Administrative and Programming Support Funding for American Corners
🏛 U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for not-for-profit organizations based in Kazakhstan, including think tanks and civil society organizations. For-profit entities are not eligible. Host institutions (like libraries or universities) can partner, but the primary applicant must be a registered non-profit organization in Kazakhstan.
The program funds administrative and programming support for American Spaces—cultural hubs showcasing U.S. excellence. Activities include staffing coordinator stipends, professional development, outreach events, and cultural programming.
Geographic scope is Kazakhstan only. Awards range from $120,000 to $150,000. Cost sharing is not required. Projects run for approximately 12 months ending September 2027.
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Program description
The U.S. Mission in Kazakhstan has a network of 10 American Spaces located in host institutions—primarily local public libraries—that showcase the breadth and depth of American excellence. The network of eight American Spaces receives support from the Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) at the Embassy in Astana; the American Spaces in Almaty and Shymkent are administered through a separate agreement by PDS at the Consulate general in Almaty. Embassy Astana provides monthly stipends to American Corner coordinators at eight Corners to ensure consistent staffing and program delivery.
This funding opportunity covers administrative costs, including mobile plans costs, outreach expenses, and monthly programming with the branded promotional materials used to amplify reach. This ensures American Spaces run smoothly and continue demonstrating U.S. technological leadership, promoting U.S. higher education, and strengthening professional skills to engage the next generation of Kazakh leaders and increase demand for U.S. products and services.
Project Audience(s): The direct beneficiaries of this award are the coordinators of eight American Spaces in Kazakhstan – university-educated young professionals from throughout Kazakhstan, aged 20-35. The secondary beneficiaries include American Spaces’ host institution staff, volunteers, and patrons.
Project Goal: Strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and Kazakhstan by professionalizing the delivery of American excellence programming across northern Kazakhstan, ensuring that American Spaces serve as high-impact hubs for advancing U.S. interests.
Objective 1: By September 2027, strengthen staffing retention across all American Corners by maintaining at least 70% coordinator retention across the project period, supported by monthly stipends, fringe benefits for eight coordinators and professional development opportunities.
Objective 2: Expand awareness of and participation among new target audiences in American Spaces programming across northern Kazakhstan by conducting at least 24 targeted outreach events, resulting in at least 30 % of outreach participants reporting intent to attend an American Spaces event within the next three months by live poll or QR-based micro survey.
Objective 3: By September 2027, increase understanding of U.S. culture, values and innovation, resulting in the delivery of at least 24 programs highlighting American excellence in technology, innovation, creative expression, education, and related fields, with at least 80 % of participants demonstrating increased trust in the U.S. as a partner of choice determined by pre and post program assessments.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project narrative or proposal describing all three objectives and activities
- Detailed budget and budget justification
- Organizational documentation (registration, bylaws, or legal status proof in Kazakhstan)
- Staffing plan with coordinator bios and retention strategy
- Outreach and program schedule with target audience details
- Evaluation plan with pre/post assessment tools
Program contact
- 👤 Saltanat Gninenko Grants Coordinator
- 📧 KazakhstanAmericanSpaces@state.gov
- 📞 7172702217
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 19.040 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$4,682,072
-
$3,371,312
-
$2,650,000
-
$2,446,525
-
$2,050,500
-
$1,861,451
-
$1,700,000
-
$1,565,795
-
$1,500,000
-
$1,480,000
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 19.040). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2018 | $129,428,262 | |
| 2019 est. | $34,549,598 | |
| 2020 | $129,979,440 | |
| 2021 | $128,999,999 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Not-for-profit organizations, think tanks, and NGOs registered in Kazakhstan. For-profit entities cannot apply, even if structured as hybrids.
What activities does this grant fund?
Coordinator stipends, mobile plans, outreach events, professional development, and cultural programming at American Spaces. Materials and branded promotional items are eligible.
Is cost sharing required?
No. This is a fully-funded grant with no match requirement.
What is the award amount?
Awards range from $120,000 to $150,000. The total funding pool is $150,000.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is July 31, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your organization's capacity to manage U.S. public diplomacy programming and engage Kazakh youth audiences effectively.
- Show how your staffing plan will achieve the 70% coordinator retention target through competitive stipends and professional development.
- Develop a detailed outreach strategy targeting new audiences with measurable participation goals tied to the 30% intent-to-attend benchmark.
- Include specific program themes aligned with U.S. excellence in technology, innovation, education, and creative expression for the 24 required programs.
- Budget carefully: allocate sufficient resources to coordinator salaries, mobile communications, event costs, and assessment tools for the pre/post program surveys.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when organizations underestimate staffing costs or don't secure competitive stipend rates for retaining local coordinators. Weak outreach plans without clear target audience segmentation or realistic participation projections also reduce competitiveness. Poorly designed program assessments that cannot credibly measure the required 80% trust-building outcome are frequent rejections.
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