Democracy Commission Small Grants Program

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Executive Summary: The U.S. Embassy Ashgabat Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce funding is available through the Embassy’s Democracy Commission Small Grants Program. This program supports the development of Turkmenistan’s democratic institutions and civil society by competitively awarding small grants to Turkmenistan’s for-profit, economic societies, nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and associations, and to nonprofit civil society organizations (CSOs). The U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) in Ashgabat is soliciting proposals for grants from Turkmenistan’s civil society that focus on one of the priority areas specified below. Applicants should pay close attention to the Public Diplomacy Section’s goals, priority program areas, target audiences when developing their proposals. Priority area 1: Promotion of civil society and association building Project Goal: Build organizational capacity of civil society organizations to improve institutional accountability, transparency, and support for local communities across Turkmenistan. Objective 1: Develop a civil society organization (CSO) incubator program to provide consistent and comprehensive support to potential and/or emerging CSOs in rural areas focused on strategic planning, project management, organizational and financial sustainability. Objective 2: Strengthen project and grants management skills of at least 10 local CSOs through training, mentorship, and workshops. Objective 3: Create at least 3 new CSOs resulting in stronger and more competitive organizations in the local arena by providing legal consultations on CSO and project registration. Objective 4: Facilitate cooperation and exchanges of expertise with the Turkmen government to build trust and increase cooperation on issues impacting local communities. Objective 5: Improve collaboration between a minimum of eight local NGOs working with underserved groups (including women and youth) and local government bodies. Objective 6: Improve skills of at least eight local (or relatively low capacity) CSOs to utilize traditional and social media for outreach campaigns (e.g., establishment of robust communication plans and strategies) Priority Area 2: Women’s and youth empowerment: Economic & Civic Engagement Project Goal: Increase participation of women and youth from vulnerable and marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, in economic empowerment and civic engagement activities. Objective 1: Raise awareness of at least 100 youth (including people with disabilities and/or representatives from marginalized groups) on media literacy, including how to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and communicate using media in all of its forms . Objective 2: Strengthen leadership skills of at least 100 youth (including people with disabilities and/or representatives from marginalized groups) to become local and community leaders through leadership, professional development, and emotional intelligence trainings. Objective 3: Equip a minimum of 100 women and/or youth residing in low-income communities (including people with disabilities and representatives from marginalized groups) with professional skills and knowledge on employment opportunities and job application and interview best practices. Objective 4: Strengthen ability of least 100 women to advocate for women’s interests and rights in their local communities through leadership and professional development trainings. Objective 5: Increase participation of Turkmen youth in policy and decision-making processes that address environmental challenges and/or governmental accountability through at least three regional youth leadership initiatives in partnership with local self-governments and local councils. Objective 6: Equip at least 60 women and/or youth with technological skills and knowledge to interact with computer-based technologies and perform technical tasks, such as email correspondence, data and file management, presentation software, audio and video editing, social media, word processing, web navigation skills, cybersecurity, and/or programming.