Investing in Community Resources: Establishing Micro-grant Programs
Learn how micro-grants can engage citizens in creative community betterment efforts and generate accomplishments citizens can take pride in.
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WHAT IS A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
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WHY MIGHT YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
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WHEN SHOULD YOU ESTABLISH A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
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HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
WHAT IS A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
Micro-grants are small, one-time-only, cash awards given to community groups and others for short-term community projects. The micro-grants projects are designed and implemented by the community groups themselves, not by the sponsoring organizations. They are bottom-up, not top-down. They are usually awarded on a competitive basis - the sponsoring organizations decide which proposal best meet its guidelines, and are most deserving of the limited mini-grant money available.
Many coalitions and other organizations are using micro-grants to stimulate community action and increase the sponsoring organization's visibility, while broadening the audience for the organization's work. Micro-grants are potentially powerful as well as cost-effective interventions. When used correctly, they can engage citizens in creative community betterment efforts, and generate real accomplishments citizens can take pride in.
WHY ESTABLISH MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAMS?
Micro-grants may seem like a good idea to you and your organization. But since they do involve using some of your limited resources, maybe you need a little more motivation as to what micro-grants can actually do for your community!
There are some benefits of a successful micro-grant program:
- They inspire creative and innovative thinking
- They are an excellent way to reach "hard to reach" or "yet to be reached" people, because they are awarded to groups (like parent teacher associations, scouts, neighborhood organizations) that have access to many more citizens than traditional health and human service organizations
- Many grass-roots groups are not eligible for traditional grant funding. For example, they may not have federal tax-exempt status (a common grant requirement), or, they may not have another organization to act as a fiscal conduit for them. Thus, micro-grants give them a chance to get hold of resources that would otherwise go only to bigger fish.
- The small amounts of money (the usual range being $400-$2000 per micro-grant) tend to discourage large agencies from applying, while encouraging smaller, innovative groups who might not otherwise respond
- Micro-grant money tends to buy products, not staff. In-kind contributions of staff time increase with micro-grant use. And having to make money go a long way forces people to bring other resources into play, thus increasing the amount of matching and volunteers projects receive.
- They can bring new partners into your efforts
- They can build political and community support
WHEN SHOULD YOU ESTABLISH A MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAM?
If your organization has some money available to spend as it wishes, then you may want to consider establishing a micro-grant program. So when is the best time to do this?
When:
- You want to utilize some program funds to get grassroots groups more involved
- You know that citizens already have many good grassroots ideas
- You are aware of possible matching resources in the community
- You want to create closer ties between traditional service organizations and grassroots groups
- You are looking for ways to get the most bang for your buck
HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH MICRO-GRANTS PROGRAMS?
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