U.S. Embassy AFCP 2020 Small Grants Program for Cultural Preservation

The U.S. Embassy to Sri Lanka and Maldives is pleased to announce the call for proposals for the 2020 U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Small Grants program. 

The Department of State established the AFCP in 2000 at the request of Congress. The preservation of cultural heritage “offers an opportunity to show a different American face to other countries, one that is non-commercial, non-political, and non-military.” AFCP projects strengthen civil society, encourage good governance, and promote political and economic stability around the world.  To date, through the AFCP Small Grants program the Embassy has supported eleven projects in Sri Lanka valued at almost $790,000 and four projects in Maldives valued at nearly $96,000.

Applications for projects that do one or more of the following will receive additional consideration in FY 2020:

a) Support U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations

b) Support U.S. Embassy Integrated Country Strategies

c) Support disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas

d) Support post-disaster cultural heritage recovery

e) Preserve World Heritage sites

f) Partner, connect with or feed into other ECA programs

This opportunity is open to non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.

Full implementation of the AFCP 2020 program is pending the availability of FY 2020.

The deadline for receipt of proposals is November 23, 2019.  To receive consideration for funding, applicants must forward only electronic copies of all required documentation to Grants Applications Manager under the heading “AFCP 2020 Small Grants Program” to the e-mail

ColomboPDGrants@state.gov on or before the deadline.