Building Interfaith Bridges | DOS NBO PAS FY19 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY19 001

The Building Interfaith Bridges grant is a U.S. Mission to Kenya (U.S. Embassy Nairobi) funding opportunity designed to reduce religious divides and strengthen social cohesion in Kenya by bringing people from different faith traditions into sustained, practical contact. The core idea is to use creative, community-friendly formats such as arts, sports, team-building activities, and other interactive approaches to move beyond formal discussions and help participants build real relationships. The program is meant to support the Embassy's broader goal of strengthening resilience among at-risk populations and reinforcing peace, especially in areas where communities may be vulnerable to polarization, recruitment by violent extremists, or recurring intercommunal tensions.

A central requirement is scale and diversity of participation. The project must engage at least 200 participants representing a balanced mix of genders, backgrounds, and ages, with a built-in safeguard against dominance by any single group: no one faith community can make up more than two-thirds of the participant pool. The geographic priorities are clearly defined as Nairobi, northeastern Kenya, and the Kenyan coast, reflecting regions where interfaith engagement and community stability are considered especially important.

From a program design standpoint, applicants are expected to combine in-person exchanges with digital engagement so that dialogue and collaboration can continue across distance and time. Proposals are encouraged to make strong use of U.S. Embassy-supported American Spaces, which function as libraries and community hubs with meeting rooms and internet access. The opportunity specifically highlights American Spaces in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Lamu as venues for convenings and virtual sessions. Another preferred element is meaningful involvement of U.S. exchange program alumni, leveraging their networks and experience to mentor participants, facilitate discussions, or support outreach.

The Embassy lays out several concrete objectives that proposals should address. Programs should (1) engage participants through creative, relationship-building activities (arts, sports, team-based challenges, and similar formats), (2) deliver trainings that build peacebuilding skills and encourage appreciation of diversity, (3) hold quarterly teleconferences or virtual engagement sessions hosted through American Spaces to keep interfaith dialogue active and structured over time, and (4) run awareness and outreach campaigns that promote religious tolerance and diversity, including a local media component. A major non-negotiable deliverable is the organization of two interfaith Iftars during Ramadan 2019, one in Garissa and one in Mombasa, with participation by a U.S. Embassy representative. This requirement signals that the Embassy is looking not only for general interfaith programming but also for visible, symbolic events that model respectful engagement across religious lines in key locations.

In terms of who should apply, the opportunity is aimed at non-profit and civil society organizations capable of operating in interfaith settings and delivering programming at a meaningful scale. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), and other eligible entities as permitted in the notice. The Embassy indicates a preference for partners that use innovative methods to promote tolerance and diversity, religious leaders who actively mentor vulnerable groups, and NGOs with proven reach across multiple faith communities. In practice, the strongest applicants would likely be organizations that can demonstrate trusted community relationships, credible facilitation capacity, risk-aware event planning, and the ability to translate activities into broader public influence through local media and community-level campaigns.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant competition under Funding Opportunity Number DOS NBO PAS FY19 001, with an anticipated single award. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $50,000, and the original closing date listed is March 1, 2019. Overall, the grant is structured to fund one well-designed program that combines hands-on relationship building, skills training, sustained virtual engagement, public messaging, and high-visibility interfaith events, all focused on helping Kenyan communities cooperate across religious lines and resist forces that exploit division.

• The U.S. Mission to Kenya in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building Interfaith Bridges" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-03-01. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY19 001

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