Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0007928
The FY 2021 Community Heritage Exchange Initiative (CHEI) is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically the Cultural Heritage Center (ECA/P/C). It funds a single cooperative agreement meant to help design and carry out a set of exchange programs that connect U.S. communities with overseas communities through the shared work of documenting, interpreting, and communicating cultural heritage. The initiative is framed as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), a long-running program that, over two decades, has supported more than a thousand preservation projects across 650+ communities in 133 countries. CHEI is one of three anniversary initiatives launched in 2021; two of them, including CHEI, are being implemented through cooperative agreements, and the Department issued separate announcements for CHEI and an AFCP Alumni Exchange.
At its core, CHEI is about strengthening relationships between Americans and international partners by focusing on the human stories around heritage sites, objects, and living cultural practices. Rather than treating preservation as only a technical or academic exercise, the program emphasizes the lived impact of heritage: how local people relate to these places and traditions, how preservation affects community identity and continuity, and what challenges communities face in sustaining heritage in real-world conditions. The initiative is also explicitly media-focused. It is designed to build practical skills and technical capacity for participants such as community representatives, filmmakers, and media specialists (both U.S. and foreign) so they can document heritage more effectively and share those stories with wider audiences.
Programmatically, CHEI is structured around five core exchange programs. These exchanges are meant to showcase selected AFCP-supported projects as case examples, intentionally spanning a range of heritage types (for example, different kinds of sites, collections, and cultural practices) and illustrating the complexity of preservation work worldwide. The goal is to use these AFCP project examples as learning platforms: participants explore not only what was preserved, but why it matters, who is affected, what tradeoffs exist, and how storytelling and media can make preservation more visible, understood, and supported. The exchanges are positioned to generate professional growth (skills and knowledge for media and heritage practitioners) while also creating durable cross-border community connections grounded in shared cultural heritage experiences.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning the Department of State expects to have substantial involvement in shaping or guiding the project as it is carried out, rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation. The opportunity number is SFOP0007928, and the relevant CFDA (assistance listing) is 19.451. The announcement anticipated one award with a ceiling of $1,000,000, indicating a single implementing organization would be selected to run the initiative at full program scale.
Eligibility is aimed at U.S.-based entities, with emphasis on organizations able to manage complex international exchange programming. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (both higher education and non-higher education nonprofits are included), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education, along with other entities as further clarified in the full notice. The opportunity was posted on April 7, 2021, with an original closing date of June 4, 2021, and it is administered by the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
In practical terms, an applicant organization was being asked to propose how it would design and implement CHEI’s core exchanges, recruit and support participants, coordinate international and U.S. community engagement, and deliver the capacity-building elements for filmmakers and media specialists. The project’s outputs would likely include documented heritage stories and related media products, strengthened professional skills among participants, and new or deepened partnerships between U.S. and international communities connected through AFCP preservation work.Apply for SFOP0007928
- The Department of State, Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 Community Heritage Exchange Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.451.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 07, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 04, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - FY 2021 Community Heritage Exchange Initiative (CHEI)
What is the FY 2021 Community Heritage Exchange Initiative (CHEI)?
CHEI is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity designed to fund a set of exchange programs that connect U.S. communities with overseas communities through shared work documenting, interpreting, and communicating cultural heritage.
Which U.S. government office runs CHEI?
CHEI is run through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically the Cultural Heritage Center (ECA/P/C).
How is CHEI connected to the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP)?
CHEI is framed as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of AFCP. The exchange programs are intended to showcase selected AFCP-supported projects as case examples and use them as learning platforms for participants.
What is AFCP, as referenced in this opportunity?
AFCP is a long-running U.S. Department of State program that, over two decades, has supported more than a thousand cultural preservation projects across 650+ communities in 133 countries.
Is CHEI the only AFCP 20th anniversary initiative?
No. CHEI is described as one of three anniversary initiatives launched in 2021. Two of the initiatives (including CHEI) are being implemented through cooperative agreements, and the Department issued separate announcements for CHEI and an AFCP Alumni Exchange.
