Deadline: 15-May-23

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposal submissions for the FY 2023 Community Solutions Program (CSP) in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.

Created in 2010, Community Solutions is a global initiative that supports engaged community leaders, ages 26- 39, working to address economic, environmental, political, and social challenges confronting their local communities. Community Solutions Fellows will undertake a four- to six-month U.S.- based fellowship program in public institutions, government offices, state legislatures, social incubators, businesses, or non-profit organizations, working with seasoned community leaders on pre-defined substantive issues of mutual interest. The program will include a robust on-line and blended leadership training component and assist participants in the design and implementation of post-fellowship projects in their home countries. The program will also support overseas travel for approximately eight to 10 American hosts and program alumni to work with Community Solutions participants on community engagement projects.

Themes: The specific themes for the professional fellowships for this program are: Democracy and Human Rights, Environmental Issues, Peace and Conflict Resolution, and Women and Gender Issues.

Purpose

• In an increasingly connected world, the economic, environmental, political, and social challenges that confront seemingly disparate communities in fact link them together. Innovative approaches to building healthy and resilient communities have universal application when supported by collaborative and ethical leaders able and ready to adapt solutions to a local context. Making progress on complex global challenges starts locally and requires multisector engagement strategies. Addressing these challenges requires a new kind of global leader – one able to work across national, professional, and demographic boundaries to shape the multi-dimensional solutions needed in an increasingly complex world. Community Solutions was established with the idea that the problems that confront them, as global citizens, are shared and do not stop at national borders. It is only by working together across countries and continents that communities can tackle the most difficult challenges in today’s world.
• Community Solutions seeks to enhance the skills of approximately 76 civic and community leaders from 109 countries to more effectively address current economic, environmental, political, and social challenges in their communities. Through a four- to six-month fellowship, complemented by leadership coaching and development, Community Solutions provides opportunities for eligible individuals to experience innovative practices to supporting healthy inclusive communities, learn effective models of civil discourse and community engagement, and develop concrete strategies to better address complex issues in their home communities. Community Solutions should be designed to enable U.S. organizations to build capacity, strengthen programs, and engage communities. Community Solutions is an investment in global peace, security, and prosperity.
• As a global exchange to address community-based challenges, CSP strives to:
  • facilitate and strengthen participants’ ability to lead collaboratively, address complex community challenges, and assume greater leadership roles in their institutions and communities;
  • enhance participants’ leadership and technical skills providing concrete tools and resources to facilitate collaborative, cross-sector leadership development, community engagement, civil discourse, effective communication, and project implementation and management;
  • cultivate professional ties and sustained linkages with U.S. citizens and American institutions in ways that expand and strengthen the ability of the people of the United States and other countries to identify solutions to common challenges facing local and global communities; and,
  • develop a global network of diverse, multi-disciplinary professionals and civic leaders committed to innovative problem solving and community engagement.

Funding Information

• Approximate Total Funding: $2,500,000
• Approximate Number of Awards: one
• Approximate Average Award: $2,500,000
• Minimum “Floor” of Award: none
• Maximum “Ceiling” of Award: $2,500,000
• Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2023
• Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 30, 2025

Eligible Region

• Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere

Eligible Countries

• Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
• Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
• Europe and Eurasia: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Türkiye, and Ukraine
• East Asia and the Pacific: Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Vanuatu, and Vietnam
• South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• Western Hemisphere: Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
• The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:
  • ECA’s grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in ECA funding. ECA anticipates making one cooperative agreement, in an amount of $2,500,000 to support all costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.
  • All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI (if applicable), and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI); non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.
  • Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization.

For more information, visit Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).