Participation in Forward Community Investments’ new Game Changer Grant program has exceeded expectations, the Madison-based organization said today.
Fifty-six organizations, including registered nonprofits as well as small groups of like-minded individuals, submitted video applications for the $3,000 grants intended to fund projects aimed at reducing racial disparities in communities across Wisconsin.
“We hoped for 50, but doing something new, and this far outside the box, you just never know how people will respond,” said FCI president Salli Martyniak. “So we are very pleased with the number of applications. We have known for a long time that this work is happening, and that people out there in communities across the state have great ideas to move toward more equity. It’s just a matter of connecting them with resources, which is what this new program is supposed to do. Now we have to get to work and make the tough decisions on which projects to fund.”
The innovative program aims to reduce the time it takes to apply for a grant, which can be an obstacle for smaller organizations or informal groups who don’t have fundraising staff.
The Game Changer Grant Program will give monthly $3,000 grants to support programs and projects that work toward racial justice and racial equity. A committee of nonprofit and community leaders will select three winners from this first round of applications and announce the first one the week of January 23. The next two will be announced in February and March.
The real innovation is the application process: one five-minute cell phone video and one short form.
“There is so much paperwork in the nonprofit sector, especially when it comes to asking for relatively small amounts of money,” said FCI president Salli Martyniak. “Smart, talented, dedicated people are out in communities, in the trenches, and they see what needs to get done. They have great ideas. They are doing the ‘heavy lifting” and they are committed to their communities but they need the resources. That initial grant application process can be a real hurdle. The stacks of forms can be very daunting for a small group or a nonprofit startup, not to mention the reporting requirements. We’re taking that hurdle down. We’d rather have you tackling the issues in your community than doing paperwork for money. If you can tell your story in five minutes, you can be in the running for a $3,000 grant. That’s the bottom line, and that’s the Game Changer.”
Applicants do not need to be a registered nonprofit, but do need to be a group of at least three unrelated individuals. Registered nonprofits are welcome to apply, but only if their overall annual budgets are $2.5 million or less. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that they’re working to reduce racial disparities in one or more Wisconsin communities.
Video production quality is not a factor in deciding which applications are funded.
“We don’t want you chasing down top of the line equipment or hiring a video editor,” Martyniak said. “We just want to hear your story. We want to learn how the work you are doing is addressing racial inequities in your community.”
