Private and Voluntary Cooperation
Since 1976, the Office of Private and Voluntary Cooperation (PVC) has offered competitive funding opportunities and capacity building to U.S. private voluntary organizations (PVOs) registered with USAID and local non-governmental organizations (LNGOs) to partner with USAID in the delivery of development and humanitarian services around the world. At the same time, organizational and technical capacity building is integrated as a critical component of these field programs to strengthen the effectiveness of partner organizations as development actors. USAID partnership with U.S. PVOs and local NGOs to also effectively meet beneficiaries' needs has been PVC's mission. This mission continues under the umbrella of the Office of Development Partners (ODP), where PVC now resides.
Our Work
PVC's FY2009 budget for competitive programs is approximately $50 million for the Development Grants Program ($40 million) and the Cooperative Development Program ($10 million). PVC also manages an InterAgency Agreement with the Peace Corps, the Small Project Assistance Program (SPA), which enables USAID country Missions and the Peace Corps to collaborate on local level community activities. In addition, PVC's technical assistance mechanism, the Capable Partners NGO Strengthening Leader with Associates (CAP), assists USAID Missions and operating units with organizational and technical capacity building to their NGO partners, such as monitoring and evaluation training, financial management, advocacy, board development and other organizational systems strengthening.
PVC manages USAID's PVO Registration for U.S. and international PVOs to become eligible to compete for development and humanitarian assistance. It is USAID policy that development assistance funds appropriated under the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act may be made available only to PVOs registered with USAID.
Development Grants Program (DGP)
The Development Grants Program (DGP) is a small competitive grants program, initiated in 2008, that provides opportunities for nascent U.S. PVOs and local NGOs that have limited experience working directly with USAID. Cooperative Agreements are awarded to successful PVO/NGO applicants to implement activities in the field over a three-year period. Each award is $2 million or less; organizational and technical strengthening is a component of the program, to assist grantees to improve their implementation planning and management, monitoring and evaluation and other organizational systems so critical to effective service delivery and organizational sustainability.
Established in 2008 by Section 674 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, the first competitive cycle resulted in 61 awards in 26 countries. The DGP provides an opportunity for U.S. PVOs and local NGOs to make contributions to USAID's objectives to address the development challenges of local communities and beneficiaries.
A second solicitation inviting potential partners to submit concept papers will soon be announced on www.grants.gov, and will appear on this site.
 The development sectors to be supported in Round Two of the DGP are microenterprise, water and sanitation, rural dairy, and adaptation to climate change.
These sectors support Agency priorities at the community level in the areas of economic growth, food security, water and global climate change. The DGP also strengthens civil society to promote transparent and accountable governance.
The FY2009 Request for Applications will be announced soon. The FY2009 Request for Applications will invite U.S. PVOs registered with USAID and local, indigenous NGOs to contribute to USAID concept papers to address worldwide development challenges in these sectors. Successful proposals will be funded for an implementation period of three years. New PVOs planning to apply to the FY2009 DGP should register with USAID as soon as possible.
Additional information about the FY 2008 Round One DGP program can be found at the following link:
Development Grants Program - Round One
Additional information about the DGP program can be found at the following link:
http://www.dgpconnect.net/home
USAID PVO Registration Policy
In order to apply for USAID grant assistance programs, PVOs must be registered with USAID. All PVOs registered with USAID are listed in the online PVO Registry, which is publicly accessible at www.usaid.gov keyword: PVO Registry.
Note: Allow six to eight weeks from the date the online application is submitted for completion of the registration process. It is important that PVOs take this timeframe into account when planning to meet solicitation deadlines. PVO registration with USAID should not be confused with requests to register on other sites, such as www.grants.gov.
PVO Registration Overview
USAID's Registry of private voluntary organizations (PVOs) comprises a diverse group of organizations engaged in foreign assistance and development worldwide-from institutions with global reach that annually deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to less experienced PVOs with limited resources.
The definition of a PVO for purposes of USAID registration is outlined in the eight Conditions of Registration. PVOs register with USAID to become eligible to compete for specific types of funding, e.g., development and humanitarian assistance grants and cooperative agreements.
Registration enables USAID to-
Identify PVOs that engage in, or intend to engage in, voluntary foreign aid operations; determine whether PVOs meet certain general operating guidelines and accountability standards; and approve registration of those PVOs eligible to apply for USAID assistance.
To apply for USAID registration, complete the online application on USAID's PVO Registration Web site. On the initial visit to the registration site, a DUNS Number (available from Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.) will be requested, in addition to general organizational information. Please be aware that new PVO applicants will need to provide audited financial statements to complete the application.
Once an organization is registered with USAID, registration must be renewed annually, within nine months of a PVO's fiscal year end. The annual renewal allows USAID to review the PVO's ongoing compliance with the Conditions of Registration.
PVO Definition
USAID registers private voluntary organizations (PVOs), both U.S. based and non-U.S. based, that conduct, or intend to conduct program activities in one or more countries other than their country of origin and that are consistent with the general purposes of the Foreign Assistance Act and/or Public Law 480.
A U.S. PVO is a nonprofit, U.S.-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that is incorporated and headquartered in the United States, solicits and receives cash contributions from the U.S. general public, is exempt from Federal income taxes under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and conducts, or anticipates conducting, program activities that are consistent with the general purposes of the Foreign Assistance Act and/or Public Law 480 (see 22CFR203.2).
