Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. May I apply as an individual?
2. What types of institutions are eligible for support? Do they need to be in the United States?
3. Should I apply to the Priority Grantmaking Competition or the Annual Grant Competition?
4. Is the Annual Grant Competition deadline a post-mark deadline or a receipt deadline?
5. What is the deadline for the Priority Grantmaking Competition?
6. Are the application forms for the Annual Grant Competition and Priority Grantmaking Competition interchangeable?
7. May I submit one copy of my Annual Grant Competition proposal by e-mail or fax, and then ask the Grant Program to photocopy it to make up the required ten copies?
8. May I submit a project description that is printed on both sides of the paper?
9. When will the final decision be made on the Annual Grant Competition applications?
10. If I submit an application to the Priority Grantmaking Competition, when will I learn of its outcome?
11. What types of projects are eligible?
12. Does the Grant Program have a specific funding Priority area?
13. Can my organization submit more than one application to the same grant cycle?
14. May I submit a draft proposal for review prior to the Annual Grant Competition application deadline?
15. May I resubmit a proposal that was unsuccessful in an earlier USIP grant competition?
16. May I submit a request for funding for my organization's core activities?
17. How do I prepare a budget?
18. How much can I request?
19. Am I required to show support needed for the project from other donors other than the request to USIP?
1. May I apply as an individual?
Yes. However, if successful, individuals must identify a nonprofit organization (i.e., educational institution, research institution, civil society organization, or NGO) that will receive, administer, and report on the use of grant funds on their behalf.
Note: If you are employed at an academic institution, we advise you to speak with your sponsored projects office before applying as an individual. It is often more difficult to work out arrangements with your institution after an award is offered.
2. What types of institutions are eligible to apply for funding? Do they need to be based in the United States?
Nonprofit, civil society, or public institutions in the U.S. or abroad are eligible. At the time they apply for funding, U.S. nonprofit organizations should have already obtained their 501(c)(3) status. Foreign organizations should submit proof of nonprofit registration from their country.
3. Should I apply to the Priority Grantmaking or the Annual Grant Competition?
The Priority Grantmaking competition is intended to support civil society country-based organizations in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sudan. If your organization is not registered as a local nonprofit organization in one of these countries, you should apply to the Annual Grant Competition.
In the case of Iran, USIP supports non-country based organizations.
4. Is the Annual Grant Competition deadline a post-mark deadline or a receipt deadline?
The Annual Grant Competition deadline is a receipt deadline. Applications must arrive at USIP on or before the posted deadline, October 1. Late applications will not be accepted.
5. What is the deadline for the Priority Grantmaking Competition?
Proposals and inquiries may be submitted to the designated program officer at any time throughout the year. The proposal development and review process is ongoing with final decisions made by USIP's Board of Directors approximately five times per year.
6. Are the application forms for the Annual Grant Competition and Priority Grantmaking interchangeable, and may I use one application to apply to either initiative?
No. You must use the proper application form for each competition. The Annual Grant Competition application form is available online.
You must contact the designated program officer to obtain an application to the Priority Grantmaking competition.
7. May I submit one copy of my proposal to the Annual Grant Competition by e-mail or fax and ask you to photocopy it to make up the required ten copies?
No. Because we receive hundreds of proposals every grant cycle and cannot provide copying services for everyone, you must submit ten copies of your proposal by mail or hand delivery.
In the Priority Grantmaking Competition, proposals may be submitted electronically in consultation with the appropriate program officer.
8. May I submit a project description that is printed on both sides of the paper?
Yes, but the total project description should not exceed 10 pages and it should be doubled spaced and numbered, using no smaller than 10 pt. font. Appendices and bibliography may be attached to the 10 page project description.
9. When will the final decision be made on my Annual Grant Competition application?
Typically, letters will be mailed to all applicants by March 31, six months after the October deadline.
10. If I submit an application to the Priority Grantmaking competition when will I learn of its outcome?
The staff member listed as the contact person will be in touch with you regarding your application and will determine if USIP will accept it into the competition and when you might hear from USIP regarding its disposition.
11. What types of projects are eligible?
In the Annual Grant Competition, a wide variety of types of projects are eligible, including policy-oriented research, dialogue, education and training projects, conferences, workshops, Track II mediations, library development and media projects (such as documentary films, TV and radio programs, as well as print media projects). All such projects are eligible as long as they fit USIP's mandate as described in the application form.
The Priority Grantmaking competition has specific areas of interest for each country, as described on the Priority Grantmaking page.
12. Does the Grant Program have a specific funding priority area?
The answer to this question is both yes and no.
In the Annual Grant Competition, any project that meets the Institute's general mandate as described in the application guidelines is eligible. There are no funding priorities.
In the Priority Grantmaking Competition, USIP has identified seven priority countries and will accept proposals that meet the scope of activities and focus outlined for each country.
13. Can my organization submit more than one application to the same grant cycle?
Yes, as long as your organization does not submit more than three proposals to any given cycle and there is no overlap in the projects or the project personnel.
No limits apply to the number of applications submitted by colleges or universities.
14. May I submit a draft proposal for review prior to the Unsolicited Initiative application deadline?
Yes. Because of a limited number of staff available to provide feedback, please submit your draft application by September 1. Proposal feedback will be provided to applicants in the order in which they are received on a first-come, first-served basis. Draft proposals received after September 1 will not be reviewed.
Draft proposals are required in the Priority Grantmaking competition and may be submitted at any time throughout the year.
15. May I resubmit a proposal that was unsuccessful in an earlier USIP grant competition?
We do not recommend that you resubmit a proposal without first consulting the Grant Program staff, who are available to share information with you about the evaluation of your proposal. If you are considering a resubmission, it is important to allow sufficient time for staff to review your file and provide some feedback, and for you to revise the application for submission by the deadline.
We will not accept the resubmission of a previously rejected proposal unless it has been substantially revised.
16. May I submit a request for funding for my organization's core activities?
No, typically USIP does not provide core or organizational support. It also does not provide funding for the sole purpose of furthering or maintaining an organization's existing programs, to purchase equipment, or for institutional infrastructure costs.
17. How do I prepare a budget?
Your budget request should be an estimate of the funds needed to complete the project you have submitted to USIP within the time frame you have provided on the cover sheet.
USIP does not have guidelines for how much activities are likely to cost. This differs from one project to the next.
18. How much can I request?
An average grant in the Annual Grant Competition is $50,000, regardless of the number of individuals working on the program or the length of the project. Grants may be higher or lower, depending on the type of activities needed to complete the project. If your total funding needs exceed USIP's average grant amount, we encourage you to simultaneously seek funding from other donors.
In the Priority Grantmaking competition, the amount of an award will be based on the proposed budget and work plan, and on negotiations with successful applicants.
19. Am I required to show support needed for the project from other donors other than the request to USIP?
The budget for the project should reflect the total amount you will need to complete the project. If the funds you are requesting from USIP are enough to complete the project, you do not need to list other funding sources. If, however, your request to USIP is a portion of the funding needed to complete the project, you must provide information about the other sources—both those that have already committed funding and those donors to whom you plan to submit (or have already submitted) applications for additional funding for the project.
