PEPFAR HIV/AIDS Community Grants
The PEFPAR HIV/AIDS Community Grants program, funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) assists small grassroots, community-run projects in Lesotho. It aims to strengthen health service delivery in communities affected by HIV/AIDS and supports community groups in efforts such as:
- Support for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)
- Support for community-based HIV/AIDS palliative care and home health care
Grants are awarded to projects that will support these needy communities.
Criteria for Funding
Applicants must make significant voluntary contributions, such as money, labor or other services to their projects. The greater the involvement and contribution from the local community, the more likely the project grant will be successful. After the money is used, the project must be able to continue on its own or with help from the community.
Each organization that is funded will be required to measure and report on the results it achieves with the grants.
There is no one ideal Community Grant project. However, successful projects typically share these similar features:
- Address one or both of the two categories above
- Improve basic conditions at the local, community or village level
- Projects should be oriented towards communities, not individuals
- Provide services directly to the community
- Benefit a substantial number of people in the community
- Involve a 10% contribution of labor, money, or materials by members of the local community
- Be within the means of the local community to operate and maintain
- Permit quick implementation and impact, using the entire grant within the one-year agreement period
- Be conducted by local (Basotho) groups (Community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and local groups with people living with HIV/AIDS are encouraged)
- Be able to measure the results of your work
- Report precise number of children and/or patients served
- Report how many volunteers are trained
- Report how many people are reached during a campaign
Examples of acceptable uses of Community Grant Funding include:
- Home-based caregiver kits and medical supplies
- Training for caregivers and care providers
- Prevention and awareness campaigns
- Workshops
- Outreach sessions to the community
- Equipment for OVC centers
- Educational materials and training supplies
- Equipment for income generation activities such as:
- Poultry layers/broilers
- Piggeries
- Aloe-Vera based cosmetics production
- Candle-making, etc.
- Ongoing administration or operating costs (i.e. Rent)
- Note that these should only account for no more than 25% of a comprehensive grant proposal
If your project is considered for funding, you will need to provide quotations from 3 different vendors for all items to be purchased
Measurable Results
To qualify for funding, your project must be able to measure how it contributes to HIV/ AIDS and OVC care. Page 2 of the application asks for these statistics. Additionally, each project accepted for funding must report its results quarterly (end of December, March, June, and September). You must be able to count or describe the following:
Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Projects
-
Services provided, such as:
- Food support
- Shelter and care-giving
- Child protection
- Education/Vocational Training
- General health care
- Psychological, social and physical support
- Number of children served
- Number of providers/caregivers trained
Community-based Palliative and Home Care Projects
- Number of individuals provided with general HIV-related palliative and home care
-
Type of care provided
- Physical; spiritual; psychological; or social support
- Number of caregivers trained to provide general HIV/AIDS related palliative and home care
For example, an OVC care program might report that over the last year, 75 OVCs received food support and child protection. A program of home-based caregivers might explain that they provide care to 120 patients annually. A drop-in center might train eight community volunteers each year as activity coordinators. These numbers reveal the work that the project has accomplished, so they are measurable results that we need to justify funding.
Expenditure Reporting
You must account for the funds you have spent, by submitting receipts after each purchase.
Limitations of the HIV/AIDS Community Grants Program
Organizations that already receive direct funding or substantial support from the U.S. Government are ineligible for funding.
The grants are awarded for a one year period. Requests to renew a grant for up to three years will be carefully reviewed and may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Grants generally amount to US $10,000.
Unfortunately the program can't fund private businesses, private crèches or public schools. This program can not contribute to a building fund nor can it pay for motorized vehicles, food or school uniforms.
When to Apply
To be considered for funding, you must complete the application form and submit the requested documents to the Special Projects Office at the American Embassy in Maseru by 31 March, 2012. The Special Projects Coordinator may contact you and schedule a site visit to assess the capabilities of your project. Projects that are accepted will receive their first portion of funding late in the year.
How to Apply
Applications are available online at:
To receive more information for the Ambassador's HIV/AIDS Community Grants program, write to or visit personally:
The Special Projects Coordinator
American Embassy
P.O. Box 333
Maseru 100, Lesotho
GrantsMaseru@state.gov
Telephone: +266.2231.2666