USAID's Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program (SGAFP)

USAID’s Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program (www.sgafp.org.pk) is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative with the key objective of “providing an accessible framework of support for community-based and non-governmental organizations across Pakistan”. The SGAFP aims at empowering grassroots organizations and community groups working to strengthen the fabric of civil society in Pakistan.

National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) is the prime contractor of USAID for this five year, countrywide project while the Rural Support Programs Network (RSPN) and KPMG TaseerHadi & Co Chartered Accountants are the sub-partners of NRSP. SGAFP rolled out in Sep. 2010 and shall continue its operations till August 2015. It has two major components: the Small Grants Program and Ambassador’s Fund Program.

Small Grants Program will focus on primarily, but not exclusively, the multiyear projects that will support innovative & unique project ideas submitted by Pakistani NGOs, civil society groups & communities. The grant limit is USD 250,000 which can be increased in exceptional cases by USAID.

Ambassador’s Fund Program will support local self-help initiatives of less than one year, for which the communities and civil society groups should be willing to contribute approximately 25% of the total project cost. The normal upper limit is $ 100,000, which can be increased in exceptional circumstance up to $ 250,000 by USAID.

In line with the USAID’s development objectives for Pakistan, the SGAFP provides funding to community based organizations and NGOs in the following priority sectors under both the components:

i. Agriculture

ii. Economic Growth

iii. Education

iv. Energy

v. Health

vi. Flood Response

vii. Social Assistance

viii. Governance

Key Achievements as of June 2011

• Established fully equipped, adequately staffed and operational office;
• Developed, field-tested and operationalized its grants management systems, SOPs, application guidelines and framework for monitoring the grants implementation;
• Undertook aggressively the Program’s visibility campaign; developed website and publicity brochures to strengthen the outreach across Pakistan;
• Received and logged 765 applications for funding under both the components from 107 districts of all the four provinces, AJK/GB, FATA and ICT;
• Fully processed 453 applications under both the components;
• Under Ambassador’s Fund Program:

  a. Processed 31 projects worth USD 3 Million and submitted to USAID for approval. Of these, 26 projects got approved worth USD 1.9 Million (decision on the remaining projects awaited from USAID);

  b. Awarded 26 projects and disbursed around USD 1 Million among 23 grantee organizations in all the four provinces, AJK & GB, FATA and ICT;

• Under Small Grants Program:

  a. Got USAID’s approval on 11 concept papers worth USD 2.53 Million,

  b. Received nine full applications worth USD 2 million from applicant organizations

  c. Got USAID’s approval on 1 project worth USD 0.250 Million

• Progressed significantly against the key deliverables of Year 1 by producing the following documents:

  a. Staffing & rapid mobilization plan

  b. Grants Procedure Manual

  c. Finance & Accounting Manual

  d. Performance Management Plan

  e. Safety & Security Plan

  f. Environmental Management Plan

  g. Grantee’s Performance Measurement Baseline