Bureau of DRL: Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, Persons with Disabilities and LGBTI Persons

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) has announced an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a program entitled “Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTI Persons” that will advance an integrated, intersectional approach to advancing the human rights of women and girls; persons with disabilities, and; LGBTI persons.

Deadline: 23 January 2017

DRL seeks to support programming ideas that will have a direct and lasting impact by promoting reforms and structural changes that take advantage of changing social and political dynamics.

Focus Areas

1.Protection from violence, including sexual violence and hate crime, and combating impunity, eg.

  • increased capacity to document violence targeting these marginalized populations, as well as investigation processes (or lack thereof);
  • increased and proactive engagement from national authorities, including police and other law enforcement agencies, to prevent, mitigate, or respond to violence impacting marginalized communities;
  • increased protection, safety and support for marginalized persons and their advocates at risk of violence, or who have experienced violence; and,
  • establishment of or support to broad-based advocacy coalitions working to reduce and prevent bias-motivated violence.

2. Ensuring and increasing access to and inclusion within social systems, eg:

  • increasing access to justice, including through expanded access to and provision of legal services; advancing inclusion and tolerance in public attitudes and cultural norms;
  • increasing political participation;
  • improving capacity of lawyers and civil society organizations to assist target populations in accessing or protecting their full human rights;
  • combating discrimination against and exclusion of and ensuring legal protections for target populations in access to employment, housing, education, family and relationship-based legal protections, and other social institutions;
  • ensuring access to public services and assistance.

3. Organizational Development and Capacity, eg: 

  • building or strengthening inclusive coalitions;
  • building advocacy skills toward inclusive legislative reforms;
  • increasing capacity of local or regional organizations to develop and implement strategic plans, work plans, budgets, communication strategies, risk assessments, and security plans;
  • increased capacity of organizations to mobilize community members and build constituencies, and to improve documentation and reporting of human rights violations and abuses.

Funding Information

  • DRL anticipates having approximately$400,000 available to support between one to two successful applications submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding.
  • Applications should not request less than $200,000 and no more than 400,000.
  • Applicants should include an anticipated start date between April 2017 and July 2017 and the period of performance should be between 12 months to 36 months.
  • New DRL awards are typically between one to three years and must not be for longer than 5 years.

Key eligibility criteria information

  • DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
  • Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.
  • Consortiums are possible, with a strong lead.

Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on www.grants.gov and www.grantsolutions.gov under the announcement title “Promoting the Human Rights of Women and Girls, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTI Persons funding opportunity number “DRLA-DRLAQM-17-037.”. The application itself should also be carried out via these websites. For more details, please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

We suggest you study the NOFO and all other supporting document really thoroughly, clarify the country eligibility and make all necessary preparations (eg register in US grant systems, etc.) before starting to prepare the application.

For more information, please visit Promoting the Human Rights.

Source: FundsForNGOs