Small Grants & Ambassador’s Fund Program

Ambassador's Fund Program is a USAID-funded initiative implemented by the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) in Pakistan. The program aims to support small grants and community development projects in various sectors, including education, health, and economic empowerment. During the month of August 2016, the program achieved several key milestones. An event was organized in Lahore to showcase the program's achievements in Punjab Province, which was attended by over 100 representatives from grantee organizations, donor agencies, the provincial government, and media. The event highlighted the program's impact in creating a remarkable transformation in the lives of over 370,000 people across Punjab, including 160,000 women. The program received 23 new applications in priority sectors, with the majority coming from Balochistan, followed by Sindh and AJK. These applications were shared with USAID for initial review, bringing the total number of applications shared to 846. USAID-GRC has reviewed 797 applications, approved 345 for further processing, and not considered 452 for further action. The program conducted institutional assessments of 12 applicant organizations and submitted 10 fully processed grant summaries, including 7 with recommendations for award. The total approved grants stand at 182, with 141 grants completed or closed successfully, 40 at various stages of implementation, and grant agreements being prepared. During the reporting month, the program disbursed US$ 188,863 to 17 grantee organizations after successful completion of their stipulated milestones, bringing the cumulative disbursement to US$ 11.730 million against the approved grant funds of US$ 14.361 million. The program staff conducted 24 monitoring visits to 22 ongoing grants to gauge the efficacy and efficiency of grant performances, ensure transparency, and provide technical support to the grantees. The program also submitted an advance request to USAID for operations and grants for the month of September 2016. An event calendar indicates the opening ceremony of three grants during the month of September 2016. The program's statistical abstract reflects the sequential order of grant cycle management, presenting achievements during the reporting month as well as cumulative status as of August 31, 2016. The abstract highlights the number of applications received, shared with USAID, and reviewed, as well as the number of applications cleared for further processing, no further action, and applications taken back by the applicant. The program's progress and achievements demonstrate its commitment to supporting community development projects in Pakistan and creating a positive impact in the lives of the people.