Engaging Religious Communites for Peace | SCAISB 20 AW 010 04132020

Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 20 AW 010 04132020

Engaging Religious Communities for Peace is a U.S. Department of State public diplomacy grant opportunity run through the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, specifically the Public Affairs Section Community Engagement Office. It is structured as an open competition (pending the availability of funds) and is aimed at supporting projects in Pakistan that can credibly reduce the influence of radical and extremist narratives by working directly with religious communities and religious schools. The opportunity emphasizes practical, locally grounded approaches that engage the people and institutions most relevant to faith-based education and community life, with the broader intent of contributing to a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous Pakistan.

At the center of the NOFO is the idea that countering violent extremism is more effective when communities have the skills, relationships, and structures to challenge harmful narratives themselves. Applicants are asked to propose innovative methods to address radicalization drivers by integrating community voices, strengthening local capacities, encouraging critical thinking, and creating structured dialogue across relevant groups. The solicitation explicitly connects to the Government of Pakistan's religious school reform initiative, signaling that proposed activities should align with, complement, or build upon ongoing reform efforts rather than operate in isolation. Strong proposals are expected to cultivate partnerships with key stakeholders such as educators, religious leaders, school administrators, community organizations, and other local bodies positioned to influence norms and learning environments.

The grant funding is intended to do more than deliver short-term programming. A major expectation is that projects will strengthen local institutions, organizations, and community structures in ways that lead to self-sustaining capacity for long-term intervention. In other words, the embassy is looking for initiatives that leave behind durable skills, networks, tools, or institutional practices that can continue reducing violent extremism beyond the grant period. The language of the NOFO highlights resilience and empowerment as outcomes, suggesting a preference for interventions that build community ownership, improve institutional capability, and establish ongoing channels for constructive engagement and problem-solving.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically implies a higher degree of involvement or collaboration with the funding agency during implementation compared with a standard grant. The program falls under CFDA number 19.501 and is categorized as discretionary funding. The award size ranges from a minimum of $150,000 to a maximum of $300,000 per project, with a project duration of up to two years. The agency anticipated making about two awards under this announcement. The funding opportunity number is SCAISB 20 AW 010 04132020, and it was originally posted on April 13, 2020 with an original closing date of May 29, 2020.

The application rules allow organizations to submit more than one proposal, but each project must be submitted as a separate application. For each submission, applicants must include a separate Application Summary Coversheet and clearly state the project goal along with the objectives being addressed. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, indicating that a range of organizational types may be able to apply depending on the specific criteria provided in the NOFO.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Pakistan in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Engaging Religious Communites for Peace" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 29, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for SCAISB 20 AW 010 04132020

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: