# Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program – Africa Regional Democracy Fund (ARDF)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/0012021-ambassadors-special-self-help-ssh-program-africa-regional/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/331976

> U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe offered grants of up to $400,000 (at least $400,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make one award worth $400,000 in total. Applications closed on March 14, 2021.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | 0012021 |
| Agency | U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | March 14, 2021 |
| Award ceiling | $400,000 |
| Award floor | $400,000 |
| Expected awards | 1 |
| Total funding | $400,000 |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 19.345 |

## Who can apply

- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Preference is given to local NGOs to encourage capacity building for smaller, local partners.• The applicant must be a Zimbabwe registered non-governmental, non-profit, or community-based organization.o Registered trusts, associations, schools, churches, etc. meet this eligibility requirement.o Individuals, businesses, and government entities do NOT qualify.• All applications must include and identify a significant community contribution (cash, labor, and/or materials).• Applicants must display sound management in the form of financial and administrative procedures that protect against fraud, waste, and abuse.• 2020-funded organization or projects for continued funding are not eligible. The fund is not intended for recurring programs

## What the grant funds

The U.S. Embassy Harare of the U.S. Department of State announces a limited competition for the African Regional Democracy Fund (ARDF). The Bureau of African Affairs, via ARDF for 2021 is intended to strengthen democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and good governance. ARDF provides limited foreign assistance resources to support programming that strengthens democratic institutions, promotes human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promotes accountable, transparent, and responsive governance in sub-Saharan Africa. Please follow all instructions below. Priority Region: Zimbabwe Program Objectives: Programming supported with ARDF resources should address one or more of the following program objectives: 1. Promote Accountable Transparent, and Responsive Governance • Support local civil society entities, including think tanks, academic research, watchdog groups, media associations, journalists, and other civil society actors to advocate for legislative transparency, accountability, and oversight at all levels of government. • Provide specialized, technical support to support democratic governance, with a particular focus on legislative functions. 2. Promote Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms • Support the protection, mitigation of, and responses to human rights violations and abuses, in particular human rights violations affecting the most vulnerable, by strengthening human rights frameworks, institutions, and oversight. • Support to local, and key international, human rights organizations and institutions to promote human rights systems, policies, and protection, with particular focus on women and youth. • Strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations; and resident, vendor, or other associations through civic education and citizen participation to advocate for human rights and democratic norms that advance public involvement in civic life. 3. Support Democratic Processes and Promotion of Strong Democratic Norms • Support local civil society to hold government accountable for free, fair, and credible electoral and political processes. • Support throughout the electoral cycle, not only the voting process, at the national, regional, or local level.

## Questions people ask

### Is 0012021 still open?

No. It closed on March 14, 2021. A newer notice is open: DFOP0019929, closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left).

### Who can apply for Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program – Africa Regional Democracy Fund (ARDF)?

U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program – Africa Regional Democracy Fund (ARDF)?

Closed March 14, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $400,000 each. About $400,000 in total for one award.

### Who has won International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were National Endowment for Democracy, Vital Voices Global Partnership Inc, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. The program made 53 awards worth $1.7 billion in that time.