Community Activism program

Background
The U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania is offering a grant opportunity for non-governmental organizations to implement a community activism program. The program aims to expand and strengthen a network of activists by enhancing their capacities to advance positive community engagement solutions and programs. The goal is to create a culture of activism and advocacy, including facilitating interaction with civil society organizations, media, local government, and the public to produce tangible results.

Grant Details
The proposed actions should provide direct support to community grass-root initiatives or civil society organizations to improve their understanding of activism as a process and ways it can be used in local contexts to improve public services, protect and promote human rights, and contribute to a vibrant, local democracy.
Additionally, the program should help consolidate a community of activists with improved capacities to engage in citizen-driven initiatives, contribute to increased and/or improved dialogue processes with the local and national authorities by residents, and facilitate concrete initiatives to support pressing issues of civic concern.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include Albanian not-for-profit organizations, including civil society, non-governmental organizations, and think tanks that are able to respond to the NOFO and have experience and expertise working on community activism programs. U.S. organizations and individuals are not eligible for grants under the program.

Period of Performance
The length of the performance period is 12 months, with an anticipated program start date in September 2024.
Proposed programs should be completed within one year from the starting date determined in the grant contract.

Grant Value
The total available funding for the grant is $180,000 with one award anticipated at the same value.

Place of Performance
The priority region for this grant opportunity is Albania.