Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 19 008 03052019
The Civil Society and Cultural Heritage opportunity is a U.S. Department of State public diplomacy grant competition run through the Cultural Affairs Office (CAO) in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Islamabad. It is designed to fund civil society-led projects in Pakistan that use cultural heritage as a practical tool for community improvement and local economic empowerment, while also protecting and sustaining that heritage. Awards are offered on a discretionary basis (grant or cooperative agreement), meaning projects are selected competitively and, depending on the specific award instrument, may involve varying levels of collaboration with the U.S. Embassy during implementation. Funding is contingent on the availability of funds.
At its core, the program is looking for proposals that connect cultural preservation with real community outcomes. The Embassy frames cultural preservation not only as safeguarding the past, but as something that can strengthen community cohesion, increase national pride, and contribute to resilience and prosperity. The opportunity reflects the Embassy's longer-term investment in this area, noting that since 2010 it has supported many cultural heritage projects in Pakistan. Applicants are expected to bring forward fresh, innovative approaches that show how cultural heritage can be integrated into efforts that improve local conditions, create opportunity, and mobilize people around shared identity and stewardship.
The NOFO uses an intentionally broad definition of cultural heritage, covering both tangible and intangible forms. Tangible heritage includes objects, buildings, or structures that have existed for at least 75 years, which signals an emphasis on historically significant physical heritage such as traditional architecture, sites, monuments, or long-standing cultural artifacts. Intangible heritage includes traditional forms of expression such as performing arts, visual arts, language, and literature. In practice, this opens the door to projects that might range from conservation-focused community initiatives to programs that revitalize traditional arts, protect endangered languages, document oral histories, or build local capacity to sustain cultural practices.
Projects are expected to include several specific components. First, they should meaningfully involve youth and/or school-age children, emphasizing intergenerational transmission of knowledge and building long-term awareness among younger community members. Second, proposals need a well-defined social media component, suggesting that public outreach, storytelling, visibility, and broader engagement beyond the immediate community are important parts of the Embassy's objectives. Third, the program requires an education component that expands community awareness of cultural preservation, meaning applicants should plan for learning activities, public education, workshops, curriculum-style content, or other structured approaches that help community members understand why preservation matters and how they can participate in it.
In terms of scale and funding, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $100,000 per award and anticipates making about three awards. The funding activity category is labeled as "Other," which fits the cross-cutting nature of cultural heritage programming that can blend community development, education, workforce skills, and cultural preservation. The CFDA number listed is 19.501, and the issuing agency is the Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, with the Embassy in Islamabad serving as the implementing platform for this public diplomacy grants program.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best suited for organizations that can demonstrate strong community ties and a clear plan to use cultural heritage as a driver for positive local change. Competitive proposals would typically be expected to show not just what heritage will be preserved, but how the project will mobilize community participation, create or strengthen economic pathways (including youth employment prospects where relevant), and build lasting local capacity and public awareness through education and social media engagement.Apply for SCAISB 19 008 03052019
- The Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Civil Society and Cultural Heritage" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 05, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 05, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Civil Society and Cultural Heritage grant opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State public diplomacy grant competition run through the Cultural Affairs Office (CAO) within the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Islamabad. It supports civil society-led projects in Pakistan that use cultural heritage as a practical tool for community improvement and local economic empowerment, while also protecting and sustaining that heritage.
Who is running and issuing this funding opportunity?
The issuing agency is the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, with the U.S. Embassy Islamabad serving as the implementing platform through its Cultural Affairs Office (CAO) in the Public Affairs Section.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program funds projects that connect cultural preservation with real community outcomes. It frames cultural heritage work as a way to strengthen community cohesion, increase national pride, and contribute to resilience and prosperity, while improving local conditions and building long-term stewardship of heritage.
Where must projects take place?
Projects are intended to be implemented in Pakistan and should be civil society-led.
What kinds of organizations or groups are the projects meant to be led by?
The opportunity is designed for civil society-led projects, meaning proposals should be driven by non-government community and civic actors with strong local ties and the ability to mobilize community participation around cultural heritage.
How does the Embassy define "cultural heritage" for this opportunity?
The definition is intentionally broad and includes both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This allows proposals that focus on physical heritage as well as living traditions and forms of expression.
What counts as tangible cultural heritage under this NOFO?
Tangible cultural heritage includes objects, buildings, or structures that have existed for at least 75 years. This points to historically significant physical heritage such as traditional architecture, sites, monuments, and long-standing cultural artifacts.
What counts as intangible cultural heritage under this NOFO?
