Global Documentation for Accountability Initiative
🏛 Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor (DOS-DRL)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations documenting human rights violations globally to support U.S. accountability measures. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based and foreign-based nonprofits, civil society organizations, think tanks, educational institutions, and for-profit businesses. Projects should generate credible, policy-relevant data on human rights abuses that meets evidentiary standards for sanctions, visa restrictions, and law enforcement use. Activities focus on improving documentation quality, accessibility, and analytical capacity for human rights accountability.
Activities must align with U.S. foreign policy goals around human rights enforcement and sanctions implementation.
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Program description
This global program will support the documentation of human rights violations and abuses and transform this information into credible, actionable, policy-relevant data that can support U.S. and allied sanctions, visa restrictions, law enforcement, DRL’s annual Human Rights Reports, diplomatic engagement, and other accountability measures. By improving the volume, quality, accessibility, and analytical use of locally generated information that meets the evidentiary standards used by the United States and U.S. allies for human rights-based sanctions, visa restrictions, and other accountability tools, the program addresses critical gaps that limit the operational use of documentation efforts and enables burden‑sharing.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Proposal narrative focused on documentation methodology and policy relevance
- Organizational background and relevant human rights experience
- Budget and budget narrative
- Evidence of partnerships with local organizations or networks
- Data security and source protection protocols
- Timeline and measurable deliverables tied to U.S. accountability measures
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor
- 📞 202-890-9795
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 19.345 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$315,860,780
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$315,249,800
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$315,000,000
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$300,000,000
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$169,139,219
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$41,873,445
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$25,316,509
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$25,249,252
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$18,266,765
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$10,254,124
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
U.S.-based and foreign nonprofits, civil society organizations, think tanks, educational institutions, and for-profit businesses can apply. You must focus on human rights documentation.
What geographic scope applies?
This is a global program. Projects can work in any country, though U.S. and allied foreign policy priorities likely influence competitiveness.
What types of activities are supported?
Documentation of human rights violations, data analysis, improving evidence quality, and generating information for sanctions and accountability decisions.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $2,000,000 to $4,932,500 per cooperative agreement.
Is cost-sharing required?
No, cost-sharing is not required for this grant.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize how your documentation meets U.S./allied evidentiary standards for sanctions and law enforcement. This is the core priority.
- Show experience working with sensitive human rights data and protecting sources and security.
- Demonstrate partnerships with local organizations and credible networks in your target regions.
- Connect your work to specific U.S. policy instruments: sanctions, visa restrictions, diplomatic engagement, annual Human Rights Reports.
- Be explicit about data quality, methodology, and how findings will be actionable for policymakers.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Underestimating the evidentiary standards required for U.S. accountability use. Vague outcomes that don't clearly link documentation to policy action. Insufficient attention to source protection and security protocols when working with sensitive data.
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