Opportunity Information: Apply for DRL 11 WHA RFP 220411
Apply for DRL 11 WHA RFP 220411
- The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WHA Access to Justice and Freedom of Expression/Press" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.345 International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 28, 2011 and posted on Apr 22, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 23, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,525,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Organizations submitting proposals must meet the following criteria Be a U.S. non profit organization meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c) (3) or a comparable organization headquartered internationally, or an international organization. Have demonstrated experience administering successful and preferably similar projects. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis. Be a registered user of grants.gov. Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with in country entities and relevant stakeholders including industry and non governmental organizations. Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant. An OMB policy directive published in the Federal Register on Friday, June 27, 2003, requires that all organizations applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements must provide a Dun and Bradstreet (DB) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for all Federal grants or cooperative agreements in or after October 1, 2003. Please reference http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/062703grantidentifier.pdf for the complete OMB policy directive.
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Opportunity Summary:
The WHA Access to Justice and Freedom of Expression/Press opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DRL 11 WHA RFP 220411) is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) request for proposals supporting democracy, human rights, rule of law, and press freedom in select Western Hemisphere countries. DRL anticipated making two awards under this solicitation, with an estimated total funding level of about $1,525,000. The opportunity was offered as a discretionary grant, did not require cost sharing or matching, and was posted April 22, 2011 with a closing date of May 23, 2011 (later archived June 22, 2011). Eligible applicants were primarily U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (or comparable internationally headquartered organizations and international organizations), with demonstrated experience managing similar projects, active or developable in-country partnerships, registration on grants.gov, and a DUNS number. Consortia were allowed as long as one organization served as the lead applicant.
One funding track focuses on Access to Justice in Central America, targeting Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, with funding noted as approximately $525,000 (subject to availability) for a two-year project. The main purpose is to increase citizen confidence in judicial systems and strengthen access to justice by combating impunity, expanding public awareness of civil and political rights, and increasing the availability of legal services. The intended beneficiaries include the general population across the target countries, with a clear emphasis on marginalized and vulnerable communities, such as indigenous groups and LGBT communities. DRL signaled that competitive proposals must work in at least two of the three countries; proposals limited to a single country would be viewed as noncompetitive. The program design also pushes implementers to go local and specific: for each chosen country, applicants were expected to operate in at least two identified communities or municipalities (from DRL-provided lists) and to explain the rationale and criteria used to select those communities.
The Access to Justice project is built around practical legal empowerment and service-delivery linkages. Expected activities include outreach and education for underserved populations on civil and political rights, especially human rights issues relevant to local experience, and hands-on guidance about how to navigate justice and prosecutorial systems. A notable element is the inclusion of alternative pathways for reporting abuses and seeking redress beyond filing complaints with police, recognizing that in some contexts police reporting can be unsafe, ineffective, or compromised. DRL offered illustrative models such as legal clinics deploying paralegal services directly in communities, partnering with local NGOs that already serve vulnerable groups, and creating community leader networks that can keep legal aid information circulating after trainings end. Outreach could include listening sessions to document recurring human rights concerns (for example, excessive police force and other abuses) and structured education sessions explaining rights and available remedies. Clinics and partners would also help victims of human rights violations develop legal strategies and pursue cases through trial, with success measured by tangible outputs like the number of cases accepted and litigated as well as outcome-oriented feedback tools such as surveys assessing whether target populations better understand their rights and how to protect them.
DRL also emphasized coordination and non-duplication with existing U.S. government programming in the access-to-justice space. Applicants were expected to show how their activities would complement, rather than replicate, other USG-funded initiatives in the same countries, and to design their projects in ways that create synergies across efforts. Sustainability is a central requirement: implementers were expected to build partnerships with legal clinics so that services and public awareness work continue beyond the DRL grant period. DRL also pointed to a longer-term financing pathway in which local civil society partners seek extended support through public-private partnerships with the business sector in each country, suggesting that projects should lay groundwork for diversified funding and institutional durability.
