American Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative

U.S. Embassy Israel

Relevent Country: Israel

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.

Source: https://il.usembassy.gov/palestinian-affairs-unit/cultural-and-educational-programs/grants-and-funding-opportunities/funding-opportunity-american-palestinian-arts-culture-and-sports-initiative/