Opportunity Information: Apply for ND NOFO 19 106
The Alumni Micro Grants Fund is a discretionary U.S. Mission to India cooperative agreement designed to deepen and sustain engagement with alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs managed by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) in India. The core idea is to support small, practical, community-focused social impact projects conceived and carried out by exchange alumni, using modest "micro-grants" to help alumni turn ideas into visible local outcomes. The program spans all five Mission India posts (New Delhi/North India, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata) and is open to eligible alumni located across India, including participants connected to the Tibetan Community-in-Exile and Bhutan.
Under this model, individual alumni or teams of alumni apply for project support as sub-grantees. Each selected project is intended to be truly micro-scale, with awards ranging from USD 500 to USD 1,000 per project. Funded activities must align with Mission India priorities and goals, with PAS New Delhi Exchanges providing the relevant guidance on what those priorities are. While the implementing organization manages the day-to-day operation of the fund, PAS India retains final approval authority over all projects selected for funding, reflecting the cooperative agreement structure and the government oversight built into the program.
The organization receiving the main award is responsible for building and running the full micro-grants system rather than simply delivering a single project. That includes creating and executing a marketing and outreach strategy to reach eligible alumni across regions, designing an application process that is simple and accessible, setting up a fair and efficient review and selection workflow, and putting in place a reliable mechanism to disburse small grants to many sub-grantees. Just as important, the grantee must establish monitoring, reporting, and closeout procedures so that each micro-project is tracked, documented, and formally completed in a consistent way. In practice, this means the prime recipient acts as the program operator: promoting the opportunity, collecting and screening applications, coordinating selections in line with PAS guidance, moving funds to sub-grantees, and ensuring basic compliance and results reporting for each funded activity.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed as "Alumni Micro Grants Fund" (Funding Opportunity Number: ND NOFO 19 106) and falls under the Education funding activity category (CFDA 19.040). The eligible applicants for the prime award include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S.-registered nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The award ceiling is USD 35,000, indicating the total amount available to operate the fund and issue multiple micro-grants within that overall budget. The opportunity was created on 2018-12-20 and had an original closing date of 2019-02-20.Apply for ND NOFO 19 106
- The U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alumni Micro Grants Fund" 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 2018-12-20.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-02-20. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Alumni Micro Grants Fund (ND NOFO 19 106) - FAQs
1) What is the Alumni Micro Grants Fund?
The Alumni Micro Grants Fund is a discretionary U.S. Mission to India cooperative agreement designed to deepen and sustain engagement with alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs managed by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) in India. It supports small, practical, community-focused social impact projects conceived and carried out by exchange alumni through modest micro-grants.
2) What is the main purpose of the program?
The purpose is to help exchange alumni turn practical ideas into visible local outcomes by providing small awards for community-focused social impact projects and by strengthening ongoing alumni engagement with U.S. Mission to India programming.
3) Who is this funding meant to support: an organization or individual alumni?
Both, but in different roles. The prime award goes to an eligible organization that will operate the micro-grants fund. Individual alumni or teams of alumni then apply to that operator as sub-grantees for micro-grants to carry out their own small projects.
4) What do "micro-grants" cover in this program?
Micro-grants are small awards intended to support truly micro-scale projects. Each selected project is funded at a modest level to help alumni implement practical community activities and produce visible results at the local level.
5) How much funding is available per micro-grant project?
Each micro-grant award is expected to range from USD 500 to USD 1,000 per project.
6) What is the maximum funding available for the overall program?
The award ceiling for the prime cooperative agreement is USD 35,000. This amount is intended to cover operating the fund and issuing multiple micro-grants within that overall budget.
7) Where in India does the program operate?
The program spans all five Mission India posts: New Delhi/North India, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
8) Are alumni outside major cities eligible to participate?
Yes. The outreach and access model is designed to reach eligible alumni across regions, and the opportunity is described as open to eligible alumni located across India.
9) Does the opportunity include alumni connected to the Tibetan Community-in-Exile and Bhutan?
Yes. The program is open to eligible alumni located across India, including participants connected to the Tibetan Community-in-Exile and Bhutan.
10) What kinds of projects can be funded?
Funded activities are intended to be small, practical, community-focused social impact projects designed and implemented by exchange alumni. Projects must align with Mission India priorities and goals, with PAS New Delhi Exchanges providing guidance on what those priorities are.
11) Who defines or provides guidance on Mission India priorities for project alignment?
PAS New Delhi Exchanges provides relevant guidance on Mission India priorities and goals that funded micro-projects must align with.
12) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It means there is built-in government oversight and involvement. While the implementing organization manages the day-to-day operation of the fund, PAS India retains final approval authority over all projects selected for funding.
13) Who has the final say on which alumni projects get funded?
PAS India retains final approval authority over all projects selected for funding, even though the implementing organization runs the application and review process.
14) What is the role of the organization that receives the prime award?
The prime recipient acts as the program operator and is responsible for building and running the full micro-grants system rather than delivering a single project. This includes outreach and marketing, application design, review and selection workflows, disbursement mechanisms, and monitoring/reporting/closeout procedures for each micro-project.
15) What specific operational responsibilities are expected of the prime recipient?
Responsibilities include: creating and executing a marketing and outreach strategy across regions; designing an application process that is simple and accessible; establishing a fair and efficient review and selection workflow; creating a reliable mechanism to disburse small grants to multiple sub-grantees; and implementing monitoring, reporting, and closeout procedures to track, document, and formally complete each funded micro-project consistently.
16) Is the prime award intended to fund one large project?
