Grants to support Press Freedom (Angola)

• Eligibility Criteria:
  – Proposal applications are welcomed from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. Entities with prior experience working in Sao Tome e Principe and implementing projects of this nature are preferred, but not required.
  – Preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
  – Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process.
  – Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target countries: Angola.
• Application language: English

The U.S. Embassy to Angola and Sao Tome e Principe in Luanda is pleased to announce the availability of an open competition funding opportunity to carry out a project seeking to support an open media environment and to diversify media voices in remote areas of Angola. The project aims to respond to journalists’ requests to improve skills related to the scope and quality of investigative reporting on issues such as corruption, human rights, and social inclusion.

The project will build the capacity of journalists through training in technical areas such as investigative journalism, the use of digital media, and strategies for reaching populations in remote parts of the country, which often only have access to state-affiliated media sources. The project will also teach techniques to empower journalist advocacy toward government and regulatory bodies for a more open press environment.

From the grant description

• Objective 1:Develop and implement a project providing specialized investigative training to journalists in the areas of anti-corruption, human rights, social inclusion, and recognized norms for journalism and press freedom. Project activities should provide journalists with an understanding of the legal limits on media and press freedom and awareness of legal assistance available to journalists over free press issues. Project activities could include workshops and seminars on specialized areas of journalism training and areas of law including investigative journalism, technology in journalism, and the role of journalists in countering disinformation.
• Objective 2:Empower journalists to be advocates for free speech, engaging government and regulatory bodies as agents of change. Project proposals should have a strong component of advocacy for journalism and a free press environment in Angola. Proposed projects should seek to mobilize like-minded voices from civil society and businesses to lobby government and regulatory bodies to relax regulations that restrict the free press. Potential activities include roundtable dialogues, public debates, and op-ed commentaries on press freedom, as well as encouraging engagement with key officials on free press issues.
• Objective 3:Provide journalists with strategies and methodologies for reaching populations in remote parts of the country. Projects could use a hybrid approach to accomplish this objective including training journalists in remote regions of Angola and teaching journalists in urban areas innovative methods for using nontraditional media strategies to penetrate underserved areas.

Funding Information

• Total Amount Available: $250,000
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 or 2
• Anticipated Program Start Date: October 1, 2023
• Notification of Approval and Award Signing: By September 30, 2023
• Program Performance Period: October 2023 – September 2024

See here to learn more and apply.

Access the Fundraising Guide for expert advice on how to improve your fundraising applications and to identify prospective donors.