Well Told Grants

Grants / Department of State / Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor

SFOP0008500: DRL FY2021: Global Equality Fund LGBTQI+ Programs in West Africa, Central Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and East Asia

Closed Closed March 4, 2022 Opportunity SFOP0008500

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: FY26 DRL/IRF Global Request for Statements of Interest (DFOP0019929). Status: Closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left). It is in our archive of Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor notices from 2021.

Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor offered grants of up to $1.0 million (at least $750,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 6 awards worth $1.0 million in total. Applications closed on March 4, 2022.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed December 27, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.

Key dates

PostedDecember 27, 2021
DeadlineMarch 4, 2022

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

DRL welcomes applications from U.S. based and foreign based non profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for profit entity is best suited.

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) invites civil society organizations (CSOs) to submit applications for projects that provide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) communities with the tools to empower local movements and communities, prevent, mitigate, and recover from violence, discrimination, stigma, and human rights abuses, promote full social inclusion, or address critical issues of justice. Projects should be focused on one or more of the following regions: West Africa, Central Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and East Asia. We intend for projects to be led by, or have strong support from and participation by, LGBTQI+ organizations and communities.

Category: Other.

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

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (19.345) awarded $1.7 billion across 53 grant awards, an average of $31.2 million per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
National Endowment for DemocracyDistrict of Columbia5$1.6 billion
Vital Voices Global Partnership IncDistrict of Columbia2$31.4 million
International Coalition of Sites of ConscienceNew York2$22.2 million
Freedom House, Inc.District of Columbia2$20.2 million
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation1$2.6 million

Top states: District of Columbia ($1.6 billion), New York ($22.2 million), California ($3.8 million), Oregon ($2.0 million), Massachusetts ($1.7 million).

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, DFOP0019929, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.

Questions people ask

Is SFOP0008500 still open?

No. It closed on March 4, 2022. A newer notice is open: DFOP0019929, closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left).

Who can apply for DRL FY2021: Global Equality Fund LGBTQI+ Programs in West Africa, Central Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and East Asia?

Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for DRL FY2021: Global Equality Fund LGBTQI+ Programs in West Africa, Central Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and East Asia?

Closed March 4, 2022. 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 $1.0 million each. About $1.0 million in total across about 6 awards.

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.

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