Ethnic Community Self-Help Program

The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for the Ethnic Community Self-Help (ECSH) Program. The goal of this program is to support Ethnic Community-Based Organizations (ECBOs) in providing refugee populations with critical services to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society. Under the ECSH Program, the following main objectives must be implemented: (1) to strengthen ECBOs’ provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services to refugees within 5 years after their initial resettlement; (2) to support ECBOs' organizational development and engagement in capacity building by encouraging their collaboration with established refugee service providers and mainstream organizations; and (3) to support ECBOs in promoting community building and civic participation by refugee individuals and refugee community members. Funding for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is provided through the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 for carrying out refugee and entrant assistance activities in support of citizens or nationals of Afghanistan paroled into the United States and citizens or national of Afghanistan for whom such refugee and entrant assistance activities are authorized. For this reason, ORR is only able to fund projects that propose to serve citizens or nationals of Afghanistan paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, and September 30, 2022, and citizens or nationals of Afghanistan for whom such refugee and entrant assistance activities are authorized. ORR is interested in, and will award bonus points to, proposed projects that (1) advance opportunities for Afghan women, (2) are implemented by ECBOs, and/or (3) are implemented in at least one of the locations where ORR expects a significant number of Afghan humanitarian parolees to resettle. Projects under this NOFO will be fully funded for a period of 36 months.