The Ocean Freight Reimbursement (OFR) Program is USAIDs oldest ongoing Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) support program.
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, Section123 (b), authorized the creation of the program and, as amended, allows USAID to reimburse eligible transportation charges
credit:
for shipments of privately donated goods and U. S. excess property for USAID-registered U. S. PVOs.
The OFR Program provides small, competitive grants to approximately 50 U. S. PVOs each year.
Funds are used to reimburse registered PVO's ocean transport costs to transport donated commodities, such as medical supplies, agricultural equipment, educational supplies, and building equipment to developing countries.
While USAID reimburses the direct cost of ocean freight, participating PVOs are responsible for all associated indirect costs and ancillary costs, such as commodity acquisition, warehousing, insurance, local transportation and distribution.
Additional background information on the OFR Program can be found at www.usaid.gov USAID Keyword:
OFR.