WASHINGTON, D.C. - Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced, at a White House ceremony last week, the establishment of an innovative grant program to help eligible American volunteers with expenses related to service overseas.

To help address the financial challenges facing a number of skilled Americans interested in short-term international service, USAID's Office of Volunteers for Prosperity (VfP Office), in cooperation with the USA Freedom Corps at the White House, and Global Giving Foundation, an Internet-based service for international philanthropy, have teamed to create the Volunteers for Prosperity Service Incentive Program or VFPServ.

As a public-private partnership, "VfPServ will provide matching grants ranging from $500 to $1000 to volunteers who demonstrate the need for support. The grant will be used to offset travel, insurance and local living expenses associated with donating their time and talent overseas" said Henrietta Fore, USAID administrator.

The award process is competitive and a prospective volunteer who applies for a matching grant must have relevant professional experience and a need for financial assistance. The final decision to award a grant will depend on a successful applicant's ability to raise at least an equal amount of funds within his/her community. VfPServ will be managed by USAID's VfP Office.

VfPServ award monies will be disbursed to the volunteer's host organization - a VfP partner that is identified in advance by the volunteer and responsible for supervising the service assignment. USAID invested $100,000 to initiate the fund. Additional resources will be sought from U.S. corporations through their foundations and individual private donors. It is anticipated that the first awards will be made in early 2008.

VfPServ is an activity of Volunteers for Prosperity that was established by President George W. Bush in 2003 to encourage highly skilled American professionals to serve overseas as volunteers supporting the U.S. agenda for global health and prosperity. During the past year, VfP worked with 250 U.S. based partner organizations to mobilize 34,000 skilled American volunteers in support of international development projects.

Volunteers for Prosperity was established by Executive Order on September 25, 2003. VfP works with leading U.S. non-profits and companies to deploy highly skilled American professionals in volunteer opportunities that support the global health and prosperity goals of the U.S. Government. VfP is part of the USA Freedom Corps, the White House's coordinating council on volunteer service. For more information, please visit http://www.volunteersforprosperity.gov.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

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