Seed Fund Grants

Any organizer who wants to hold a Bridge workshop that supports the Bridge Foundry mission may apply for a Seed Fund Grant. These are grants that don't have dedicated funding set aside for them via the efforts of a Volunteer Fundraiser working with the group.

As soon as you think you may need funds, please apply! Since some parts of the funding process can take a week or more, it's better to start working on funding earlier in your event planning than in the last few weeks. We can always convert the grant from a Seed Fund Grant to a Funded Grant if you end up being successful in raising sponsorship money after all.

Apply for a Seed Fund Grant

To apply for the grant, just fill out this Application Form. Select "We are seeking a seed fund grant" since you don't have funds in place to cover the cost.

Approval Process

Grant applications are evaluated within a week of submission, usually a few days.

We look to see if the application meets the following standard criteria:

  • Budget is within normal parameters for the region
  • Expenses are for normal recommended workshop things; see our approved expenses policy
  • Application is submitted by an organizer who is either a known and experienced organizer, or who has been approved by a known chapter leader or experienced volunteer organizer. If you're not sure what that means for you, get in touch with us at finance@bridgefoundry.org.

If funds are available, first-time grant applications for Bridge workshops that meet the standard criteria by an approved organizer are approved without further evaluation.

We welcome innovative ideas. Don't be deterred if your plan is not typical -- all of our work started with a-typical ideas. If you have an idea that does not conform to the standard criteria, we will be happy to discuss it with you and consider a grant. It may take us slightly longer in that case to make a decision and approve or deny the application.

If grant applications exceed current funding, Bridge Foundry staff will assess impact and make a decision or raise additional funds to cover all applications.

Receiving & Using Funds

Once the grant is approved, there are two ways to make use of the funds:

  1. Reimbursement (preferred): Make the purchases and submit your receipts for reimbursement. Divvy deposits the reimbursement straight into your bank account.
  2. Direct pay: For those who can't afford to get reimbursed, we can arrange to pay for expenses directly by processing payment for an invoice from them or calling them with credit card information. This option requires some lead time to make arrangements.

Learn more about spending the money under Using Funds.

Important: Review the receipt requirements before you start making purchases.

Post-Event

When you do receive funding from Bridge Foundry's seed fund, we ask that you simply write a short blog post after your event on the Bridge Foundry blog about how the grant helped you and your community hold the workshop and the difference it has made.

Sharing your experience inspires and helps other organizers understand what it takes to hold a workshop. You can submit a blog post as a pull request or email to the Bridge Foundry group.