The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S. OPA) announces an open competition for a grant through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
The American Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative will offer funding to American and/or Palestinian non-profit organizations to implement activities which advance the applicant’s goals, the objectives defined, and the U.S.OPA-PD mission: to advance a comprehensive and lasting peace through a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the development of a vibrant, representative, and responsive Palestinian civil society, private sector, and governing institutions through substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation.
Objectives
All proposed projects must aim to advance the U.S. OPA-PD mission goals stated, contain a substantive American element, and achieve one or more of the following specific objectives:
Increase understanding and collaboration between Americans and Palestinians via direct exchange with American arts, film, music, dance, theatre, cultural, and/or sports professionals or institutions. Activities may include joint performances, productions, exhibits, workshops, tournaments, trainings, and other projects/works among other ideas.
Enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and/or careers of artists, creatives, arts, cultural and sports professionals
Positively address issues of conflict resolution, mental health, resiliency, or trauma therapy through arts, culture, and/or sports
Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, environmental protection, human rights, and/or a strong civil society via arts, culture, and/or sports activities and exchange.
Special consideration will be given to proposals that demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability.
Funding Information
Length of performance period: up to 18 months
Number of awards anticipated: To be determined based on the number and amount of awards funded under this NOFO. No more than two proposals per organization will be considered.
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $50,000
Total available funding: $100,000
Type of Funding: FY22 Smith-Mundt Act Public Diplomacy Funds
Anticipated program start date: September 30, 2022
Participants and Audiences: Participants and audiences must primarily include Palestinian professionals and students in the fields of arts, culture, and sports or any other population.
Priority Region: Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza or a combination of two or three of them.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible primary applicants for grant funding must be not-for-profit Palestinian and/or American organizations working with Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and/or Gaza.
