AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION-PROJECT GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) is an annual competition which supports projects in the following categories:

a)     Objects and collections of objects from a museum, site, archive, or similar institution;
b)     Cultural sites;
c)     Forms of traditional cultural expression.

Complete project proposals are due MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008.

Summaries of proposed projects may be submitted with the Public Diplomacy Office at the US Embassy by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008 to facilitate further guidance and/or acceptance criteria to proposing agencies. 

Grants may range between US$ 10,000 – 100,000.  A clearly itemized and concise budget plan must accompany each proposal.

Proposals in the OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS OF OBJECTS category (A) may involve, for example, conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; conservation assessment of a collection, its storage environment, and threats to its safekeeping; inventory of a collection for conservation purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections.
 
The CULTURAL SITES category (B) includes (but is not limited to) historic buildings and sites, sacred places, monuments, and archaeological sites. Proposals in this category may involve, for example, restoration of an historic building, an archaeological survey as a component of a preservation plan, preservation management planning for a site, or documentation of sites in a region for preservation purposes.
 
Proposals in the FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSION category (C) may involve documenting and audiovisual recording of traditional music, dance forms, or storytelling as part of a traditional expression and making the information and recordings available; or support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction.
 
In preparing proposals the following would be useful to note:

•        Digital images clearly showing the conditions of cultural sites and objects can save you a lot of time at the computer. Detailed photographs of physical deterioration or environmental conditions, for example, can convey the urgency of a project in ways words alone can't. Let pictures do some of the heavy communications work by making them an integral part of your proposals.

•     Don’t fret over the length of a proposal; focus on the quality of the content. Proposals that succinctly, directly and thoroughly communicate the Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why of a project stand out in the minds of reviewers. 

 Project proposals must include or address the following:

(A) Project title;
(B) Purpose;
(C) Location;
(D) Description of the project;
(E) Timeframe (sequence and duration of activities);
(F) Significance of the resource;
(G) Urgency;
(H) Rationale for U.S. support;
(I) Benefit to U.S. foreign policy;
(J) Detailed project budget;
(K) Grantee information;
(L) Resumes of the project director and professional staff;
(M) Official permission, such as from a national or local authority, to undertake the project;
(N) Other funding sources, cost-sharing, or in-kind support, if any.

EXCLUSIONS: AFCP does NOT support the following:

(A) Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property
(B) Conservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.)
(C) Preservation of news media (newspaper, newsreels, etc.)
(D) Archaeological excavations or surveys for research purposes
(E) Historical research, except in cases where historical research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project
(F) Construction of new buildings
(G) Commissions of new works of art or performances for commemorative or economic development purposes
(H) Acquisition or creation of new collections for new or existing museums
(I) Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist
(J) Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another
(K) Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation effort
(L) Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason
(M) Cash reserves, endowments or revolving funds; funds must be expended within the award period and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund or otherwise spent over many years
(N) Costs of fund-raising campaigns for preservation
(O) Costs for administrative time or materials not directly related to performing project work
(P) Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award
(Q) Contingency or miscellaneous fees
(R) Administrative staff or administrative fees greater than 5% of the overall project costs
(S) International travel, except in cases where travel for outside specialists is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project (international travel will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
(T) Projects totaling less than US $10,000
(U) Awards to individuals.

Should you require any further assistance or queries in the preparation of your proposals, please do not hesitate to contact either Alena Vesikula (3314466 ext.8152) or Jone Vukikomoala (3314466 ext. 8204 ), or write to usembsuva@gmail.com citing the subject “AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION”.