Do you have a great public service project in mind, but need funding to get it off the ground?

Are you ready to use the skills and knowledge you gained during your exchange experience?

If you answered yes, then you and your team of alumni could apply for – and win! – up to $10,000 through the 2021 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund for U.S. Alumni. The competition provides small grants to teams of U.S. citizen alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to carry out public service projects using the skills and knowledge they gained during their exchange experiences.

Themes 

U.S. citizen exchange alumni may propose projects related to the following themes: 

  • Promoting Media Literacy Education 
  • Protecting the Environment 
  • Bolstering Outreach to Underserved Communities 
  • Fostering Alumni Network Development 
  • Building Community through Arts, Sports, Language, and Technology 

Eligibility 

  • The Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund is open to alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. 
  • Exchange alumni must apply in teams of at least two. The primary team lead must be a U.S.-citizen alum and the second team lead can be a U.S.-citizen exchange alum or an international citizen alum.  Please submit only one application per team.  
  • Applicants must register at alumni.state.gov to be eligible to apply and submit their application. 
  • Please note: employees of the U.S. Department of State (not including part-time or temporary employees, interns, consultants, or contract employees unless such persons work on U.S. Department of State exchange programs) are not eligible to receive funding via the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund.

CDAF 2021 Competition Timeline 

Thursday, June 10: The  competition  opens!  All  team  members  must  have  their  alumni.state.gov   account  activated.  

Friday, July 23 at 11:59pm:  The deadline for  proposals.  Late  submissions  will  not  be  accepted.  

July and August:  Eligible proposals  will  be  reviewed  and  evaluated.  

August:  Finalists  and  winners  will  be  announced!  

Ready to apply? Sign in, or sign up below to create an account, read the competition guidelines, and get started on your application.