Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF)

Are you an exchange alum who is ready to use the skills and knowledge you gained during your exchange experience?

The Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF) for U.S. Alumni is a grant opportunity of up to $10,000 for teams of U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni. Grants are awarded for public service projects that utilize the skills, knowledge, and networks exchange alumni gained through their exchange experiences. CDAF is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and Office of Alumni Affairs, and implemented by Partners of the Americas, a non-profit, non-partisan organization.

Teams usually must consist of at least one U.S. citizen alumnus/a and either one U.S. OR international citizen alumnus/a. To ensure that all alumni of cultural, academic, and professional exchanges are aware of this new opportunity, program offices and implementing partners are strongly encouraged to amplify this opportunity via social media and other communications channels to U.S. citizens who have participated in international exchange programs sponsored or facilitated by the U.S. government.

To qualify as an exchange alumnus/a for the purpose of the competition, individuals must have:

• Have successfully completed a U.S. government- sponsored exchange program
• Be registered for an account on the International Exchange Alumni website at www.alumni.state.gov
• Have one team lead be a U.S. citizen.

The link to the proposal form is on the “U.S. Alumni” tab of alumni.state.gov. This particular page is only accessible to those who have accounts on the website. U.S. citizen alumni who are partnering with international citizen alumni must be the primary applicant and point-person on behalf of the team. If U.S. alumni are having trouble accessing their accounts, please reach out to ExchangeAlumni@state.gov.

Please note that the details for each round of the competition, including team member requirements and project themes, may vary. Applicants can check the proposal form for the most up to date information. More information on upcoming competitions and the deadline for submitting an application will be available on our website and promoted on social media.

Please note that the deadline for proposals is Friday, July 23 at 11:59pm (EST). 

Learn more about the winners of the Fall 2020 Competition.

Learn more about the winners of the Alumni Rapid Response Fund (ARRF) Competition.

Ready to apply? Sign in, or sign up below to create an account, read the competition guidelines, and get started on your application.