U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation

1) Support the preservation of cultural heritage overseas 2) Increase U.S. favorability 3) Counter false narratives about the United States 4) Support U.S. diplomatic objectives and foreign policy goals

AFCP supports the preservation of a wide range of humanity's cultural heritage, including historic buildings, archaeological sites, museum collections, paintings, manuscripts, and endangered indigenous languages. Over 130 embassies use the AFCP program to increase U.S. favorability, counter false narratives about the United States, and advance U.S. diplomatic objectives. U.S. embassies have also used the AFCP program to support the preservation of a wide range of sacred and religious sites, including in countries where freedom of religion is limited or under threat.

The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation supports the preservation of cultural heritage in the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Bahamas, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Eligible applicants may apply through U.S. embassies for fund support for the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects and collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression (intangible heritage).

Eligible countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Congo (Republic of), Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation supports activities that contribute to the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects and collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression (intangible heritage). These activities may involve: in the case of CULTURAL SITES, restoration of an historic building, an archaeological survey as a component of a preservation plan, preservation management planning for a site, or documentation of sites in a region for preservation purposes; in the case of CULTURAL OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS, conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; inventory of a collection for conservation purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the preservation and protection of oollections; in the case of FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSION, documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms for preservation and eventual dissemination, or support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction. An appropriate preservation activity is one that protects the values of the site, object or collection, or form of traditional cultural expression as they are understood by stakeholders. Stakeholders may include national, regional, or local cultural authorities, the local community, and others with vested interests in the site and the outcome of a project.

AFCP does not support the following: 1) Privately or Commercially Owned Property: Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application. 2) Natural Heritage: Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage connection or dimension. 3) Human Remains: Preservation of hominid or human remains. 4) News Media: Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.). 5) Published Materials: Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.). 6) Mandated Educational Materials: Development of curricula or educational materials for required classroom use. 7) Archaeological Research: Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes. 8) Historical Research: Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project. 9) New Collections: Acquisition or creation of new objects or collections for new or existing museums. 10) New Construction: Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example). 11) New Works of Art: Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes. 12) New or Modern Adaptations: Creation of new or modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances. 13) Conjectural Reconstructions: Creation of conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist. 14) Relocation: Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another unless under imminent threat of irreversible damage or destruction. 15) Removal: Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason. 16) Digitization: Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a clearly defined conservation, documentation, or public diplomacy effort. 17) Conservation Plans or Studies: Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies. 18) Cash Reserves or Endowments: Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund). 19) Fundraising Campaigns: Costs of fund-raising campaigns. 20) Contingency Costs: Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs. 21) Pre-Award Costs: Costs of work performed prior to the announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the Grants Officer. 22) Project Cost Limits: Individual projects which cost less than US $25,000 or more than $250,000. 23) Independent U.S. Projects: Independent U.S. projects overseas.

Maximum of 5 years.

Contact the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. embassy for detailed application instructions.

Proposals are selected based on the criteria specified in the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and based on proposal quality and project merit. Proposals may be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation program priorities, eligibility and proposal requirements, application procedures, and restrictions.

Following submission through U.S. embassies, applications for support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation undergo a comprehensive screening, rating, ranking, and selection process. U.S. embassies announce award recipients.

Contact the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. embassy for application deadlines.