A second funding track supports a regional Freedom of Expression/Press project in the Western Hemisphere, with approximately $1,000,000 available (subject to funding) for work in Ecuador, Honduras, and Argentina, or at least two of those three countries. The goal is to strengthen press freedom by tackling both legal and practical threats to journalism, including the criminalization of press offenses, harassment and intimidation of journalists, self-censorship driven by fear, and political interference that weakens protections for media workers. DRL made clear that specific issues and interventions may differ by country, but the overall end state remains the same: a safer environment for journalism and stronger institutional safeguards for independent media.
The press freedom work is framed around legal reform, institutional independence, and protective mechanisms led or supported by civil society and media professionals. Suggested activities include supporting civil society organizations in lobbying legislatures to decriminalize press offenses and defamation and pressing governments to implement decriminalization where reforms exist on paper but not in practice. Another major component is working with CSOs and media professionals to secure the independence of media regulatory bodies from political influence and to improve these bodies ability to protect journalists, editors, and media managers from interference. DRL also highlighted strengthening self-regulatory mechanisms such as press councils, focusing on their capacity to receive, investigate, hear, and resolve complaints when standards or rules are breached in a way that encourages protection and accountability within the sector rather than defaulting to punitive court-driven approaches. Additional activities include advocacy for appropriate use of civil defamation laws to reduce retaliatory or senseless lawsuits intended to silence journalists, and supporting CSOs to lobby for new laws that penalize frivolous lawsuits against the press, aiming to curb legal harassment that fuels intimidation and self-censorship.
Across both tracks, DRL signaled a preference for implementers that can operate through credible in-country partnerships and demonstrate strong program management capacity, including the ability to produce measurable results. The funding structure also implies two distinct award sizes aligned to the two themes: one award at the approximate floor level of $525,000 (Access to Justice) and another up to the $1,000,000 ceiling (Freedom of Expression/Press), matching the solicitation-wide award floor and ceiling. The overarching intent is to advance rights-respecting institutions and civic protections in the region by pairing community-level engagement and service delivery (in the justice sector) with legal and institutional reforms that protect independent journalism (in the media sector).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the WHA Access to Justice and Freedom of Expression/Press opportunity?
It is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) request for proposals (Funding Opportunity Number DRL 11 WHA RFP 220411) supporting democracy, human rights, rule of law, and press freedom in select Western Hemisphere countries.
How many awards were expected under this solicitation?
DRL anticipated making two awards under this solicitation.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level was about $1,525,000.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The opportunity was offered as a discretionary grant.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The solicitation stated that cost sharing or matching was not required.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on April 22, 2011 and had a closing date of May 23, 2011. It was later archived on June 22, 2011.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were primarily U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. The eligibility description also included comparable internationally headquartered organizations and international organizations.
What experience or capabilities were applicants expected to demonstrate?
Applicants were expected to demonstrate experience managing similar projects, have active or developable in-country partnerships, and show strong program management capacity, including the ability to produce measurable results.
Were there registration or identifier requirements for applicants?
Yes. Applicants were expected to be registered on grants.gov and have a DUNS number.
Were consortia allowed?
Yes. Consortia were allowed as long as one organization served as the lead applicant.
What are the two funding tracks supported by this solicitation?
The solicitation described two tracks: (1) an Access to Justice track focused on Central America, and (2) a regional Freedom of Expression/Press track in the Western Hemisphere.
Which countries were targeted under the Access to Justice track?
The Access to Justice track targeted Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
How much funding was associated with the Access to Justice track and how long was the project period?
Funding was noted as approximately $525,000 (subject to availability) for a two-year project.
What was the main purpose of the Access to Justice project?
The main purpose was to increase citizen confidence in judicial systems and strengthen access to justice by combating impunity, expanding public awareness of civil and political rights, and increasing the availability of legal services.
Who were the intended beneficiaries of the Access to Justice activities?
Beneficiaries included the general population across the target countries, with a clear emphasis on marginalized and vulnerable communities, such as indigenous groups and LGBT communities.
Did Access to Justice proposals need to cover multiple countries?
Yes. DRL indicated that competitive proposals must work in at least two of the three countries (Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua). Proposals limited to a single country would be viewed as noncompetitive.
Were applicants expected to focus on specific localities within each Access to Justice country?
Yes. For each chosen country, applicants were expected to operate in at least two identified communities or municipalities (from DRL-provided lists) and explain the rationale and criteria used to select those communities.
What kinds of activities were expected under the Access to Justice track?
