DRL/IRF US State Department: USD 1-3 million grants for religious freedom programmes
Verified by the editorial team 28 October 2026
Added to the catalogue Added to the catalogue from the 26 October GetGrant export, terms verified on Grants.gov and in the full DRL/IRF FY26 Global RSOI announcement
Summary
A global call by the US State Department Office of International Religious Freedom: USD 1 to 3 million for 24-48 month programmes that address restrictions on religious freedom. Foreign non-profit organisations, including Ukrainian NGOs, submit a short three-page Statement of Interest by 7 December 2026.
About the call
The Office of International Religious Freedom (DRL/IRF) of the US Department of State has opened a global competition for fiscal year 2026. Selection has two stages: organisations first send a concise 3-page concept (Statement of Interest), and the authors of the strongest ideas are invited to develop a full proposal. Programmes must address one of four goals: changes in laws and policies and accountability for violations, mutual respect between communities and countering religious discrimination, quality media information on religious freedom, and resilience of religious communities to pressure from authoritarian governments.
The total budget is up to USD 40 million, with 15-25 grants or cooperative agreements of USD 1 to 3 million each expected. No cost share is required. Single-country projects are preferred, and multi-country proposals may cover at most three countries in the same region. Themes the donor names explicitly include documentation of and accountability for violations, legal protection for people persecuted for their faith, preservation of religious and cultural heritage, countering antisemitism and other religious hatred, and strengthening civil society capacity. Humanitarian aid, purely academic research and exchanges and micro-loans are typically not competitive.
For Ukrainian organisations this is a chance to secure large multi-year funding for human rights work related to faith: documenting persecution of religious communities and clergy in the occupied territories, legal aid, protecting damaged places of worship and heritage, and interfaith dialogue. Foreign NGOs can apply directly without a US partner, and SAM.gov registration is only needed for those invited to the second stage. At the same time this is a demanding donor: applicants must show a track record in human rights programmes, sound financial management and the capacity to manage a US government award, and must take into account State Department conditions on alignment with US foreign policy goals.
Who can apply
- Foreign-based non-profit and non-governmental organisations, including Ukrainian NGOs and charitable foundations
- US-based non-profit organisations (with or without 501(c)(3) status)
- Public international organisations
- Private, public or state institutions of higher education
- For-profit organisations (the donor prefers non-profits, and no profit may be made from the award)
Who cannot apply
- Organisations and individuals on the Excluded Parties List in SAM.gov
- Organisations with a current debt to the US government
- Organisations linked to designated terrorist organisations
What the funds are for
- Adoption and implementation of laws and policies that protect religious freedom, and accountability for violations
- Mutual respect between faith communities and countering religious discrimination and violence
- Media programmes: public access to quality information on religious freedom
- Resilience of religious communities and leaders to pressure from authoritarian governments
- Documentation of violations and legal protection for people persecuted for their faith
- Preservation of religious and cultural heritage
- Capacity building of civil society and officials on religious freedom
What is not funded
- Humanitarian aid
- English language instruction
- Development of advanced software or hardware
- Purely academic exchanges or fellowships, and exchanges longer than 6 months
- Theoretical studies without training or capacity building for local civil society
- Micro-loans and small business development
- Activities that directly benefit foreign military or paramilitary groups
Documents required
Forms and templates are on the call page
- Completed and signed SF-424 and SF-424B forms (via MyGrants or Grants.gov)
- Cover page: programme title, period of performance, budget, place of performance, known partners, category
- Statement of Interest of up to 3 pages in English: objectives, activities, expected results, theory of change, risk analysis, organisational capacity
How to apply
- 1Read the announcement (RSOI) and the PSI guidance on the DFOP0019929 opportunity page on Grants.gov
- 2Choose one of the four programme goals and the country of performance (single-country projects are preferred)
- 3Prepare a cover page and a Statement of Interest of up to 3 pages in English, with a USD 1-3 million budget for 24-48 months
- 4Submit the SF-424, SF-424B, cover page and SOI via MyGrants or Grants.gov by 7 December 2026, 11:59 PM ET
- 5Start UEI registration in SAM.gov in parallel - it is mandatory if you are invited to submit a full application
- 6Send technical questions about the call to IRFGrants@state.gov
Timeline
Questions and answers
- Can Ukrainian NGOs apply to the DRL/IRF call directly?
- Yes. The call is global and foreign-based non-profit and non-governmental organisations are explicitly eligible. No US partner is required.
- Is SAM.gov registration needed for the first stage?
- No. A UEI and SAM.gov registration are not required to submit a Statement of Interest, but they are mandatory for the full application if you are invited to the second stage, so it is worth starting early.
Change history
- Added: Added to the catalogue from the 26 October GetGrant export, terms verified on Grants.gov and in the full DRL/IRF FY26 Global RSOI announcement
Donor contacts
Email: IRFGrants@state.gov
Website: www.state.gov
