Riley’s Way Call For Kindness in the US

Deadline: 02-Apr-23

Do you have an idea to change the world? Answer the Call For Kindness and win up to $3,000 to fund your project!

The Call For Kindness offers young changemakers the chance to participate in a dynamic Leadership Development Fellowship and win up to $3,000 in funding for a project of their own that inspires kindness and strengthens their local, national, or global communities. Over the past three years, they have created an incredible community of young changemakers, and they are excited to see what 2023 brings.

Purpose

The Riley’s Way Call For Kindness offers a robust Leadership Development Fellowship for participants of the winning projects. The three pillars of the Fellowship focus on skill building, connection making, and project support.

• Skill Building – Throughout the year-long Fellowship, participants gain skills that build their efficacy as leaders and help them further their project. Riley’s Way provides a series of workshops and professional development opportunities that are designed to enhance Fellow’s leadership and project management skills. Individual skill-building training may vary each year as they tailor the experience and sessions based on the interests and needs of each cohort. Examples of past workshops include diversity, equity, and inclusion; budgeting & fundraising; and how to get press. Professional development has included opportunities for Fellows to be interviewed by reporters and see themselves featured in podcasts, articles or news clips; facilitate a skill or topic based session for other changemakers; or talk on a panel about their project or kind leadership at a national conference.
• Riley’s Way also brings all the Fellows together for an in-person weekend Retreat, with transportation and lodging provided by Riley’s Way.
• Inclusive Community – Inclusive community is at the heart of Riley’s Way. Over the year-long Fellowship, participants will not only learn how to share their story and strengthen their networking skills, but they will become part of a national network of like-minded youth, adults and experts who are there to inspire and support them. This network will continue long past the end of the Fellowship, and will be a support and resource as Fellows move forward in their careers. Connecting with and learning from other young change-makers and building lasting bonds is often the part of the Fellowship that participants find the most rewarding.
• Project Support – Through the Call For Kindness, Riley’s Way offers direct financial support for projects (up to $3,000) and 1:1 project support, mentoring, brainstorming, and problem solving. Staff are available for bi-weekly one-on-one conversations and support. They may connect Fellows to other issue-based experts as needed. Fellows also get support, ideas, and encouragement from current and prior Fellows in group brainstorms and problem solving sessions. This year, in addition to staff support, Riley’s Way will pair each project with a mentor for the year. Mentors include inspiring leaders in non-profit or industry, past C4K Fellows, Riley’s Way staff or Board members, and subject matter experts.

Categories

• They’re asking you to embody Riley’s Way values to design a youth-led project that inspires kindness, strengthens your community, and brings people together. You can work individually or as a group and submit a new or existing youth-led project rooted in Riley’s Way values–kindness, empathy, youth leadership, and inclusive community–that tackles anything from pressing equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections in your school or community.
• Your project can fall under one of the following categories:
  • General Application: This category is for projects focused on any issue area besides the special topic.
  • Special Topic: This category is for projects focused on the 2023 special topic: Environmental Justice. Applicants can define this how they wish.
  • Yuriko Kikuchi Arigato Award: This category is for projects that have a focus in the dance/performing arts field. They will be awarding one award in this category.

Prize Details

• Riley’s Way will award up to $3,000 to as many as 36 youth-led projects, at least 10 of which will be specifically dedicated to projects related to environmental justice.
• In addition to the funding, Call For Kindness Fellows will also participate in a dynamic Leadership Development Fellowship that will help you grow your project, your network, and your leadership skills. Each Fellowship is designed around the needs of the group of Fellows, with some of the classes taught by peers and others by experts in the field.

Expectations

• As a recipient of the Call For Kindness grant, there are a few expectations. The Call For Kindness program is more than the grant. By becoming a Call For Kindness Fellow, you will be a part of a Leadership Development Fellowship. During the year, you will learn from experts, peers, and mentors about a variety of topics, and become a part of a cohort of like-minded peers. You will also have access to other opportunities, including press interviews, invitations to speak at workshops or on panels, and networking events.
• The expectations of participating in the Call For Kindness Leadership Development Fellowship include:
  • Attending a monthly 60-minute virtual meeting, scheduled to occur on the second Thursday of each month, starting on May 11, 2023 (subject to change)
  • Attend the in-person Call For Kindness Retreat over a weekend in February, 2024. Transportation and lodging are provided by Riley’s Way for this leadership Retreat (date & location TBD). The 2022 cohort group’s Retreat is being held in Washington, D.C.
  • Attend quarterly meetings with Riley’s Way staff and/or your assigned mentor.
  • Submit three grant reports (brief updates) to Riley’s Way throughout the Fellowship.
  • Have fun!
• This Fellowship experience is designed to help you grow as leaders, but to also connect you to other amazing changemakers from across the country to build lifelong friendships and career networks. They want to make this experience as useful to you as possible, which is why each year they design the workshops and professional development opportunities based on what you want to learn. They also build in lots of room for fun and networking along the way with your cohort group.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any US citizen or DACA recipient between the ages of 13-22 can apply. Applicants must reside in the United States.
• You can apply as an individual or as a group. If you are applying as a group, you only need to submit one application.
• For legal and tax purposes, they cannot provide the grant money directly to individuals. They hope that you are able to partner with a registered 501(c)(3) organization, which could be your school or a nonprofit organization, which will be your fiscal sponsor. The grant money will be awarded directly to your partner organization who will administer the funds to you.
• If you do not currently have a partner organization, this will not exclude you from eligibility. Riley’s Way will work with you to secure a partner through the Fellowship process.
• If your project is already a registered 501(c)(3), you are exempt from requiring a project partner.

For more information, visit Riley's Way Foundation.