Intangible cultural heritage includes traditional forms of expression such as performing arts, visual arts, language, and literature. This can include efforts to revitalize traditional arts, protect endangered languages, document oral histories, or strengthen local capacity to sustain cultural practices.
What types of projects does the program seem to encourage?
Projects are expected to show how cultural heritage can be integrated into efforts that improve local conditions, create opportunity, and mobilize people around shared identity and stewardship. Examples implied by the NOFO include conservation-focused community initiatives, programs that revitalize traditional arts, protect endangered languages, document oral histories, and build local capacity for preservation and cultural practice.
What are the required components that proposals should include?
Projects are expected to include: (1) meaningful involvement of youth and/or school-age children, (2) a well-defined social media component, and (3) an education component that expands community awareness of cultural preservation.
What does "meaningful involvement of youth and/or school-age children" mean in this context?
The program emphasizes intergenerational transmission of knowledge and building long-term awareness among younger community members. Proposals should show how youth or school-age children will participate in a substantive way, not just as passive audiences.
Why is a social media component required?
The NOFO signals that public outreach, storytelling, visibility, and broader engagement beyond the immediate community are important objectives. A social media component is expected to help amplify preservation messages and community participation.
What is meant by an education component?
The program requires planned learning activities that expand community awareness of cultural preservation. This could include workshops, public education events, curriculum-style content, or other structured approaches that help community members understand why preservation matters and how they can participate.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling is $100,000 per award.
How many awards does the program expect to make?
The opportunity anticipates making about three awards.
Is funding guaranteed?
No. Funding is contingent on the availability of funds.
What type of award instrument will be used?
Awards are offered on a discretionary basis as either a grant or a cooperative agreement. Projects are selected competitively.
What is the difference between a grant and a cooperative agreement for this opportunity?
The NOFO indicates that, depending on the specific instrument used, there may be varying levels of collaboration with the U.S. Embassy during implementation. A cooperative agreement generally implies closer involvement, while a grant may involve less direct collaboration, but the specific level varies by award instrument.
What does "discretionary" mean here?
It means the Embassy selects projects competitively and makes awards based on its judgment and priorities described in the opportunity, rather than through an automatic or formula-based allocation.
What does the program mean by using cultural heritage as a "practical tool"?
It means proposals should go beyond preservation for its own sake and demonstrate how heritage work can lead to concrete community benefits such as improved local conditions, stronger community cohesion, and local economic empowerment, while still protecting and sustaining the heritage itself.
How does the program view cultural preservation in relation to community outcomes?
The Embassy frames cultural preservation as something that can strengthen community cohesion, increase national pride, and contribute to resilience and prosperity, linking heritage stewardship to community development and opportunity.
What makes a proposal competitive based on the information provided?
Competitive proposals are expected to present fresh, innovative approaches and clearly explain: what heritage will be preserved; how the project will mobilize community participation; how it can create or strengthen economic pathways (including youth employment prospects where relevant); and how it will build lasting local capacity and public awareness through education and social media.
Does the opportunity emphasize innovation?
Yes. Applicants are expected to bring forward fresh, innovative approaches that show how cultural heritage can be integrated into community improvement, opportunity creation, and stewardship.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is listed as "Other," reflecting that cultural heritage programming can blend community development, education, workforce skills, and cultural preservation.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 19.501.
Has the U.S. Embassy supported cultural heritage work in Pakistan before?
Yes. The opportunity notes the Embassy's longer-term investment and states that since 2010 it has supported many cultural heritage projects in Pakistan.
What outcomes is the program trying to encourage beyond preservation?
Beyond protecting and sustaining heritage, the program emphasizes outcomes such as community improvement, local economic empowerment, stronger community cohesion, increased national pride, and contributions to resilience and prosperity.
Does the program prioritize community participation?
Yes. The opportunity stresses mobilizing people around shared identity and stewardship, and it indicates that strong community ties and community participation are important to well-positioned applicants.
Is the program limited only to physical conservation projects?
No. The NOFO uses a broad definition that includes intangible heritage such as performing arts, visual arts, language, and literature, as well as tangible heritage such as historically significant objects, buildings, and structures.
Does the heritage need to meet an age threshold to qualify as tangible heritage?
For tangible heritage, the NOFO specifies objects, buildings, or structures that have existed for at least 75 years.
How might projects connect heritage preservation to economic empowerment?
The opportunity indicates that projects should link heritage to local economic empowerment and create or strengthen economic pathways, potentially including youth employment prospects where relevant, while maintaining a focus on protecting and sustaining the heritage resource or practice.
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