An international PVO (IPVO) is a nonprofit, non-U.S. nongovernmental organization (NGO) that is organized under the laws of the country in which it is domiciled and headquartered, solicits and receives cash contributions from the general public, is tax exempt under the laws of its country of domicile and operation, and conducts, or anticipates conducting, program activities in one or more countries other than its country of origin that are consistent with the general purposes of the Foreign Assistance Act and/or Public Law 480.
A local, or indigenous, PVO (LPVO) is a non-U.S. based PVO that meets the definition of an international PVO, except that it operates only in the same foreign country in which it is organized. Local, indigenous PVOs do not need to register with USAID to be eligible to compete for development assistance.
Note: For registration purposes universities, colleges, accredited degree-granting institutions of education, private foundations, hospitals, organizations engaged exclusively in research or scientific activities, churches, synagogues, mosques, or other similar entities organized primarily for religious purposes are not defined as PVOs.
PVO Registration Information Links
PVO Database
To search for USAID registered PVOs, including links to their homepage, countries where they work and other information, see the following links:
U.S. PVO Registry
International PVO Registry
Contacts:
For general information regarding PVO registration:
Craig Lamberton, PVO Registrar, email: clamberton@usaid.gov
For assistance with the online PVO registration process:
PVO Registration Coordinator, email: pvoregistry@pvo.net
Cooperative Development Program (CDP) Overview
USAID supports overseas cooperative development in partnership with US cooperative development organizations (CDOs). The CDP is a competitive grant program that responds to the needs of local, host country cooperatives and other member-owned businesses by utilizing the expertise and resources of long-established U.S. cooperative organizations, their members, and volunteers.
Cooperatives (co-ops) are member-owned, democratically-governed enterprises. They allow members to direct and control their own development while directing increased returns to them.
The program focuses on developing, implementing and extending workable solutions to key cooperative development challenges, including:
- Restrictive cooperative law and regulation
- Policy-based governance
- Raising member financial participation as a major element in self-reliance
- Achieving scale consistent with quality
- Reducing the dependency that can result from external assistance
The program's public outreach also helps raise U.S. cooperative and member awareness of international development efforts.
Program Purpose and Objectives:
- The purpose of the Cooperative Development Organization (CDO) Program is to strengthen the development of cooperative systems overseas by:
- Promoting the growth of cooperative systems in developing and transitional economies
- Enhancing cooperative performance through technical assistance, training, and advisory services
- Encouraging the establishment of long-term partnerships between U.S. CDOs and host country cooperatives
- Expanding support for international cooperative development activities from U.S. cooperatives and their members
- Broadening the U.S. CDO development resource funding base and encourage long-term sustainability of cooperative development activities overseas
Current programs focus on credit, housing, agribusiness, technology transfer, democratic institutions, rural telecommunications and electrification, private enterprise development, and insurance protection. The current program began in mid-2004 and will end in 2010. A FY2009 Request for Applications will be issued in the fall of 2009.
Small Project Assistance/Peace Corps
The Small Project Assistance Program (SPA) is a joint collaboration between USAID and Peace Corps to support local community development. The U.S. Peace Corps and USAID support community-level development projects in sectors ranging from health to agriculture to small enterprise development.
Through an InterAgency Agreement between USAID and the U.S. Peace Corps, SPA allows Peace Corps volunteers to participate with USAID in development efforts, helping to implement small, self-help activities such as improving access to clean, potable water while gaining critical training in building latrines, maintaining water systems and reducing the spread of water-borne diseases.
SPA-sponsored projects focus on developing local community groups, including local associations, local government entities, schools, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Volunteers also work with NGOs to improve services to surrounding communities. Participants learn key development skills, including program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, integrated planning and service delivery.
PVC manages USAID Mission access to SPA and encourages USAID Missions and Offices to participate in the program. Peace Corps Volunteers compete for funds allocated by USAID through a proposal process managed by the local Peace Corps field offices. Volunteers interested in submitting an application should contact the local Peace Corps staff regarding funding availability and application procedures. Generally, any country in which Peace Corps operates that is served by a USAID bilateral or regional Mission is eligible to initiate and participate in the SPA program.
Capable Partners NGO Strengthening Technical Assistance
The Capable Partners NGO Strengthening Leader with Associates (CAP) is a technical assistance mechanism designed by PVC to assist USAID Missions' and other operating units' PVO and NGO partners with organizational and technical capacity strengthening needs. Not a grant program, CAP works with partners of Missions and other operating units. CAP also helps new, nascent grantees to improve their organizational capacity.
Missions may access CAP for technical assistance, training and grants management.
Programmatic Objectives:
Strengthening operational and technical capacity of local NGOs, networks, and intermediate support organizations (ISOs);
Strengthening linkages among local organizations (NGOs, coops, networks, governments, and businesses);
Increasing capacity of NGOs, networks and ISOs to engage in advocacy for key policies or programs; and
Disseminating tested innovations, best practices, and lessons learned.
An interactive, electronic web portal, NGOConnect.NET is a publicly accessible resource for publications, case studies, organizational assessment and strengthening tools.
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