Deadline: 01-Aug-2025
The Global Climbing Initiative (GCI) is accepting applications for its Creative Grants Program, which supports climbing communities around the world in sharing their stories and perspectives through artistic projects.
These grants aim to empower climbing leaders to create works that highlight diverse voices within the global climbing community. Projects may explore themes such as environmental appreciation, social change in climbing, or the local growth of the sport. GCI welcomes creative proposals across disciplines and also supports educational initiatives in photography and videography for local climbers.
Applicants can request funding of up to $1,000 USD. The program seeks to fund direct-impact projects that uplift underrepresented voices in local climbing communities. Eligible projects include short films, photography, literary work, creative workshops like photo clinics, and storytelling festivals related to climbing.
However, certain projects are not eligible. These include any that take place inside the continental U.S. unless led by Indigenous communities, projects not led by local climbers, those unrelated to climbing or environmental impact, or those lacking alignment with GCI’s values. Proposals without clear plans, academic research, social media campaigns, political advocacy, land acquisitions, and requests for salaries or operating costs are also ineligible.
Eligible proposals must focus on climbing—indoor or outdoor—and be led by organizations based outside the continental U.S., or by Indigenous groups within the U.S. Applicants must be members of their local climbing community. Grants will not be awarded to the same organization for the same category in consecutive cycles.
Grant recipients are required to sign a code of conduct and memorandum of understanding, participate in a kickoff meeting, and acknowledge GCI as a sponsor in project-related media. Within 60 days of the project’s completion, recipients must submit photos, impact metrics, a summary, a survey, and collaborate on a social media post.
For more information, visit GCI.
