|
Youth Action FundThe purpose of the Youth Action Fund is to identify, inspire, and support small groups of dedicated young people who can mobilize and influence large numbers of their peers to promote open society ideals. OSI created this fund as a flexible way to provide small grants and other support to encourage progressive, youth-driven initiatives that are aligned with OSI's mission.
Eligibility
All grant proposals must be related to the Open Society Institute's mission of supporting programs in the areas of educational, social, and legal reform, and of encouraging alternative approaches to complex and often controversial issues.
- All applicants must be between the ages of 15-29.
- Youth may partner with a local NGO, but OSI will not accept proposals from NGOs on behalf of youth.
- Apply for the amount that your project needs; we expect most grants will be in the range of $200 - $2,000.
- Applicants must currently reside in one of the following countries: Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Nepal, Serbia, or Uganda.
Grantmaking Priorities
Strong preference will be given to collaborative projects in which grantees reach out to engage their peers and other groups in civil society. Cross-border activity will be possible, but the primary focus will be on projects that serve a local constituency. Projects which can become self-sustaining or that will continue after the funding has ended are encouraged.
While we are very much open to innovative ideas, here are a few samples of the types of projects we would support:
- Online projects such as the creation of open-source tools, civic-minded games, virtual forums;
- Events such as BarCamps—open, participatory workshop events, whose content is provided by participants;
- New media related projects aimed at increasing the flow of information or uncovering issues not addressed in the mainstream media;
- Activism aimed to raise awareness and address open society issues;
- Grassroots environmental projects.
Ineligible Projects
- Travel grants or fees for individuals to attend conferences, workshops, etc;
- Additional degrees, courses, or certificates for an individual;
- Organizations or adults applying for grants on behalf of youth.
To Apply
Fill out the online application at https://oas.soros.org/oas/. In addition to basic information (name, address, etc.), applicants will be asked to answer the following questions:
- What is your idea?
- How will you do it?
- What do you need?
- Who will it help?
- Is there anyone you want to work with?
- What is your budget?
Candidates will also be given the option to upload a separate application proposal, budget, CV, and letters of recommendation.
Deadlines
Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis so there are currently no deadlines.
Funding Decisions
Grant applications will be reviewed by staff at OSI-Budapest. In cases where minor changes are needed or any part of the application is unclear, applicants may be asked to resubmit.
Complete applications will be forwarded to a three-person panel made up of one representative from the applicant's home country, one representative of the OSI Youth Intiative, and one representative of OSI-Budapest. The panel must unanimously approve the grant for the candidate to receive funding. Proposals can be nominated for partial funding, in which case the panel will state items for funding.
Grants will not be renewable. However, successful projects may be eligible for additional funding through other initiatives of the Soros foundations network. It is expected that some of the projects may have an entrepreneurial component that could allow them to become self-sustaining.
Click here to read a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
