Opportunity Information: Apply for S DR860 23 NOFO 001
The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2023 Dominican Republic is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic (U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo). It is designed specifically for alumni of U.S.-sponsored or U.S.-facilitated exchange programs who want to build on the skills, networks, and experience they gained during their exchange and apply them to real needs in their communities. AEIF has been running since 2011 and has supported nearly 500 alumni-led projects worldwide through a competitive process, positioning it as a long-running mechanism for turning exchange experiences into practical community impact.
For the Dominican Republic call, the program focus aligns with U.S. priorities around climate resilience, sustainability, and biodiversity protection, while also emphasizing entrepreneurship and innovation, inclusion and democratic participation, stronger connections between Dominicans and U.S. entrepreneurship and innovation resources, and citizen security. The Embassy is looking for public service projects that are locally grounded, community-facing, and designed to deliver tangible benefits rather than profit. Proposals must be developed and managed by teams of at least two alumni, reinforcing the expectation that projects are collaborative, feasible, and supported by a small leadership team rather than a single individual.
The opportunity encourages projects across several thematic areas. One priority is expanding access to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and innovation for youth in underserved and/or rural communities, including initiatives that train teachers in effective STEAM instruction for these settings. Another emphasis is empowering women and youth from underserved and/or rural communities through the arts and/or entrepreneurship training, which can include skills development, mentorship, and pathways to economic participation. A major track supports environmental and resilience work, such as efforts to counter climate change impacts, promote transitions to sustainable energy, improve water and food security, strengthen agricultural best practices, protect biodiversity, and improve recycling and municipal waste systems. This environmental category also explicitly includes reducing pollution and limiting sedimentation and runoff of plastics and debris into marine and coastal areas, signaling interest in projects that address land-to-sea pollution pathways.
The call also welcomes innovative, sustainable, community-focused solutions addressing current health challenges and/or citizen security concerns, provided the approaches are practical and can show clear benefits to the community. In addition, a strong cross-cutting priority is inclusion: projects that improve participation and empowerment of youth, women, and underrepresented groups are encouraged, including (but not limited to) people with disabilities, LGBT communities, and migrants. This can involve training and educational programs that build skills and agency among these groups, as well as activities that improve the capacity of local stakeholders such as community organizations, government actors, academia, and the private sector to advance inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, accountability, and human rights protections in the Dominican Republic.
Several implementation requirements are clearly stated. Projects must provide services to beneficiaries free of charge, meaning the grant is intended for public benefit rather than fee-based programming. In addition, the method used to select beneficiaries must be transparent, and the selection process must be approved by the Embassy Public Affairs Section, which adds an accountability layer and helps ensure fairness and appropriate targeting. The award instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
From an administrative perspective, the funding opportunity is listed as S DR860 23 NOFO 001 under CFDA number 19.022. Eligible applicants are nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, which indicates the program is structured to work with local or non-U.S. nonprofit entities (while excluding universities from this specific eligibility line). The grant ceiling is $35,000 per award, and the program anticipated making around 8 awards. The notice was created March 1, 2023, with an original closing date of March 31, 2023. Overall, the AEIF Dominican Republic call is best understood as a relatively small, competitive grant aimed at alumni-led teams proposing practical, community-serving projects at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability, with clear expectations around transparency and free public access to project benefits.Apply for S DR860 23 NOFO 001
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic in the business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), natural resources, regional development, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2023 Dominican Republic" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.022.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 01, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 31, 2023. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2023 Dominican Republic?
The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2023 Dominican Republic is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic (U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo). It supports alumni-led public service projects that build on skills, networks, and experience gained through U.S.-sponsored or U.S.-facilitated exchange programs and apply them to real community needs in the Dominican Republic.
Who administers this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Mission to the Dominican Republic, specifically the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, under the U.S. Department of State.
What is the main purpose of AEIF?
AEIF is intended to help exchange program alumni turn what they learned during their exchanges into practical, community-facing projects with tangible benefits. The projects are expected to be designed for public benefit rather than profit.
How long has AEIF been operating?
AEIF has been running since 2011 and has supported nearly 500 alumni-led projects worldwide through a competitive process.
Who is this opportunity designed for?