What does CHEI aim to accomplish?
The initiative is designed to strengthen relationships between Americans and international partners by focusing on the human stories around heritage sites, objects, and living cultural practices, and by building participants' practical media and documentation capacity.
How does CHEI define or approach "cultural heritage" in practice?
Based on the announcement description, CHEI focuses on heritage sites, objects, and living cultural practices, with emphasis on how local people relate to them and how heritage connects to community identity and continuity.
Is CHEI primarily a preservation/technical conservation program?
Not as described. While it draws from preservation examples, CHEI emphasizes lived community impact and storytelling, rather than treating preservation only as a technical or academic exercise.
Why is media and storytelling emphasized in CHEI?
CHEI is explicitly media-focused and is meant to build practical skills and technical capacity so participants can document cultural heritage more effectively and share those stories with wider audiences.
What types of participants does CHEI anticipate involving?
The opportunity describes participants such as community representatives, filmmakers, and media specialists, including both U.S. and foreign participants.
How is CHEI structured programmatically?
CHEI is structured around five core exchange programs. These exchanges are meant to connect U.S. and overseas communities and highlight selected AFCP-supported projects as case examples.
What is the purpose of using AFCP-supported projects as case examples?
AFCP project examples are positioned as learning platforms where participants can explore not only what was preserved, but why it matters, who is affected, what tradeoffs exist, and how media can increase visibility and support for preservation.
What kinds of heritage examples might be included in CHEI exchanges?
The exchanges are intended to span a range of heritage types, including different kinds of sites, collections, and cultural practices.
What kinds of outcomes or results are expected from CHEI?
Based on the description, expected results would likely include documented heritage stories and related media products, strengthened professional skills among participants, and new or deepened partnerships between U.S. and international communities connected through AFCP preservation work.
What type of funding instrument is CHEI using?
This opportunity is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that CHEI is a cooperative agreement?
It means the Department of State expects to have substantial involvement in shaping or guiding the project as it is carried out, rather than issuing an award with minimal federal participation.
How many awards were anticipated under this announcement?
The announcement anticipated one award, meaning a single implementing organization would be selected to run the initiative at full program scale.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling described in the announcement is $1,000,000.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is aimed at U.S.-based entities. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (including both higher education and non-higher education nonprofits), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education, along with other entities as further clarified in the full notice.
Is the opportunity limited to U.S.-based applicants?
Yes. The eligibility described is aimed at U.S.-based entities, with emphasis on organizations able to manage complex international exchange programming.
What kinds of organizational capabilities are emphasized for applicants?
The announcement emphasizes applicants that can manage complex international exchange programming, including designing exchanges, recruiting and supporting participants, coordinating engagement across U.S. and overseas communities, and delivering capacity-building for media participants.
What is the opportunity number for CHEI?
The opportunity number is SFOP0007928.
What is the CFDA / assistance listing number for this opportunity?
The relevant CFDA (assistance listing) is 19.451.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
The announcement was posted on April 7, 2021, with an original closing date of June 4, 2021.
Which bureau administers this opportunity?
It is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
What would the implementing organization be expected to do?
The selected organization would be expected to propose and carry out the design and implementation of CHEI's core exchanges, recruit and support participants, coordinate international and U.S. community engagement, and deliver capacity-building elements for filmmakers and media specialists.
How do the exchanges support community-to-community connections?
The exchanges are described as a way to build durable cross-border community connections grounded in shared cultural heritage experiences, using AFCP preservation work as a common reference point.
Does the description indicate that CHEI is intended to be a full-scale initiative?
Yes. The announcement anticipated one award at a ceiling of $1,000,000, suggesting a single organization would implement the initiative at full program scale.
Are there separate announcements related to AFCP anniversary activities?
Yes. The Department issued separate announcements for CHEI and an AFCP Alumni Exchange, and noted that two of the three anniversary initiatives were being implemented through cooperative agreements.
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