Expected activities included outreach and education for underserved populations on civil and political rights (especially human rights issues relevant to local experience), practical guidance on navigating justice and prosecutorial systems, and linking communities to legal services through models like legal clinics and paralegal services.
Did the Access to Justice track allow for alternatives to reporting abuses through the police?
Yes. A notable element was the inclusion of alternative pathways for reporting abuses and seeking redress beyond filing complaints with police, recognizing that police reporting can be unsafe, ineffective, or compromised in some contexts.
What illustrative models did DRL mention for community-based legal support?
DRL offered examples such as legal clinics deploying paralegal services directly in communities, partnering with local NGOs that already serve vulnerable groups, and creating community leader networks to keep legal aid information circulating after trainings end.
What types of outreach methods were contemplated for the Access to Justice work?
Outreach could include listening sessions to document recurring human rights concerns (for example, excessive police force and other abuses) and structured education sessions explaining rights and available remedies.
How would success be measured for Access to Justice activities?
Success measures included tangible outputs like the number of cases accepted and litigated, and outcome-oriented feedback tools such as surveys assessing whether target populations better understand their rights and how to protect them.
What did DRL say about coordination with other U.S. government programming?
DRL emphasized coordination and non-duplication. Applicants were expected to explain how their activities would complement, rather than replicate, other U.S. government-funded initiatives in the same countries and create synergies across efforts.
What sustainability expectations were included for the Access to Justice track?
Sustainability was described as a central requirement. Implementers were expected to build partnerships with legal clinics so that services and public awareness work continue beyond the DRL grant period.
Did the solicitation mention longer-term financing strategies for sustainability?
Yes. DRL pointed to a longer-term pathway where local civil society partners pursue extended support through public-private partnerships with the business sector in each country, suggesting projects should lay groundwork for diversified funding and institutional durability.
Which countries were targeted under the Freedom of Expression/Press track?
The Freedom of Expression/Press track was described as regional work in Ecuador, Honduras, and Argentina, or at least two of those three countries.
How much funding was associated with the Freedom of Expression/Press track?
Approximately $1,000,000 was available for this track (subject to funding).
Did the Freedom of Expression/Press proposals need to cover multiple countries?
Yes. The described scope was Ecuador, Honduras, and Argentina, or at least two of those three countries.
What was the goal of the Freedom of Expression/Press project?
The goal was to strengthen press freedom by addressing legal and practical threats to journalism, including criminalization of press offenses, harassment and intimidation, self-censorship driven by fear, and political interference that weakens protections for media workers.
What kinds of interventions were suggested to address criminalization of press offenses?
Suggested activities included supporting civil society organizations in lobbying legislatures to decriminalize press offenses and defamation, and pressing governments to implement decriminalization where reforms exist on paper but not in practice.
What did DRL highlight regarding media regulatory bodies?
DRL highlighted work to secure the independence of media regulatory bodies from political influence and to improve their ability to protect journalists, editors, and media managers from interference.
What self-regulatory mechanisms were mentioned for the press sector?
DRL mentioned strengthening self-regulatory mechanisms such as press councils, focusing on their capacity to receive, investigate, hear, and resolve complaints when standards or rules are breached.
How did the solicitation address civil defamation laws and lawsuits against journalists?
It referenced advocacy for appropriate use of civil defamation laws to reduce retaliatory or senseless lawsuits intended to silence journalists, and support for lobbying for new laws that penalize frivolous lawsuits against the press to curb legal harassment that fuels intimidation and self-censorship.
Did DRL indicate that interventions could differ by country in the press freedom track?
Yes. DRL noted that specific issues and interventions may differ by country, while the overall end state remained a safer environment for journalism and stronger institutional safeguards for independent media.
How did the award sizes relate to the two themes?
The funding structure implied two distinct award sizes aligned to the two themes: one award around $525,000 for Access to Justice and another up to $1,000,000 for Freedom of Expression/Press, matching the solicitation-wide award floor and ceiling.
What was the overarching intent across both tracks?
The overarching intent was to advance rights-respecting institutions and civic protections in the region by pairing community-level engagement and service delivery (in the justice sector) with legal and institutional reforms that protect independent journalism (in the media sector).
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