This call is designed specifically for alumni of U.S.-sponsored or U.S.-facilitated exchange programs who want to implement community projects in the Dominican Republic.
Do proposals need to be submitted by an individual or a team?
Proposals must be developed and managed by teams of at least two alumni. This requirement emphasizes collaboration and ensures the project has a small leadership team rather than relying on a single individual.
What program themes or priorities does the Dominican Republic call focus on?
The Dominican Republic call aligns with U.S. priorities around climate resilience, sustainability, and biodiversity protection, and also emphasizes entrepreneurship and innovation, inclusion and democratic participation, stronger connections between Dominicans and U.S. entrepreneurship and innovation resources, and citizen security.
What kinds of projects are encouraged under the STEAM and innovation priority?
The opportunity encourages projects that expand access to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and innovation for youth in underserved and/or rural communities. It also includes initiatives that train teachers in effective STEAM instruction for these settings.
What types of projects are encouraged for women and youth empowerment?
Projects that empower women and youth from underserved and/or rural communities through the arts and/or entrepreneurship training are encouraged. These can include skills development, mentorship, and pathways to economic participation.
What environmental and climate resilience activities are considered a good fit?
The call supports environmental and resilience work such as countering climate change impacts, promoting transitions to sustainable energy, improving water and food security, strengthening agricultural best practices, protecting biodiversity, and improving recycling and municipal waste systems.
Does the opportunity include support for marine and coastal pollution solutions?
Yes. The environmental category explicitly includes reducing pollution and limiting sedimentation and runoff of plastics and debris into marine and coastal areas, showing interest in projects that address land-to-sea pollution pathways.
Are health-related projects eligible?
The call welcomes innovative, sustainable, community-focused solutions addressing current health challenges, as long as the approach is practical and can show clear benefits to the community.
Are citizen security projects eligible?
Yes. The opportunity welcomes innovative, sustainable, community-focused solutions addressing citizen security concerns, provided the approach is practical and demonstrates clear community benefits.
How important is inclusion in this funding opportunity?
Inclusion is a strong cross-cutting priority. Projects that improve participation and empowerment of youth, women, and underrepresented groups are encouraged, including (but not limited to) people with disabilities, LGBT communities, and migrants.
What kinds of inclusion-focused activities are encouraged?
Examples mentioned include training and educational programs that build skills and agency among underrepresented groups, as well as activities that improve the capacity of local stakeholders (community organizations, government actors, academia, and the private sector) to advance inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, accountability, and human rights protections in the Dominican Republic.
Do projects need to be community-facing and locally grounded?
Yes. The Embassy is looking for public service projects that are locally grounded, community-facing, and designed to deliver tangible benefits.
Can a project charge beneficiaries for services?
No. Projects must provide services to beneficiaries free of charge. The grant is intended for public benefit rather than fee-based programming.
How must beneficiaries be selected?
The method used to select beneficiaries must be transparent. Additionally, the selection process must be approved by the Embassy Public Affairs Section.
Why does the Embassy require approval of the beneficiary selection process?
Based on the opportunity description, this requirement adds an accountability layer and helps ensure fairness and appropriate targeting of beneficiaries.
What type of funding instrument is used for awards?
The award instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the maximum grant amount (ceiling) per award?
The grant ceiling is $35,000 per award.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The program anticipated making around 8 awards.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number?
The opportunity is listed as S DR860 23 NOFO 001 under CFDA number 19.022.
Who is eligible to apply (as described in the notice)?
Eligible applicants are described as nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education. The description indicates the program is structured to work with local or non-U.S. nonprofit entities, while excluding universities from this specific eligibility line.
What are the key dates for this opportunity?
The notice was created on March 1, 2023, with an original closing date of March 31, 2023.
What makes this grant opportunity competitive?
AEIF is described as supporting projects through a competitive process. The Dominican Republic call is presented as a relatively small, competitive grant aimed at alumni-led teams proposing practical, community-serving projects aligned with the listed priorities.
What is the overall focus of the AEIF Dominican Republic call?
Overall, it is best understood as a small, competitive grant for alumni-led teams proposing practical public service projects at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability, with clear requirements around transparency and free public access to project benefits.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Business and Commerce, Community Development, Disaster Prevention and Relief, Education, Energy, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Health, Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA), Natural Resources,
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