Ethnic Community Self-Help Program - Ukraine

Overview

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites the submission of applications for funding under the Ethnic Community Self-Help (ECSH) Program-Ukraine. The goal of this program is to support Ethnic Community-Based Organizations (ECBOs) in providing refugee and other ORR-eligible populations with critical integration services. For the purposes of this NOFO, ORR considers an ECBO as a non-profit organization whose board of directors or advisory board is comprised of at least 60 percent current and/or former refugees. Under the ECSH Program, the following three main objectives must be implemented: 

OBJECTIVE 1: Strengthen Provision of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services - To strengthen ECBOs’ provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Providing direct services and/or appropriate referrals to address needs in the areas of housing, employment, education, health, and citizenship and naturalization preparation at no cost to the individual (e.g., employment training, nutrition, social services, English as a Second Language classes, after school and college preparatory programs, digital literacy skills, assistance filling out change of address forms [AR-11], and application assistance for adjustment of legal permanent resident status and citizenship status provided by legally certified practitioners); 
• Providing orientation workshops focused on navigating different systems in the United States (e.g., the healthcare, education, and financial systems); 
• Educating and informing refugee communities on specific issues that violate U.S. laws and/or impede integration (e.g., domestic violence, sexual harassment, and child abuse and neglect); 
• Promoting emotional and behavioral well-being through non-clinical interventions (e.g., community adjustment groups, support groups, and wellness activities); 
• Providing orientation and/or counseling focusing on social adjustment (e.g., conflict resolution, stress management, and family strengthening); and 
• Disseminating information on accessing community services (e.g., health and mental health services, the importance of preventive health, and available health care coverage). 

2)    OBJECTIVE 2: Support Organizational Development - To support ECBOs’ organizational development and engagement in capacity building by encouraging their collaboration with established refugee service providers and mainstream organizations. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Creating partnerships with service providers to develop service components in support of refugees (e.g., providing bilingual staff assistance for women’s shelters, partnering with local digital literacy providers); 
• Establishing, improving, and strengthening relations with educational, social, and economic institutions, among others (e.g., school districts, local chambers of commerce, and law enforcement entities);
• Coordinating trainings focused on organizational development (e.g., non-profit management and accountability, roles and responsibilities of board members, leadership development, strategic planning, and data management); and 
• Training staff on issues relevant to service provision (e.g., cultural competency, case management, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, ethics of interpretation, and workplace wellness). 

3)    OBJECTIVE 3: Promote Community Building and Civic Participation - To support ECBOs in promoting community building and civic participation. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Conducting outreach activities and providing education and training to refugees around civic engagement, leadership development, and rights awareness (e.g., holding community leadership workshops); 
• Organizing self-help efforts with the purpose of promoting and achieving economic self-sufficiency and self-determination; and 
• Organizing refugees to engage with members of the receiving community (e.g., participating in local service projects).

ORR will award bonus points for the following: (1) projects implemented by ECBOs and/or projects that are guided by a refugee-led advisory board, and (2) projects implemented in at least one of the locations where ORR expects a significant number of arrivals/parolees from Ukraine to resettle.

ORR is only authorized to fund projects that propose to serve eligible arrivals/parolees from Ukraine under this NOFO.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible.

• Expected Number of Awards: 36 
• Average Projected Award Amount: $750,000 Per Project Period 
• Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2023 
• Length of Project Periods: 36 months