International Religious Freedom Fund (I-REFF) Emergency Assistance

The I-REFF Emergency Assistance program, administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF), offers a unique funding opportunity designed to provide emergency financial support to individuals and organizations facing persecution due to their religious beliefs or for defending religious freedom. Aligned with the mandates of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, this initiative supports the broader U.S. foreign policy priority of promoting international religious freedom as a national security imperative. This program leverages cooperative agreements to ensure real-time intervention in crises, aiming to aid individuals who are at risk or are victims of religious persecution worldwide. The program seeks to deliver financial assistance in response to specific emergency needs, such as addressing threats of violence, covering medical expenses from assault, enabling access to legal representation, and replacing confiscated or destroyed equipment essential for advocacy work. I-REFF’s emergency support is targeted to victims regardless of geographic origin or religious background, with an emphasis on those in countries designated as Countries of Particular Concern or on the Special Watch List due to ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations. The fund’s design emphasizes agility, broad global coverage, and secure, verifiable delivery mechanisms to avoid exposing recipients or staff to additional risk. Applicants may request up to $4,853,409 in funding, and the Department anticipates issuing a single award under this notice. The project performance period is expected to span between 36 and 48 months, with the anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. The Department may consider continuation funding beyond the initial term on a non-competitive basis, subject to fund availability, program success, and departmental interest. This initiative is funded through the FY2025 Democracy Fund and Gift Funds, and will be executed via a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement by IRF in reviewing beneficiaries, refining eligibility criteria, and guiding monitoring and evaluation processes throughout the award. Eligible applicants include a wide array of organizational types, such as U.S.-based nonprofit entities (with or without 501(c)(3) status), institutions of higher education, foreign-based NGOs, public international organizations, and for-profit entities (though profit is not allowable). No cost share or match is required, and its inclusion will not enhance competitive ranking. All applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov. Each organization may submit only one proposal in response to this NOFO. To apply, organizations must submit their application packages through Grants.gov or MyGrants between January 14 and March 16, 2026. Required documents include standard federal forms (SF-424 series), a proposal narrative, logic model, detailed and summary budgets, a risk and security plan, key personnel bios, and documentation for past performance. The narrative must articulate specific, measurable outcomes and describe how the program will ethically and effectively reach and assist intended beneficiaries. Additional components such as a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan and a security audit for digital tools are mandatory. Applications will be reviewed based on criteria including program quality and feasibility, organizational capacity, ability to achieve objectives globally (especially in restrictive environments), robustness of the monitoring and evaluation plan, and clarity and realism of the proposed budget. Successful applicants will be notified electronically and provided feedback for any required modifications prior to final award issuance. The payment method may be via the Payment Management System or SF-270 reimbursements. Final reports are due within 120 days of award closure, and recipients must comply with federal laws and submit regular program and financial reporting, including Foreign Assistance Data Review compliance.

Strong emphasis on monitoring and evaluation, budget realism, and verifying emergency conditions; partner network strength also reviewed.