Deadline: Rolling Basis
Applications for the Roddenberry Foundation Catalyst Fund 2023 are now open. The Catalyst Fund makes grants to anyone, anywhere in the world who has an early-stage idea or project that addresses pressing global challenges.
The Catalyst Funds
- Early Stage: The Catalyst Fund is geared towards small and/or early-stage ideas and projects that need a capital infusion to launch or prove viability. Catalyst awardees are typically piloting a program, venturing into new territory, on the cusp of launching, or pivoting in a new direction.
- Big Ideas: The Catalyst Fund supports big ideas or projects that depart from the status quo and require us to look at a problem and its solution in a new light. These big ideas have a high potential for impact across an entire community, city, or country. They tend to leverage existing infrastructure, build on partnerships (public and private), and improve on what’s already out there. Big ideas push boundaries and challenge convention.
- Bold Vision: The Catalyst Fund supports individuals whose vision for change is audacious. Catalyst awardees seek significant, long-term impact and have a vision for how to get there and what needs to get done. They are able to articulate how they plan to make the world better and why. Their vision inspires others and offers a glimpse of a better future.
Funding
- Requests submitted through the Catalyst Fund range from $2,500 to $15,000. Requests above $15k will be automatically disqualified. Align your request with what you need — if you need $7k, don’t ask for $12k. In deciding how much to request, consider how much funding you need right now and how you will use it to advance your idea.
Eligibility
The Catalyst Fund makes grants to anyone, anywhere in the world. You can have 25 years of experience or be just starting out. You can be working alone, with a team, as part of a non-profit organization, a social enterprise, or a for-profit corporation. To be eligible, all applicants must:
- Be 18 years of age or older. You should be 18 years old at the time of submitting your application. If you will turn 18 in the estimated window for receiving a response to your application—just wait a little bit longer. They are happy to read your application when you turn 18.
- Submit an application in English. While they welcome proposals from all over the globe, the Foundation asks that you submit your application in English. This gives them the best capability to understand your work and the nuances of your proposal.
- Include completed responses to all required application questions. Every required question in their application is crucial to helping them understand your plans and ultimate goals. They try not to ask too much—or too little—so answer all the questions with as much detail as possible.
- Agree to all legal terms and conditions of the Catalyst Fund grant program. First and foremost: your proposal must be for an initiative that is for charitable purposes. Additionally, they ask that you complete a final grant report. They may also ask for additional paperwork as part of the initial due diligence process. They’ve collected all the legal terms and conditions of the Catalyst Fund in this very nifty rules document. Make sure you understand what you are signing up for!
- Be able to legally receive grant funding. The Catalyst Fund makes grants to many different types of entities, but here are some that they cannot fund: government agencies; lobbying groups; or entities in countries that are prohibited by law, regulation, treaty or administrative act from entering into trade relations with the United States.
Criteria
- Impact: Solution has potential for tangible, measurable and significant impact (at some point)
- Innovative: Solution is innovative; it presents a new or non-traditional approach to an existing problem
- Original: Solution is original; unique and creative approach that differs from existing options/approaches
- Ecosystem: Solution builds on established best-practices and leverages existing solutions or systems
Application
There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted year-round. Upon receiving your funds, you will have 9 months to complete the activities outlined in your grant application.
For more information, visit Roddenberry Foundation.