No. The prime award is intended to support operating the micro-grants fund and issuing many small micro-grants to alumni sub-grantees, rather than delivering a single project.
17) Who can apply for the prime award?
Eligible applicants for the prime award include: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and U.S.-registered nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).
18) Can an individual alumnus/alumna apply directly as the prime recipient?
The listed eligible applicants for the prime award are institutions of higher education and U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The opportunity description presents individual alumni and alumni teams as sub-grantees who apply for micro-grants through the operator, not as prime applicants.
19) What is the official funding opportunity name and number?
The opportunity is listed as "Alumni Micro Grants Fund" with Funding Opportunity Number ND NOFO 19 106.
20) What is the funding activity category and CFDA number?
The funding activity category is Education, and the CFDA number is 19.040.
21) When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on 2018-12-20 and had an original closing date of 2019-02-20.
22) What does "sub-grantee" mean in this context?
In this program, alumni who receive micro-grants are treated as sub-grantees. They apply to the organization operating the fund and, if selected and approved, receive small awards to carry out their micro-projects.
23) What does the application and selection process generally involve?
The operator is expected to run a simple and accessible application process, implement a fair and efficient review and selection workflow, coordinate selections in line with PAS guidance, and then obtain final approval from PAS India for projects selected for funding.
24) What kinds of reporting or documentation are expected for funded micro-projects?
The operator must establish monitoring, reporting, and closeout procedures so each micro-project is tracked, documented, and formally completed in a consistent way.
25) Is the program designed to reach alumni across multiple regions?
Yes. The operator must create and execute a marketing and outreach strategy to reach eligible alumni across regions and across all five Mission India posts.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Education
Next opportunity: GLNF-CESU- Interpretation of Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment- APIS
Previous opportunity: Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for ND NOFO 19 106
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (ND NOFO 19 106) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Supporting Her Empowerment via Digital Tools Apply for ND NOFO 19 100 Funding Number: ND NOFO 19 100 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $35,000 |
| Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women’s Entrepreneurship as an Engine for Growth Apply for K NOFO 19 101 Funding Number: K NOFO 19 101 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $60,000 |
| Volunteer for India: Creating a Young Citizens’ Volunteer Action Corps Apply for C NOFO 19 102 Funding Number: C NOFO 19 102 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Regional Alumni Conference: Promoting an Open, Stable, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Apply for K NOFO 19 100 Funding Number: K NOFO 19 100 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $54,000 |
| Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Robotics: Kits 2019 Apply for MDA 2019 CTV STEM 0001 Funding Number: MDA 2019 CTV STEM 0001 Agency: Missile Defense Agency Category: Education Funding Amount: $15,000 |
| Request for Information on Affordable Private Schools in Afghanistan Apply for RFI 306 19 000001 Funding Number: RFI 306 19 000001 Agency: Afghanistan USAID-Kabul Category: Education Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Request for Information on Community-Based Education Apply for RFI 306 19 000002 Funding Number: RFI 306 19 000002 Agency: Afghanistan USAID-Kabul Category: Education Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY 2019 English Access and Advance Apply for DOSRUS19CA006 Funding Number: DOSRUS19CA006 Agency: U.S. Mission to Russia Category: Education Funding Amount: $475,000 |
| FY 2019 English Language Exchanges Support Apply for DOSRUS19CA007 Funding Number: DOSRUS19CA007 Agency: U.S. Mission to Russia Category: Education Funding Amount: $195,000 |
| PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR JOURNALISTS Apply for PAS CHISINAU FY19 11 MEDIA Funding Number: PAS CHISINAU FY19 11 MEDIA Agency: U.S. Mission to Moldova Category: Education Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| USAID Bangladesh Request for Information on Basic Education in Bandarban Apply for 72038819RFI00003 Funding Number: 72038819RFI00003 Agency: Bangladesh USAID-Dhaka Category: Education Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Underground Railroad Handbook Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0012 Funding Number: NPS 19 NERO 0012 Agency: National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $49,940 |
| Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Education and Innovation Research (EIR): Expansion Grants CFDA Number 84.411A Apply for ED GRANTS 041919 001 Funding Number: ED GRANTS 041919 001 Agency: Department of Education Category: Education Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Education and Innovation Research (EIR): Mid-Phase Grants CFDA Number 84.411B Apply for ED GRANTS 041919 002 Funding Number: ED GRANTS 041919 002 Agency: Department of Education Category: Education Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
| Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Education and Innovation Research (EIR): Early-Phase Grants CFDA Number 84.411C Apply for ED GRANTS 041919 003 Funding Number: ED GRANTS 041919 003 Agency: Department of Education Category: Education Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Fort McHenry Paddle Project: Providing Recreational Acces Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0023 Funding Number: NPS 19 NERO 0023 Agency: National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $64,217 |
| Trail Stewards Program: Star-Spangled Banner NHT Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0026 Funding Number: NPS 19 NERO 0026 Agency: National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $165,000 |
| FY2020 English Language Teacher Training Project Apply for PAS TOKYO FY19 03 Funding Number: PAS TOKYO FY19 03 Agency: U.S. Mission to Japan Category: Education Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| WARO Organization, Interpretation, Education and Outreach Apply for NPS 19 NERO 0035 Funding Number: NPS 19 NERO 0035 Agency: National Park Service Category: Education Funding Amount: $119,000 |
| Transforming U.S.-India Higher Education Collaboration – Fostering Academic Integrity Apply for ND NOFO 19 115 Funding Number: ND NOFO 19 115 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Education Funding Amount: $70,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "ND NOFO 19 106", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.