Public Affairs Section South Africa Annual Program Statement for FY2023 | PAS ZAF FY23 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS ZAF FY23 02

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Mission to South Africa, part of the U.S. Department of State, released an Annual Program Statement (APS) for FY2023 under its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. The overall aim is to fund small projects that strengthen relationships between the United States and South Africa by highlighting shared values, encouraging practical cooperation, and creating meaningful people-to-people exchange. A core requirement is that every proposal includes a strong, substantive American element. In practice, that means the project must clearly connect South African participants with American experts, organizations, institutions, approaches, or perspectives in a way that measurably increases understanding of the United States among South Africans. Proposals that do not put this American element at the center of the design are not considered.

This APS sits within a broader public diplomacy goal: building partnerships and two-way information and knowledge exchange between Americans and South African publics and institutions. PAS is looking for projects that deepen dialogue, create durable linkages, and empower cooperation between U.S. and South African civil society, educational, media, cultural, and community organizations. While the projects serve mutual interests, the program is explicitly framed as supporting U.S. public diplomacy objectives, including strengthening U.S.-South Africa cooperation and advancing U.S. national interests through constructive engagement and shared learning.

Eligible applicants are limited to non-profit entities and qualifying academic institutions. Specifically, PAS invites applications from South African non-profit institutions and NGOs, as well as non-profit private or public academic institutions. For-profit entities are not eligible. The federal eligibility categories listed include nonprofits with or without U.S. 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and independent school districts. Funding is offered through grants and cooperative agreements, under CFDA 19.040, and the activity categories emphasize arts/cultural affairs, education, and humanities.

PAS identifies four priority program areas that proposals must align with. The first focuses on women and youth economic empowerment, particularly initiatives that reduce barriers to economic participation for disadvantaged groups. The second focuses on pluralism, social inclusion, and shared history, including projects that explore overlapping histories and present-day challenges in both countries. The third supports free and objective media by promoting U.S.-aligned principles and methodologies, with particular attention to countering misinformation at the community-media level. The fourth targets community youth sports and cultural organizations, seeking projects that improve their effectiveness in reducing violence, crime, and school drop-out rates, ideally through connections to U.S. peer organizations and proven American best practices.

A strong emphasis is placed on clearly defined participants and measurable impact. Applicants are expected to specify a concrete target audience that is countable and realistically reachable through the proposed activities. Proposals should also spell out what the project is intended to change, such as knowledge, understanding, attitudes, or behaviors, and explain how those outcomes will be measured. PAS signals particular interest in projects that reach rural communities and smaller cities, not only major urban centers.

The APS provides examples of the kinds of activities PAS may fund, which helps clarify what “public diplomacy” looks like in practice. Examples include speaker programs featuring American professionals or academics in virtual, in-person, or hybrid formats; artistic and cultural collaborations that involve American artists or U.S. subject matter; initiatives that expand or strengthen programming at American Spaces; projects that build or deepen institutional relationships between U.S. and South African organizations and their audiences; alumni-led projects designed by participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchanges; and collaborations that develop and distribute joint media content across radio, television, digital, or print platforms on issues relevant to both societies.

Just as important, the announcement lists activities that are not eligible, drawing a clear boundary around what PAS will not fund. Ineligible proposals include partisan political activity or advocacy; charitable or development work; construction; direct support for social or health services; projects that advance specific religious activities; fundraising campaigns; lobbying; projects mainly aimed at organizational growth or institutional development rather than public-facing programming; duplication of existing projects; travel to the United States for family or social reasons; travel intended primarily to promote South African cultural initiatives in the U.S.; travel not tied to a broader program; scholarships or tuition assistance; purely social events; and prizes or competition awards that are not clearly linked to a larger programmatic purpose.

From a funding and timing standpoint, the opportunity is listed as discretionary, with an award ceiling of $20,000 and an anticipated total of about 8 awards. The funding opportunity number is PAS ZAF FY23 02. The APS was created on November 17, 2022, with an original closing date of April 30, 2023. Overall, the program is best suited for organizations that can design a focused, measurable project in one of the priority areas, demonstrate a credible and central U.S. partnership or U.S. content component, and show how the activities will reach an identifiable audience, ideally including underserved communities outside the largest cities.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to South Africa in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), education, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Public Affairs Section South Africa Annual Program Statement for FY2023" 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 Nov 17, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2023. (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 $20,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAS ZAF FY23 02

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