2020 U.S. Elections Programming | PAS SINGAPORE FY20 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS SINGAPORE FY20 001

The 2020 U.S. Elections Programming grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: PAS SINGAPORE FY20 001) was issued by the U.S. Mission to Singapore through the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. It is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the Embassy expects to be actively involved with the recipient during planning and implementation rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement. The opportunity was created on January 8, 2020, with an original application deadline of February 28, 2020, and it supported activities aligned with community development, education, and the humanities under CFDA 19.040.

The core purpose of the program was to fund a multi-event public diplomacy initiative that helps Singaporean audiences better understand how U.S. elections work. Applicants were asked to design, plan, and carry out programming that is educational and explanatory rather than advocacy-driven. The Embassy signaled interest in a broad range of possible election-related topics, including how presidential campaigns operate, how debates are organized and their role in civic life, and how grassroots advocacy and civil society engagement shape political participation. Other encouraged themes included the mechanics and significance of primaries and caucuses, the role and evolution of political parties, and how the Electoral College functions in the U.S. system. The opportunity also highlighted public understanding of political polling, elections reporting, and the media environment around elections, including practical focus areas like media literacy, how to recognize and respond to disinformation, and the institutions and norms that support voting processes and peaceful transitions of power.

A central requirement was that the activities promote mutual understanding between Americans and Singaporeans through dynamic cultural and informational exchange. In practice, that implies proposals were expected to go beyond one-off lectures and instead build sustained engagement through multiple related events, potentially using formats like panel discussions, workshops, speaker series, interactive dialogues, simulations, or community-facing educational activities. The public diplomacy emphasis suggests that programs should be audience-centered, accessible, and designed to encourage two-way exchange, allowing Singaporean participants to ask questions, compare systems, and engage directly with American perspectives and experiences in a non-political, civic education context.

The Embassy made clear that funded activities could not be partisan. That restriction applies both to content and to how the program is presented, meaning projects should not support or oppose any political party, candidate, or campaign and should avoid programming that could be reasonably perceived as attempting to influence electoral outcomes. Instead, the intended value of the initiative was civic and informational: increasing understanding of democratic processes, the structure and administration of elections, the roles of institutions and media, and the norms that underpin stability and legitimacy in electoral systems.

Eligibility for this opportunity was broad and included a wide range of potential implementers: U.S. and non-U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments and certain tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that category), small businesses, and individuals. The award ceiling was $75,000, indicating the Embassy was looking for a relatively focused initiative that is still substantial enough to support multiple events, speaker participation, venue or platform needs, outreach, and program materials. The listing did not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided text, but the structure and ceiling suggest competitive selection for one or more projects that best meet the public diplomacy goals and the nonpartisan educational requirements.

• The U.S. Mission to Singapore in the community development, education, humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 U.S. Elections Programming" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-02-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, Small businesses.

Apply for PAS SINGAPORE FY20 001

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