Project proposals are evaluated against the following eligibility criteria:

• Proven organizational capacity
• Local impact on significant number of beneficiaries
• Focus on justice, opportunity, and leadership themes
• Results that can be connected to the efforts and spirit of “one woman”
• Estimated budget of project
• Project sustainability

Phase 1: Review Project Concept

An initial application will propose the project concept by providing a simple e-mail that covers the following five elements (in English please):

• Rationale/Justification: Why is this project important? What problem is being addressed by this proposed project? What is the target population?
• Goal, Objectives and Indicators: Summarize the goal, identify objectives, and explain what success means and how it will be measured.
• Description. Describe how each objective will be achieved through project activities, what goods and services will be provided, and by whom.
• Sustainability. What is the duration of the project? How will the results achieved be sustainable beyond the end of the program?
• Illustrative Budget. Include an anticipated budget and specify if there are plans to share or match costs or provide in-kind contributions.

If favorably reviewed, the applicant would move to Phase II, a full proposal and CAFAmerica’s grant eligibility application.

Phase 2: Review Full Proposal and Grant Eligibility

Proposal Elements:

• Executive Summary
• Problem Analysis
  This section should provide the rationale and justification for the proposal. Sufficient detail should be provided to enable reviewers to determine the priority of the proposed activities and interventions.
  • Background. Provide any context important to understand the relevance of the proposed activity.
  • Analysis. Provide a synthesis of assessments or other descriptive and analytical efforts that have been conducted to determine the nature of the problem. Indicate dates, sources of information, and describe the most critical needs, vulnerabilities or capacities that were identified.
  • Profile of Target Population. Provide a profile of the targeted population(s). Targeted populations should be qualified by number, current location, demographic characteristics including gender, age, and ethnicity (where political circumstances allow), and any other unique or germane factors distinguishing the population. Please cite information sources.
• Program Goal and Objectives
  • Program Goal. Define the goal, objectives, and assumptions of the program. Organize proposals based on stated objectives which, in turn, should be distinct, quantifiable and measurable.
  • Indicators. Provide indicators for assessing progress toward achievement of each objective and explain how they will be measured.
• Program Description
  This section is the core of a proposal. It should clearly and concisely outline the implementation plan for each objective including those elements described below, as appropriate. It should reflect a thorough understanding of the problem described in Section II.
  • Implementation Plan. For each objective, provide a detailed implementation plan. This should include identification of the targeted population, a description of any goods and services to be provided, and the standard of delivery used.
  • Suggested Elements
    • Context-Specific Programming. Ensure that the proposal reflects an understanding of the particular characteristics of the country context.
    • Local Community Interaction and Capacity Building. Explain how the activity fits within, and enhances, the existing capacities of the local community.
    • Coordination Efforts. Indicate if this program will stand alone or is part of a larger country wide or regional program. Describe how the program fits into the broader program, if applicable.
    • Explain efforts to coordinate with other organizations to prevent overlaps and duplication. Explain how the program will interface with and complement other programs, as applicable.
    • Describe the proposed initiative’s possible regional (cross-border) implications.
• Management, Administration and Security
  • Program management. Provide details on the following areas of the program’s management.
    • Describe the organization’s management structure. Describe how this structure will be used to achieve the stated objectives.
    • Describe the phase out/hand-over plans. Include, where feasible, recommendations for next steps.
    • Provide examples of past performance that demonstrate the organization’s success in implementing similar programs. Include contact names and telephone numbers for references.
• Administration. Include the following information as part of your proposal.
  • Include information in support of proposed cost-sharing/cost-matching.
  • Provide information detailing proposed in-kind contributions.
  • Provide details of sub-award arrangements.
• Monitoring and Performance Measurement
  • Monitoring Plan. Describe your monitoring plan. Include at least the following elements in the discussion:
    • Indicators and details on how they will be measured, including the frequency of the measurements, units of measure, etc.
    • Monitoring tools such as records, rapid assessment surveys, etc.
  • Performance Measurement. Establish, where possible, baseline and expected performance targets for each objective.
• Budget.
  Include a budget that is broken down by each objective of the proposed program. Staffing and office needs often cannot be easily allotted to specific objectives and can be given for the whole program, if more appropriate.

  Download the pdf:Grant Selection Process