General Guidelines for 2014 Small Grants Spring Competition

The U.S. Embassy in Manila is pleased to announce that it is now accepting proposals for
the 2014 Small Grants Spring Competition. This competition provides grants of up to $20,000 to
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) to promote
democratic values and cooperation in the East-Asia Pacific region. The grant selection process
will be competitive, and final selections will be announced by mid-April 2014. If selected, your
organization will receive grant from the U.S. Embassys Public Affairs Office.

Proposals must support program activities related to one or more of the following themes:

1. Civil Engagement - Human Rights/Democracy/Good governance/Rule of
Law: Strengthen human rights by engaging the people of the East Asia Pacific
region in programming to support religious freedom, to ensure free and open
access to the Internet, to foster and maintain a vibrant civil society, and to
emphasize gender equality.
2. Education: Promote study abroad opportunities in the United States and connect
young people with American youths and U.S. institutions.
3. Culture/Sports/American Society: Build relationships and promote positive
messages through cultural exchange, including art, sports, theater, music, dance,
and literature. Work in collaboration with public and private cultural institutions
and look to alumni to deepen existing ties with the U.S., as well as within the
region, and provide locally credible voices.
4. Economic Issues: Support economic goals in the Asia-Pacific region which
include forging more open economic ties through engagement with partners and
regional institutions; promoting a free system of commerce through trade,
investment, and protection of intellectual property rights; and supporting a fairer
trade and investment regime.
5. Multilateral Engagement: The United States rebalance to the Asia-Pacific has
featured a dramatic upswing in our diplomatic engagement on the multilateral
stage. One of the cornerstones of the rebalance is increased engagement with
Asia-Pacific institutions (including Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), APEC, and Lower Mekong Initiative LMI).
Proposals which support intra-regional (multi-country) projects are encouraged.

Proposals must include a description of how the grant will be monitored and evaluated.
Key target audiences are youth and women/girls.
Only proposals that demonstrate long-term sustainability beyond the proposed program
activity should be considered for these grants. Third-country organizations and
individuals are not eligible to receive these grants.
Priority will be given to proposals from new organizations and new projects. Grants will
not normally be approved for multi-year projects, but past recipients will be considered
for new one-year projects.
Proposals for non-partisan election education and related public information activities are
eligible for consideration, but grants may not be used for any form of partisan political
activity.
Small grant proposals may include modest administrative expenses, including
honoraria/partial salaries of grant implementers, but only when they are directly linked to
the conduct of the specific grant program. General operating expenses, long-term
infrastructure costs and undefined miscellaneous or overhead expenses are not
acceptable. High costs to produce materials are also not a good use of the small grants
program.
Grant funds may not be used to fund travel to international conferences, nor may they be
used primarily for food and drink expenses.
Grant funds may be used to train trainers, but they may not be used to provide direct
social services.
Grant funds may be used for seminars and workshops, but proposals must describe the
expected audience, content, and timeframe, and justify the activity in terms of outcome
and benefits.
Grant funds may be used for the publication of materials, but proposals must describe the
audience, content and means of distribution.

Deadline and Submission

Applications are due to the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy on or before March 15,
2014. Please attach your application and any supporting documents and send by email to:
Pacamalanny@state.gov