2026 Alumni Summit: Freedom 250
🏛 U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 7, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for nonprofit organizations, think tanks, and educational institutions organizing an alumni summit in Saudi Arabia. Applicants must be U.S. or Saudi Arabia-based nonprofits, academic institutions, or civil society organizations. The funded organization will host the AEIF 2026 Alumni Summit in Riyadh, activating U.S. exchange alumni networks across Saudi Arabia's three diplomatic posts. Activities include summit planning, alumni engagement, and advancing U.S.-Saudi partnership priorities aligned with Freedom 250 initiatives.
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Program description
The U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce an open competition for not-for-profit organizations (NGOs), think tanks, and academic institutions to organize and host the AEIF 2026 Alumni Summit in Riyadh. Given the program’s intersection with U.S. government exchange funded alumni, we encourage alumni with linkages to qualifying organizations to consider applying for this opportunity via the appropriate institutional vehicle.
The goal of this initiative is to activate, unite, and strengthen U.S. exchange alumni networks across Saudi Arabia’s three posts (Embassy Riyadh, Consulate General Jeddah, and Consulate General Dhahran) as active strategic partners in advancing shared U.S.-Saudi priorities. Aligned with Freedom 250, the summit celebrates American values of leadership, innovation, and civic engagement, reinforcing U.S. policy priorities of making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Cooperative Agreement application form
- Project narrative describing summit design and alumni engagement strategy
- Budget and budget narrative justifying the $80,000–$100,000 request
- Proof of nonprofit status or educational institution accreditation
- Evidence of existing alumni networks or relationships with U.S. exchange programs
- Organizational capacity statement and key personnel CVs
Program contact
- 👤 Abdulelah Alawi Grantor
- 📧 RiyadhGrants@state.gov
- 📞 00966118354860
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 19.022 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$570,002
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$550,000
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$500,000
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$500,000
-
$450,000
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$425,000
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$315,177
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$290,000
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$269,061
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$268,500
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 19.022). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $9,943,397 | |
| 2025 | $9,943,397 | |
| 2026 est. | $9,943,397 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Nonprofits, think tanks, educational institutions, and civil society organizations based in Saudi Arabia or the U.S. can apply. Alumni of U.S. government exchange programs are encouraged to apply through their affiliated organizations.
What geographic scope does this grant cover?
The summit must serve exchange alumni networks across Saudi Arabia's three posts: Embassy Riyadh, Consulate General Jeddah, and Consulate General Dhahran.
What is the funding amount?
The award range is $80,000 to $100,000. No cost sharing is required.
What does the funded organization do?
The selected organization will organize and host the 2026 alumni summit in Riyadh, uniting U.S. exchange alumni as strategic partners.
What values must the project emphasize?
The summit must align with Freedom 250 and highlight American values of leadership, innovation, and civic engagement.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate strong connections to U.S. exchange alumni networks in Saudi Arabia and ability to mobilize them across all three posts.
- Clearly show how your organization will advance shared U.S.-Saudi priorities and reinforce Freedom 250 values in the summit design.
- Detail specific programming that highlights American leadership, innovation, and civic engagement for alumni audiences.
- Explain your organization's experience hosting large international convenings or alumni engagement events.
- Address how the summit will strengthen U.S.-Saudi relations through alumni as strategic partners in the region.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to articulate clear connections to U.S. exchange alumni or existing networks across Saudi Arabia's three posts. Not aligning the summit theme and activities explicitly with Freedom 250 and U.S. policy priorities. Underestimating the logistics of convening alumni across multiple consular jurisdictions in Saudi Arabia.
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