Ambassadors' Special Self Help Fund (19.220)
Ambassadors' Special Self Help Fund (Assistance Listing 19.220) is run by the Department of State. It awarded $7.6 million in 993 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $7,638 per award on average. 1 funding opportunity is open or forecast now.
The typical award was $7,600. Half of the 993 awards fell between $5,000 and $9,823, and they ranged from $1,446 to $24,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$7.6 million
- Grant awards993
- Typical award$7,600
- Awarded in FY 2025-$167,041
- Size rank1,551 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceGrant
Key findings
- It is the 1551st largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 89% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 2 states and territories.
What the program funds
The U.S. Ambassadors' Special Self-Help program is a grass-roots assistance program that allows U.S. embassies to respond quickly to local requests for small community-based development projects. This Self-Help fund provides small, short-term grants to community groups that are working to improve the basic economic and social conditions of their communities. Special Self-Help projects help to improve basic economic or social conditions at the local community, or village level, and have long-lived value.
Open opportunities
Past notices
Of 49 notices posted under this program since 2021, most went up in March (11), June (11) and April (9).
- DOS-COD-SSHF-FY23-001: U.S. Embassy Kinshasa Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund
- PGO-MRT-FY2023: PGO Request for SSH Proposals
- LIBREVILLE-SSH01-2024: Special Self-Help Program for small, community-based development projects in Gabon.
- DOS-RWANDA-PE-2024-01: Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF)
- DOS-KAM-AMBSSH-FY23: Mission Kampala Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund 2024
- SMZ-500-FY24-01: U.S. Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund 2024
- DOS-ANGOLA-SSH-FY24-01: Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund (Angola)
- DOS-STP-SSH-FY24-01: Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund (Sao Tome and Principe)
- DOS-GABORONE-GR-ASSHF-2024: U.S. Embassy Gaborone Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund Program
- AFYDE-SSH-GR-POLECON-2024: Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program, POL/ECON, U.S. Embassy Yaounde
- NGA-POLECON-GR-24-001-02282024: 2024 Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program
- SSH-MBA-FY24-01: Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program
- DOS-MSU-SSH-FY24: U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program 2024
- DOS-COD-SSHF-FY22-001: Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund
- SMZ-500-FY23-01: U.S. Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Non-profit, community based organizations with the ability to operate legally in country, focused on improving basic norms of a society. Local educational and civic institutions for the improvement of schools, orphanages, and other small-scale associations to benefit those in need.
What the money can and cannot pay for
See www.grants.gov and U.S. Embassy websites for individual notice of funding opportunities.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Deadlines do not apply
Award range and average, in the agency's words
See www.grants.gov for individual notice of funding opportunities or www.USASpending.gov for previous award information.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Ambassadors' Special Self Help Fund (19.220) awarded $7.6 million across 993 grant awards, an average of $7,638 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | 861 | $6.4 million | |
| Adra I Angola | 4 | $41,542 | |
| Tandana Foundation Inc | 3 | $30,000 | |
| The National Association of State Energy Officials | 4 | $29,000 | |
| Nyhwara Home Based Care and Rehabilitation | 1 | $24,000 | |
| Bien Etre et Developpement Durable Ong | 3 | $20,345 | |
| Esmabama | 2 | $20,000 | |
| Jedidiah Trust | 2 | $16,495 | |
| Initiative Humanitaire Pour Le Developpement | 1 | $16,000 | |
| Moucecore | 1 | $15,000 | |
| Ong Gapec | 2 | $14,600 | |
| Empowerment Initiative for Rural Women and Adolescents | 1 | $14,300 | |
| Association of Northern Women Entrepreneurs | 1 | $14,010 | |
| Nyahunure Community Trust | 1 | $13,000 | |
| Association Pour L'Agriculture Durable En Mauritanie | 1 | $12,000 | |
| Fatu Yealie's Foundation | 1 | $11,500 | |
| Ntchisi Evangelical Churches Consortium for Social Services | 1 | $11,312 | |
| Pabalelo Trust | 1 | $11,000 | |
| Cooperative Agropastorale Famoila de Nelita | 1 | $11,000 | |
| Union Des Ressortissants et Amis de Tedou | 1 | $11,000 |
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 5.6% of the money, individuals 0.5% and nonprofits less than 0.1%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 937 | $7.1 million | 94% |
| Colleges and universities | 50 | $426,357 | 5.6% |
| Individuals | 5 | $39,400 | 0.5% |
| Nonprofits | 1 | $5,000 | less than 0.1% |
By state
No state received $1 million or 10 awards from this program, so it has no state pages.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 1 | $10,000 |
| Oregon | 1 | $5,000 |