proposals that exceed the above parameters will be rejected. Failure to submit all required material results in disqualification. Application forms can be downloaded from the foundation’s website.
Contact info:
Inter-American Foundation
Pennsylvania building
1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Suite 1200 North Washington, DC 20004
Tel. 202-360-4530