Deadline: 31 October 2023
USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seeking applicants for the 2023 Sparking Change grant.
The grant is supported by USA for UNHCR in partnership with Refugee Congress and Welcoming America.
Applications of particular interest include projects that:
- build new collaborations between refugees, neighbors and organizations;
- utilize creative approaches to showcase community innovation and creativity; and
- scale and grow community impact from existing smaller effort initiatives.
Focus Areas
- The grant will highlight work in four focus areas:
- Newest Neighbors: Projects emphasizing welcoming, cultivating relationships, and navigating new communities.
- Better Together: Projects that foster cohesion, build bridges across cultural differences, or connect multiple communities across religious or cultural identities.
- Creative Voices: Projects rooted in art, culture, or storytelling that highlight the creative voices of newcomers to build visibility and understanding.
- Play Together: Projects building connections through sport, hobbies, or togetherness which foster unity by spending time together.
- Proposals that fall outside of these categories but highlight a unique approach to supporting thriving refugee communities will also be considered.
Funding Information
- Awarded refugee leaders who are creating change and building local communities will receive project support of up to $10,000 and a personal honoraria of up to $2,500.
Criteria
- Applicants should be leaders in their communities and are working to create awareness, understanding and community for people who have experienced forced displacement.
- Location: Individuals living in and completing projects in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas and who have personally experienced forced displacement are eligible to apply. They hope to expand geographically in subsequent years.
- Individual Focused: At this time, individuals over the age of 18 and groups of fewer than three are eligible to apply. Applications from organizations such as 501(c)3 non-profits or LLC corporations are not eligible. Individuals who work for an organization but are submitting a project unassociated with that organization are eligible.
- Eligibility Status: Eligible applicants must have personally experienced forced displacement. Those with lived experience as a refugee, asylum seeker, or were previously an internally displaced person, are/were stateless, or arrived in the U.S. through a special immigrant visa, temporary protected status, or humanitarian parole are encouraged to apply.
- Projects: This initiative aims to support community building and integration among those who have experienced forced displacement. Projects that provide direct services (food provisions, clothing drives, etc.) are not eligible at this time. Projects are expected to be completed in 2024.
For more information, visit USA for UNHCR.
