Notice of Funding Opportunity: Small Grants Program (South Korea)

This Notice of Funding Opportunity will support projects broadly linked to the theme of the 2024 Summit for Democracy, “Democracy for Future Generations,” hosted this year by the Republic of Korea’s (ROK).

The Summit for Democracy is a global initiative that highlights the critical role of democracy, transparency, and inclusivity in tackling the world’s most pressing challenges. These summits gather world leaders, civil society, and the private sector to fortify democratic governance, uphold human rights, and combat corruption. This initiative emphasizes the importance of youth engagement and the systematic inclusion of civil society in the democratic process, aiming to foster international collaboration to ensure a prosperous, stable future for all.

Purpose of Small Grants Competition: In support of the 3rd Summit for Democracy’s goal of safeguarding democracy for future generations, Seoul’s Public Diplomacy Section invites organizations and individuals to submit proposals for programs that strengthen civic participation and inclusion, build connections between democratic stakeholders in the United States, ROK and the broader Indo-Pacific region, and promote the shared values of inclusive democracy.

Embassy Seoul strongly encourages proposals that include substantial outreach in areas outside of the Seoul Metropolitan region. Embassy Seoul also strongly encourages programs that increase Korean understanding and support for safeguarding democracy and shared values in the broader Indo-Pacific Region. Program activities should take place primarily in the Republic of Korea. Programs in the United States and/or third countries will only be considered with extremely strong justification, including virtual components and cost sharing (including but not limited to travel expenses and in-kind contributions.)

PD Small Grants Program priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;
• Professional and academic exchanges and programs;
• Public awareness campaigns through traditional and/or social media;
• Youth leadership development exchanges and programs;
• Capacity building programs for grassroots civil society groups;

Program Areas

• Program Area 1) Civic Participation and Human Rights
  • Campaigns that raise awareness of issues related to the promotion and protection of human rights, social inclusion, and civic participation – both domestically and internationally.
  • Participants and Audiences: Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
  • Participants can range from high school and university-aged youth to established professionals who are active in civil society groups focused on the following areas:
    • LGBQTI+ or other gender minority rights
    • Disability rights and accessibility
    • Human rights (global or domestic)
    • Support for DPRK escapee communities
    • Women’s economic empowerment
    • Mitigating gender conflict or providing support for victims of gender-based violence
    • Religious diversity and interfaith understanding
    • Support for other marginalized communities
    • Environmental protection, sustainability, and climate change
• Program Area 2) Technology’s Impact on Democracy
  • Programs that encourage meaningful discussions about how emerging technologies affect the democratic process.
  • Participants and Audiences: Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
    • Emerging youth (aged 18-29) activists, civil society organization representatives, and students working on issues related to technology and civic engagement.
    • Established professionals from the Republic of Korea and United States with academic expertise and/or careers related to issues involving the development and deployment of emerging technologies and how they affect the democratic process.
• Program Area 3) Cross-Border Civic Engagement
  • Programs that build cross-border ties between ROK and American civil society groups, students, academics, and social entrepreneurs working on issues of social inclusion and civic engagement, particularly those living in Japan, ASEAN, and/or the Pacific Island Nations.
  • Participants and Audiences: Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
    • Youth members of civil society groups and academia
    • Key influencers, including but not limited to journalists, civil society leaders, academics, regulators, legislative aides, and members of regional governments

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 1 to 12 months
• Number of awards anticipated: 3 – 10 awards (dependent on amounts)
• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $100,000, with typical grants expected in the $25,000 range.
• Total available funding: $250,000

Eligible Applicants

• The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from U.S. and ROK organizations: For example:
  • Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
  • Public and private educational institutions
  • Public International Organizations (PIOs) and (Non-U.S.) Governmental institutions
• Note: Preference will be given to ROK-based not-for-profit organizations that have partnerships with organizations in the United States, or vice-versa.
• For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

Ineligible

• Programs relating to partisan political activity;
• Programs intended primarily for the exchange of participants between the UNITED STATES and Korea.
• Charitable or development activities;
• Construction programs;
• Programs that support specific religious activities;
• Fund-raising campaigns;
• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
• Scientific research;
• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Republic of Korea.