| Take Flight Microgrants, which is part of the new 501c(3) Kos Fellowship Program, is based on a simple, and obviously true, idea. The vast, grassroots membership of progressive organizations has both ideas and the capability to improve progressive infrastructure (media, issue based advocacy, organizer training, social networking, online tools, etc) that are every bit as good, and often better, than those of the people currently leading progressive organizations. As such, Take Flight Microgrants is designed entirely to identify, seed, and support those grassroots ideas so that they can become vital organizations and institutions of their own.
We know that this idea is true because, over the past decade, we have seen it happen time and time again. The creative, entrepreneurial dedication of grassroots activists led to the formation of essential progressive organizations such as MoveOn.org, Living Liberally, Color of Change, Netroots Nation, and the entire progressive blogosphere. We see it everyday within the blogosphere, where readers of blogs often write comments are articles that are at least the equal of those produced by the featured authors. How many times on Daily Kos or other blogs have you read a user diary or a comment and thought "wow--that really is a great idea! How can we make this happen?" It is the founding goal of Take Flight Microgrants to be the answer to that question.
Here is how Take Flight Microgrants works:
1) Large progressive communities ask their members to send grant proposals for new progressive organizations, communities and campaigns to Take Flight Microgrants. The application form is here.
2) Every three months, a representative from each organization that asks their members to submit grant applications reviews all of the grant applications that have been received. Currently, partner organizations include Americanblog, Daily Kos, Fire Dog Lake, Jack and Jill politics, Living Liberally, Netroots Nation, Open Left, Think Progress, and SEIU (that is not a final list, and we are talking to more organizations in addition to those listed). This way, a diverse range of grassroots ideas are represented among the grant proposals, a diverse panel will review the proposals, and every grant proposal will be viewed by a number of influential progressives who can help bring the best of those ideas to fruition.
3) Collectively, the representatives from those organizations will decide to provide funding (up to $5000 per idea), networking with partner organizations, personal assistance and other follow-up support to help bring as many of the grant proposals to life as our funding allows.
Overall, the program is almost identical to the BlogPac Entreprenuer Contest from the summer of 2007. The only main difference is that Take Flight Microgrants, as a part of the Kos Fellowship program, is a 501c(3) organization, rather than a federal political action committee. But the principle is the same. If you are looking to start up a new progressive media outlet for an underserved market, a new campaign to better advocate for a certain type of legislation, an online tool that will expand the reach of netroots activism, an educational primer on how to make grassroots activism more effective, a social networking organization that will enhance progressive community, or any other progressive infrastructure that is currently lacking, Take Flight Microgrants is where you need to send your ideas. In so doing, your idea will be seen by progressives who can refine your idea, partner with you, connect you to like minded organizers, and even provide funding. TFM founded entirely to help the best, emerging ideas from the progressive grassroots realize their potential.
Of course, and I can't stress this enough, none of it will work without the financial support of the progressive grassroots. The more money we have, the more emerging infrastructure programs we can support, and the more support we can give to every idea. If our funding comes mainly from large donors, as it does for most 501c(3) organizations, then it is likely that the projects we end up supporting will be more responsive to the desires and visions of those large donors. However, Take Flight Microgrants is designed to support the grassroots, and so we will only know if we are achieving our mission if our funding comes largely from the progressive grassroots themselves.
So please, submit your grant proposals today--the deadline for the first round of grants is 12:01 a.m., pacific time, on April 1st. But also, contribute to the Kos Fellowship program and Take Flight Microgrants today, because it is only with your support that the best grassroots ideas will be able to "Take Flight." New progressive infrastructure won't be built without your ideas, and it won't happen without your support. |
