African Development Foundation

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is an independent United States government agency that provides grants of up to $250,000 for operational assistance, enterprise expansion and market linkage to early stage agriculture, energy, and youth-led enterprises that benefit underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The U.S. African Development Foundation measures grant success in terms of jobs created and sustained, increased income and food security levels, and improved social conditions. In 2016 The U.S. African Development Foundation was given $30 million for new project grants in 20 countries, with an active portfolio of $53 million invested in 500 enterprises. In 2016, U.S. African Development Foundation grants benefited 1,200,000 livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, 54% of which are women.

History

Created by an Act of Congress in 1980, the African Development Foundation began program operations in 1984. It has since provided financing to more than 1,700 small enterprises and community-based organizations.USADF Programs
, Quick Source Information Directory, www.usadf.gov. Retrieved on 2009-03-23.

The budget of the U.S. African Development Foundation is funded through annual United States government appropriations for foreign operations. The U.S. African Development Foundation is governed by a board of directors that includes seven members who are nominated by the President of the United States, confirmed by the United States Senate, and operated by a President/CEO.

Operations

The U.S. African Development Foundation operates in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and has reach in over 30 countries with its grants program to youth-led enterprises.

In 2005, the United States Office of Management and Budget rated the U.S. African Development Foundation's programs fully effective under its Performance Assessment Rating Tool program, an efficiency recognition that has been accorded to less than ten percent of United States Government grant-making programs. The U.S. African Development Foundation receives most of its programming resources from the United States government, but the U.S. African Development Foundation has a unique co-funding platform with host African governments, private U.S. corporations, and donors.

In 2011, the U.S. African Development Foundation launched a food security and resilience program for pastoralist communities in the Turkana region of northern Kenya and a special food security project in the Sahel region of West Africa in 2012.

In 2016, U.S. African Development Foundation launched a program aimed at improving food security and economic livelihoods in the Bukavu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In Somalia, U.S. African Development Foundation began operations, through a local technical partner, in 2011 to provide vocational and job skills training to unemployed youth, since impacting over 5,000 Somali youth.

Programs

The U.S. African Development Foundation’s foreign assistance in Africa is an investment in local economic development for peace and security today and prosperous U.S. trading partners tomorrow. The U.S. African Development Foundation invests directly, providing seed capital and local technical support to early stage agriculture, energy and youth-led enterprises in Africa. U.S. African Development Foundation programs are designed to reach poor and vulnerable populations such as post-conflict communities, smallholder farmers, women and girls, youth, and persons with disabilities. Local African staff and technical partners provide on the ground oversight and technical expertise, growing and expanding community enterprise which ensures security, stability and prosperity.

Enterprise Expansion Grants

Enterprise expansion grants provide assistance for cooperatives, farmer associations, community groups, enterprises, or businesses that have developed a plan for expansion and linkages to new markets or follow-on financing. The grants came amount to up to $250,000 and can last for up to five years. Applications for grants are reviewed by the U.S. African Development Foundation Country Program Coordinator of that country. If a business or organization receives funding from the U.S. African Development Foundation, it is eligible to work with technical partner organizations that will help them turn their plan into a reality by providing technical, governance and financial support or assistance.

Operational Assistance Grants

Operational assistance grants offer funding for preexisting cooperatives, farmer associations, community groups, enterprises, or businesses who plan to engage in technical, managerial, organizational improvements. The grants can be up to $100,000 over two years.

Capacity Building

The U.S. African Development Foundation apportions significant amounts of money for organizations that deliver technical, organizational, managerial services to businesses and organizations that receive funding from the U.S. African Development Foundation. The U.S. African Development Foundation believes that grant recipients will better utilize funding if they have the best technical, organizational, managerial, leadership skills possible. Organizations that help build capacity in local communities, or other local organizations are also eligible for grants from the U.S. African Development Foundation. The U.S. African Development Foundation believes these organizations help ensure the success of the initiatives that the U.S. African Development Foundation sponsors.

See also

* Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations

References and notes

External links

African Development Fund website

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States African Development Foundation
Independent agencies of the United States government