About our grants
The Internet Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. It is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.
A Community Grants Programme has been established to assist Internet Society Chapters and members specifically in projects that will:
- Advance Internet Society's mission and goals, specifically those aligned with the Internet Society Major Strategic Objectives.
- Serve the Chapters’ communities.
- Nurture collaborative work among Chapters and individual members.
- Enhance and utilize knowledge sharing in the global Internet community.
- Encourage Chapters’ sustainability and relevance.
Scope
This Community Grants Programme is open to the creativity and imagination of the Internet Society community. The only parameters of the programme are the Criteria.
The selection Committee favours projects that strengthen and support the health of the Internet as well as projects that further support Internet Society's mission, goals, and Strategic Initiatives.
In an attempt to address some applicants' difficulty in finding focus for project ideas, the Internet Society provides specific focus areas that directly or indirectly address key Internet Society strategic goals. The areas are intended to provide a more guided approach to grant project development.
It is important to note that these focus areas do not limit the topics that Chapters or Global Members might address with grants for their community. Rather, these Focus areas may provide direction in formulating project ideas, which in turn may yield additional areas of investment and engagement for their local Internet community.
The current, preferred focus areas for project applications are:
- IPv6.
- Local content creation (encouraging demand for and use of the Internet for a specific community).
- Encouraging the multi-stakeholder approach to technical and policy issues.
- Interconnection and traffic exchange.
If you have any questions about the above focus areas, please contact projects@isoc.org
Eligibility
Persons and entities entitled to apply for funds are only those Chapters and individual members of the Internet Society who are in good standing as of the date of application and who remain in such standing throughout the funding schedule of their project proposal, should it be accepted for funding. Current Chapter applicants who are previous Community Grants award recipients and currently have a project underway must have met all financial and reporting requirements for that past award. Otherwise, the current Chapter application will not be considered.
Previous Community Grants recipients awarded as Individual Members (instead of a Chapter award) may not have more than one Internet Society-funded project open at one time. In order for a current application from an Individual Member to be considered, any previous non-Chapter projects must be completed in full with appropriate reporting submitted.
Funding
The amount of funding set aside by the Internet Society Board each year will be announced after approval by the Board. The announcement will be made in the Internet Society monthly newsletter, in mailings to various Internet Society constituencies (e.g. Internet Society Members and Internet Society Chapter delegates) as well as being posted on the Internet Society website.
For the upcoming June 2012 cycle: Any one Project may be eligible for an award of up to US $10,000.
The Internet Society will not fund the entire cost of the project. At least 25% of the total budget for the project must be contributed from other sources. This contribution can include cash contributions or in-kind donations. In general, in- kind donations demonstrate a strong collaboration with partner organizations and are preferred over cash contributions. In-kind sources of funding are accepted, provided they are from other sources, rather than from the applicants themselves. Wherever possible, applicants should provide documentation to substantiate the contributions from other sources.
The Community Grants Programme will operate with funds being dispersed in two stages as the project progresses. It is, however, understood that some Projects may not be able to begin until some funding has been released and the Committee will take that into account as warranted. Confirmation of payment, receipts as appropriate, or other evidence of the use of funds is required as part of the reporting process. All reasonable efforts will be undertaken to transfer funds in a manner so as to legally and appropriately diminish the potential effect of government or banking charges.
Schedule
The amount set aside by the Board for funding each year is divided into two funding periods of equal size.
The awards announcement dates are approximate and depend in part on the number and complexity of the applications.
Unsuccessful applications for funding will not be carried forward for consideration under subsequent funding periods. Applicants may however reapply.
Approval Process
The Community Grants Programme Committee has been established by the Board to review and act upon requests for funding. The Committee will be chaired by the Internet Society Sponsored Programmes & Grants Coordinator or other designee of the Internet Society CEO, who will be assisted by other Internet Society staff and invited experts as needed. The Committee will include up to two other Internet Society staff members as chosen by the Internet Society CEO, and members of the Board of Trustees as appointed by the Board of Trustees from time to time (the Board will assign at least three such members and these members may be any member of the Board of Trustees).
The Committee may seek expert assistance but voting on proposals will only be conducted by the Committee itself. The approval process will normally be guided by a series of preferences that are detailed under the Criteria.
Monitoring/Programme Evaluation
The Project Leader of any funded project is required to make interim status reports to the Committee. Deadlines for the interim reports will be established by the Committee, based on the duration of the awarded project. Reports must detail the following:
- Use of funds.
- Performance to date against the goals of the project.
- Outcomes achieved.
- Lessons learned.
- Other relevant information.
A final report is required no later than 30 days after the conclusion of a project.
Written and Financial reporting guidelines may be found here.
Questions regarding any aspects of Project Funding should be addressed to projects@isoc.org.
Committee Action
It is understood that questions will arise that are not specifically addressed by these provisions and in such cases the Committee is expected to exercise its best judgment and prudence to achieve the aims of this Internet Society Initiative and report to the Board annually on any matters for which the Committee seeks clarification.
Please Note: Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), if any, arising from the project funded under this Initiative or otherwise by the Internet Society will reside in a 'commons' area for the unrestricted use, benefit and welfare of Internet users worldwide. If such an arrangement is not feasible then Internet Society (including all its past and present members, Chapters, officers, trustees, volunteers and employees) will not have less than a free, perpetual and irrevocable license to use, develop, distribute and exploit all such IPR as and how it/they so desire.