The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Citizenship, Partnership, and Engagement (OCPE) is soliciting proposals for its 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Innovations in Citizenship Preparation.
Donor Name: Department of Homeland Security
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/28/2023
Size of the Grant: $250,000
Grant Duration: 24 months
Details:
The Innovations in Citizenship Preparation (Innovations) funding opportunity is designed to support and amplify innovative approaches to preparing immigrants for naturalization and encouraging the civic, linguistic, economic, and cultural integration of immigrants into their communities. While USCIS’ other funding opportunities support specific citizenship preparation services, the Innovations program invests in initiatives that develop, test, and share creative solutions for overcoming barriers to naturalization and expanding access to citizenship education and preparation services. Through this funding opportunity, organizations develop, test, and share creative solutions for overcoming traditional barriers to naturalization. Because they want to provide this opportunity widely, Innovations is open to public, non-profit, and for-profit institutions of all sizes.
Objectives
- In fiscal year (FY) 2023, approximately $3.6 million in federal funding is available for eligible organizations to provide innovative approaches to citizenship preparation and address barriers to naturalization. USCIS anticipates awarding up to 14 grants of up to $250,000 each.
- According to the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics and as captured in the public facing USCIS Eligible to Naturalize Data Dashboard, there are an estimated 9.2 million LPRs potentially eligible to naturalize in the U.S.1 Granting citizenship to this population is vital to our nation’s security, economic prosperity, and future built on our guiding laws and principles. To help communities and organizations identify new ways to encourage and support those on the pathway to citizenship, USCIS will consider applications for all types of innovations that support citizenship preparation and address barriers to naturalization. Innovations that are designed primarily to support non-LPRs will not be considered under this funding opportunity.
- Citizenship preparation refers to activities that help LPRs prepare for the English and civics components of the naturalization test, navigate the legal process of naturalization, and understand the value and importance of U.S. citizenship. The Innovations program is not intended to fund traditional citizenship preparation services, but rather identify new ways to help LPRs overcome barriers to naturalization. The most successful applicants will propose innovations that address existing, and potential future, challenge(s) within the citizenship preparation field and will include program goals related to attaining U.S. citizenship.
Priorities
USCIS is particularly interested in funding innovations that engage hard-to-reach populations. Examples of such populations include, but are not limited to:
- LPRs residing in rural locations or other isolated areas where there is a lack of access to citizenship education services; or
- LPRs whose jobs require mobility (e.g., migrant workers, nurses, truck drivers, etc.), making it difficult for them to participate in in-person classes for a significant period of time;
- LPRs who are pre-literate and/or have limited literacy skills in their native language and therefore require substantial support to prepare for the naturalization process;
- LPRs who have been historically and traditionally marginalized (e.g., the elderly, women, victims of crime, etc.); and
- LPRs covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who may need support to successfully navigate the naturalization process.
Funding Information
- Available Funding for the NOFO: $3,600,000
- Maximum Award Amount: $250,000
Period of Performance
24 months
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities are eligible to apply to this announcement:
- City or township governments
- County governments
- Independent school districts
- Indian/Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
- Indian/Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
- Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization
- Public/Indian Housing Authority
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) IRS status, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public & state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- State governments
- Small businesses
- For-profit organizations other than Small businesses
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
