Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Western Hemisphere
Active
- Assistance listing
- 19.518
- Agency
-
Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration
Department of State
- Grant awards
- 430 $808,245,681 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 19-1143-0-1-151
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of State Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration funds life-saving humanitarian assistance to refugees, forcibly displaced persons, stateless persons, and vulnerable migrants throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (CFDA 19.518), with the most recent award dated June 23, 2026.
Grant activity remains steady but has contracted significantly in 2025 and 2026. The program disbursed 430 awards totaling $808.2 million in federal funds over nearly two decades (first award February 2007). Annual award volume averaged 50–54 awards from 2022 through 2024, then dropped sharply to 12 awards in 2025 and 5 in 2026. Recent awards span late 2025 and early 2026, indicating ongoing if reduced activity. Cooperative Agreements dominate the portfolio at 80 percent of awards (346 awards), with Project Grants comprising the remaining 20 percent (84 awards). The Department of State Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration is the sole funding agency under this Assistance Listing.
Funded activities center on shelter, food, water, sanitation, health, protection services, and economic integration for Venezuelan, Colombian, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and other refugee and migrant populations. Recent awards illustrate the program's scope: $10 million to deliver nutrition, health, water, sanitation, and child protection services to vulnerable children and women in Venezuela; $7 million to support vulnerable migrants and strengthen Dominican Republic immigration systems; $3.5 million for food assistance and logistics in Haiti and Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa; and grants ranging from $250 thousand to $5 million for emergency cash assistance, shelter, gender-based violence response, education, and livelihood programs across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, and other Western Hemisphere countries. The program emphasizes proposals using SPHERE standards and addressing women, children, LGBTQI+ individuals, and other vulnerable subpopulations.
Awards typically authorize 12-month periods. Recipients must comply with U.S. Government Auditing Standards, independent audit requirements, and federal record retention rules. International organizations are exempt from Uniform Guidance requirements. The source indicates no active open grant opportunities as of June 2026; the most recent posted NOFOs are from March and February 2024, soliciting Cooperative Agreements for NGO programs in South America and the Julia Taft Refugee Fund for one-time interventions addressing gaps not covered by multilateral organizations.
Objective and description
- Objective
Provide life-saving assistance to refugees, forcibly displaced persons, stateless persons, and vulnerable migrants in countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Description
Funding supports life-saving assistance through efficient and effective humanitarian assistance and support to refugees, forcibly displaced persons, stateless persons, and vulnerable migrants in countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Eligibility
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Generally, funds are awarded for a 12-month period. Shorter time periods may also be authorized. See www.grants.gov for individual announcement.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The Bureau's main objective is to help ensure that refugees and victims of conflict have access to basic life-sustaining resources in ways that meet internationally accepted standards of care in shelter, food supply, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and public health. NGO proposals should clearly use SPHERE standards as the basis for design, implementation, and evaluation, including proposed objectives and indicators. Underlying PRM's support for humanitarian assistance is a commitment to advancing U.S. policy priorities and reducing redundancy, advancing U.S. security, and building local capacity to reduce dependency on foreign assistance. NGOs in search of Bureau funding would do well to address these specific areas in any proposals sent for funding.
- Award procedure
The Assistant Secretary of the Bureau makes funding decisions based on recommendations from Bureau Offices. A warranted grants officer signs the agreement.
- Renewals
Renewals or extensions require additional approval. See www.grants.gov for individual announcement.
Grant opportunities
Show all 17
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 430 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hias Inc. | $120,754,234 | 15% |
| 2 | Pan American Development Foundation, Inc. | $99,486,820 | 12% |
| 3 | Norwegian Refugee Council (Nrc) - Stiftelsen Flyktninghjelpen | $43,877,937 | 5% |
| 4 | Save The Children Federation, Inc. | $43,863,778 | 5% |
| 5 | Jesuit Refugee Service USA | $39,794,107 | 5% |
| 6 | Mercy Corps | $34,463,305 | 4% |
| 7 | World Vision Inc. | $32,154,414 | 4% |
| 8 | Cooperative For Assistance And Relief Everywhere, Inc. | $30,741,409 | 4% |
| 9 | Heartland Alliance International, Inc. | $26,635,216 | 3% |
| 10 | Blumont Global Development, Inc. | $25,823,872 | 3% |
10 of 94 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $68,555,955 |
| FY2025 | $3,040,598 |
| FY2024 | $110,334,648 |
| FY2023 | $121,138,954 |
| FY2022 | $113,655,289 |
| FY2021 | $101,482,029 |
| FY2020 | $64,139,521 |
| FY2019 | $49,278,827 |
| FY2018 | $30,618,618 |
| FY2017 | $19,141,400 |
| FY2016 | $22,864,159 |
| FY2015 | $18,410,867 |
| FY2014 | $16,051,526 |
| FY2013 | $17,706,876 |
| FY2012 | $17,371,720 |
| FY2011 | $15,697,250 |
| FY2010 | $14,434,405 |
| FY2009 | $11,057,134 |
| FY2008 | $6,301,926 |
| FY2007 | $3,963,980 |
Show all 20
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 19.518?
Assistance Listing 19.518 is Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Western Hemisphere, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration (Department of State).
What is the CFDA number for Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Western Hemisphere?
Its CFDA number is 19.518: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 19.518 awarded?
430 grant awards under 19.518 have obligated $808,245,681 in federal funds to 94 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 19.518?
The recipients obligated the most under Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Western Hemisphere are Hias Inc. ($120,754,234), Pan American Development Foundation, Inc. ($99,486,820) and Norwegian Refugee Council (Nrc) - Stiftelsen Flyktninghjelpen ($43,877,937).
How much did 19.518 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 19.518 obligated $3,040,598 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 19.518?
No opportunity listed under 19.518 is open now. The latest, FY 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO programs benefiting vulnerable PRM populations of concern in South America, was posted on March 18, 2024.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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