Get to know your USAID Mission staff in the countries where you work. USAID is a highly decentralized agency and over 80% of its HIV/AIDS funding is spent at the mission level and not from Washington, DC. Have your staff on the ground that is the most known locally make contact with the USAID mission. Invite the mission staff to visit your projects. Contact info is available at http://www.usaid.gov/locations/missiondirectory.html. A directory of mission web sites can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/missions/.
Sign up for email updates from our office. We monitor funding opportunities and educational seminars to let you know what might be of interest to you. Sign up at our web page at http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_partnerships/fbci/. Look for the dark grey box.
Monitor the Global AIDS Coordinator's Web Site. This resource will give you the "big picture" of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. http://www.state.gov/s/gac/
Sign up at FEDGRANTS.www.fedgrants.gov is a clearinghouse for funding opportunities. If you are looking for international HIV/AIDS grants, you can peruse the USAID section. You can also sign up to receive email notification whenever a solicitation in a category of your interest is produced or amended.
Register as a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) with USAID. For some USAID funding (but certainly not all) PVO registration is required. Find details at keyword: PVO REGISTRATION.
Partnership, partnership, partnership. USAID utilizes many organizations as subgrantees under prime grantees. Make relationships with other organizations who conduct work with a similar focus and geography. To find organizations, you might want to look at USAID's PVO registry at http://www.pvo.net/usaid/.
Attend educational conferences. USAID and/or the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives conduct conferences to give help and technical assistance to faith-based and community groups. Check the CFBCI web page at keyword: FAITH.
Know the process. The Global AIDS Coordinator's office at the State Department has set up a process whereby each PEPFAR country develops a Country Operational Plan (COP) each year. Keep in touch with USAID missions and faith-based Center staff to find out the timeline for this so that your organization can work to be considered.
Take the long view. Success doesn't happen overnight. Be willing to try multiple avenues to reach your goal.
