Ambassador's Fund for Refugees in Africa

The Ambassadors’ Fund for Refugees in Africa is a PRM initiative that provides Ambassadors at U.S. embassies with the means to respond quickly to critical, low-cost gaps in refugee assistance and protection. Created in 2000, the Ambassadors’ Fund supports projects that meet gaps in ongoing refugee programs that can be filled by local NGOs and that are not already being addressed by UN agencies or other NGOs.  Each American embassy in Africa is eligible to grant up to USD $20,000 annually; since its creation, the Ambassadors’ Fund has given over $164,400 to assist refugees in the Horn of Africa.

In fiscal year 2006, RefCoord for the Horn of Africa and PRM dispersed $19,977 through the Ambassadors’ Fund among three organizations.  Two organizations are working to improve the living standards of Somali refugees in Kebribeyah refugee camp in Ethiopia, and a third organization is assisting urban refugees in Addis Ababa through a refugee community center. 

Non-governmental organizations working with refugees are invited to submit a brief description of projects that they would like to be considered for funding.  The deadline is usually late March of each year; please contact the Regional Refugee Coordination Office for the next application deadline.

Please note the following guidelines when preparing proposals: Project budget should be between $5,000 and $10,000

• Project descriptions should be no longer than one-page in length and should include the following:

• Name of organization
• Point of contact information
• Project title
• Project location
• Number of direct project beneficiariesStatement of need (Maximum of 150 words)
• Project description:  (Please include information on how the project will be carried out, including an explanation of major expenditures such as supplies, staff costs, etc.  Maximum of 250 words)

• Organizations that have been approved for funding will be required to submit a copy of their code of conduct prior to receipt of funds.  These codes of conduct must be consistent with the UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) recommendations on the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation.