Deadline: 16 March 2020
The Michelson 20MM Foundation is seeking proposals for its Phase 3 of the Spark Grant program.
The vision for the Spark Grant Program is to introduce an innovative just-in-time grantmaking process to fill urgent needs for education organizations that are well-aligned with key target outcomes. They seek to fund highly impactful initiatives that would not be possible if they needed to wait through a traditional grant decision timeline.
The mission of the Michelson 20MM Foundation is to improve access, affordability, and efficacy in postsecondary education that leads to meaningful careers.
The Foundation is looking for:
- Alignment with key target outcomes;
- Measurability of project impact;
- Long-term organization sustainability;
- Scalability of project.
Grant Criteria
- Grant ask is up to $25,000;
- Grant would cover a specific self-contained milestone focus;
- Accepted types of milestones: inflection points, things that may open up a new foothold with a partner (such as enabling a new partnership with a market leader), new proof of concept Examples of milestone restrictions: general operating expenses (rent, utilities, server costs, etc.), general working capital.
Targeted Outcomes
- Increase the number of underserved learners who enroll in postsecondary opportunities.
- Increase the number of individuals prepared for 21st century careers.
- Decrease the cost of postsecondary education for all students.
- Increase students’ college persistence.
- Decrease students’ average time to degree completion.
- Advance nascent digital technologies that are relevant to learning outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
The Spark Grant program is available to non-profit institutions doing work in the United States.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
- In the spirit of acting quickly, grants will be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis.
- The Foundation is committed to reaching a decision on each application within 15 business days.
For more information, visit https://20mm.org/spark-grants/