FundsforNGOs.org introduces the latest in its “Get to know a Funder” series with a guide to the largest United States Government donor to Africa.
The United States African Development Foundation (ADF) is an Independent United States Government Agency which provides grants of up to $250,000 to community groups and small enterprises. Funds are provided to organisations that demonstrate innovative solutions to support under served and marginalised groups in Sub Saharan Africa.
Each year the ADF grants around $20 million for development solutions in twenty countries across the continent. Grants are awarded to projects that can create jobs, increase income levels and improve social conditions in a sustainable manner. The organisation seeks African-designed and African-driven solutions that address grassroots economic and social problems in conflict and post conflict communities.
The ADF’s active programs consist of 336 project grants and 100 small grants. The organisation’s grants are estimated to support 1,500,000 people in marginalised communities by enabling them to engage in the development process and gain economic, food security and social benefits. ADF believes that its current will will generate more than $155 million from new economic activities.
“The ADF support under served, marginalized communities in Africa with resources that help create better economic opportunities and an improved quality of life”
USADF began program operations in 1984. It has since provided financing to more than 1,500 small enterprises and community-based organizations. The organisation currently operates in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, USADF does not provide funding to projects that would be based in other African nations. USADF also does not provide support for non-African organizations or for academic research or research-related travel. USADF does not provide funding for individuals.
The ADF’s mission is detailed in its core operating principles:
(1) Model high effectiveness and low overhead operations.
(2) Focus program activities on marginalized communities in Africa.
(3) Invest in Africans and their ideas through participatory development.
(4) Ensure projects produce long term social and economic results.
(5) Promote African led and managed field project support.
(6) Achieve the highest levels of openness and transparency.
(7) Support and develop an equal opportunity, results driven staff that rewards hard work, dedication to the mission, and personal success.
ADF receives the majority of its funding from the US Government with other funds coming from strategic partnerships with African governments and private corporations. ADF programs focus on delivering support to local or community businesses and individuals that are able to provide increased employment for marginalised groups in their area.
The ADF defines marginalised groups as people that have significant needs that are not being currently addressed by existing governments programs, NGOs, or other international development efforts. The organisation currently operates four different types of grants:
Enterprise Expansion Grants: These grants provide assistance for pre-existing cooperatives, farmer associations, community groups, enterprises, or businesses that have developed a plan for expansion. The grants can amount to up to $250,000 and can last for up to 5 years.
Operational Assistance Grants: Funding under this category offer grants for pre-existing cooperatives, farmer associations, community groups, enterprises, or businesses who plan to engage in technical, managerial, organizational improvements. The grants can amount to up to $100,000 over 2 years.
Capacity Building Grants: Support is offered to organisations that deliver technical, organizational, managerial services to businesses and organizations who receive funding from ADF. ADF believes that grant recipients will better utilize funding if they have the best technical, organizational, managerial, leadership skills possible. Organizations that help build capacity in local communities, or other local organizations are also eligible for ADF grants.
How to Apply
ADF grants normally range between £50,000 and $250,000 and it is completely free of charge to apply. The Foundation only supports certain types of organisations. To be eligible it must fit within one of the following four categories:
AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES and SMALL-SCALE PRODUCER GROUPS : An organization formed by a group of small-scale farmers, artisans, or producers to achieve some or all of the advantages of large-scale marketing and production.
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOs): An organization made up of a group of people who come together to accomplish a common goal or a set of goals tailored to meet the development needs of their community.
AFRICAN INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS (AIOs): An organization that works directly with very low-income people and marginalized groups.
SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMEs): A registered enterprise that employs up to 100 workers, has annual sales revenues up to $500,000, and has a business plan that impacts communities either directly within their enterprise or indirectly through supply-chain linkages.
In addition to these organisational categories, to be eligible for ADF funding organisations must fulfil the following five criteria:
1. The organization must be 100 percent African-owned and managed.
2. The organization must be a legally recognized African entity (or in the process of becoming legally registered. Registration must be completed before any funding may be provided)
3. The organization must demonstrate that it has successfully worked together and has the potential to productively utilize development funds.
4. The ownership and management must be in agreement on the problem to be addressed and have a commitment to benefit their community.
5. The organization must have basic functional management and controls to use and account for USADF funds.
If you have any questions regarding the eligibility of your organisation you should contact the country representative for your nation. You can find the list of contacts here http://www.adf.gov/countrypage.html
Before deciding whether to apply for funding from the ADF you should ask yourself whetheryour proposed project fulfils their main criteria:
Does the application comes from an African community group or organization that represents its own development priorities and includes the participation of the poor in setting project objectives?
Does the application represent a project that could provide maximum benefit to an underserved and marginalized population group?
Does the proposed project represent both the applicant’s and targeted beneficiaries identified needs?
Does the outcome of the project provide real (measurable) benefits to the community? Benefits include job creation, increased incomes levels, improved market access, and quality of life improvements.
The ADF evaluates projects on the basis of potential benefits to the community, potential for job creation, workers income improvements, long term profitability, and managerial strengths and capabilities. The Founcation will also consider other aspects of your written application proposal. If you can answer yes to the following questions as well as the ones above then you should consider applying for grant funding from the ADF:
Is the project is consistent with USADF’s host country strategies and partnerships?
Can the goals of the project be implemented realistically with USADF funds?
Are sufficient management, technical and financial resources available for project success?
Can the organization demonstrate long-term viability after USADF funding ends?
Can the organization meet all licensing/regulatory and environmental requirements?
Does the project have potential for broader replication?
Does the organisation already enjoy a sufficient level of funding from self and other sources (local, foreign, donors)?
You can begin your application today by downloading the funding application form in either English or French here – http://www.adf.gov/funding.html
Watch videos from the ADF on YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/USADF1
Follow the ADF on Twitter: https://twitter.com/usadf
Become a fan of the ADF on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USADF
The African Development Foundation is a fantastic funding resource for organisations in Africa. Will you be applying?
