Access to small grants, funding, and resources is one of the biggest hurdles for young local organizers in the Global South. Roots seeks to bridge that gap by providing financial grants, mentorship, and resourcing for promising youth-led campaigns.
Roots has launched a project to provide funding to support youth-led projects, initiatives, research, or campaigns that advocate for climate justice through an intersectional lens, have strategies rooted in radical systemic change; and reach new, persuadable audiences, and create intergenerational ties.
Grant recipients will also have access to a range of resources and support networks, including Roots trainings and workshops, Climate Justice Camps, and opportunities to take on leadership roles within these programs. They will also be provided with media and digital support.
Micro-grants
Access to funding is fundamental in helping to build stronger, adequately resourced movements with the resources to properly campaign and organize.
Currently, there is a gap between access to resources and emerging climate initiatives driven by young community advocates and organizations.
The Roots micro-grants project provides funding of up to $10,000 USD per group to help support youth-led projects, initiatives, research, or campaigns that advocate for climate justice through an intersectional lens. The grants are accompanied by ongoing mentorship.
We will offer grants for between 10-15 grassroots youth-led initiatives, with a focus on groups in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East,North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia.
Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate some, or all, of the following characteristics:
Community-driven approach: Projects, initiatives, research, or campaigns originating from grassroots efforts at the local level, driven by the community.
Emphasis on radical system change: Applicants should demonstrate innovative strategies focused on transformative, intersectional, and equitable solutions to address the root causes of the climate crisis.
Amplification of Global South voices: Preference will be given to campaigns that facilitate connections, and elevate the perspectives of communities and activists from the Global South, particularly emphasizing youth and frontline communities.
Support for marginalized communities: Initiatives actively engage and provide assistance to marginalized communities, including sharing activist knowledge, facilitating leadership workshops, organizing networking events, and hosting climate-focused programs.
Resource and capacity building: Projects should aim to enhance the resources and skills of grassroots activists, which may include acquiring equipment, covering transportation costs, hiring professionals, conducting research/training, and supporting campaign efforts.
Promotion of intergenerational collaboration: Priority will be given to initiatives that address and foster relationships across generations, seeking to bridge the intergenerational gap and reach audiences beyond existing echo chambers.
Resilience: Groups that put an emphasis on the wellbeing of their membership and building resilient structures within their groups and communities.
2024 applications are now closed. Stay tuned for the next round in 2025!
FAQs
How is this Roots program funded?
The new micro-grants program is led by Roots, and made possible by the financial backing of the Urban Movement Innovation Fund.
What do you mean by youth and/or youth led?
We consider young people to be those who are 35 and younger. We are able to support initiatives from those who are between ages 18 and 35. At least 70% of the membership of your group should be made up of young people, and those responsible for making decisions in the group should also be between 18-35 years old.
Do applications need to be in English? Can I submit my application in other languages?
We will be accepting and reviewing applications in four languages: Spanish, French, English, and Arabic. You can access application forms and application packages with the language that you speak here.
Do we need to be a legally registered organization in our country to apply?
No. Your group/organization does not need to be legally registered in order to be eligible to apply. In many cases, grassroots groups and organizations led by young people may struggle and face challenges to become registered; or in other cases, groups may make a political decision to not register themselves. Roots is open and committed to supporting both unregistered groups as well as those that are legally registered as non-government organizations in their countries.
I need help with my application! Who can I talk to?
You can email us at rootsgreenpeace@gmail.com and someone will help you with any issues or answer any questions. You can also reach out to us on our Instagram @roots.people, our Facebook and our LinkedIn.
When is the deadline to submit my application?
2024 applications are now closed. Stay tuned for the next round in 2025!
How will I know if I am selected?
Prospective grantees will be notified in two rounds. The first round will be notified by June 2024, and the second round by October 2024. If you do not apply by the deadline of June 28th 2024, you won’t be eligible for either round.
Are there any restrictions to apply for the grant?
We will not consider applications for:
Proposals for attending high-profile meetings (such as COPs) or those that focus on building individual profiles.
Proposals that prioritize personal choice theory of change, or do not have a systemic approach to problem-solving.
Proposals that prioritize mobilization tactics over strategy, or do not have a clear path towards building a growing and sustainable movement in the community.
Proposals that do not have a clear plan for how to meet people where they are, or reach people outside of the echo chamber.
Can I apply as an individual?
While we believe in the power that an individual person can hold by bringing people together, at this time we will only consider support for youth-led groups who have projects that involve grassroots/local communities. However, we will consider your application if you are an individual working on starting a collective, a group or a campaign.
Can I apply to start something new?
Yes. Please provide an estimated budget through this budget template for your project, including any expenses related to equipment, transportation, professional services, research/training, and campaign efforts that this grant would be directed to.
We can’t access the online form, can I send my proposal via email?
Yes! You can also find all application questions in our application package. Make sure to copy and paste the questions and respond to all of them if you are doing this by email! You can send them to rootsgreenpeace@gmail.com.
After grants have been allocated, I can see you offer coaches - what does this look like?
We will allocate 1 to 2 coaches to successful initiatives according to your project’s needs. Coaches will be there to support you from project inception to implementation, with a six-monthly arc reporting cycle. They will offer project-specific advice wherever required, including strategic assistance around tactics, communications, public outputs, lobbying, networking, and outreach.
What is the maximum amount of money that groups will receive? Can we apply for more funding?
We have a maximum grant allocation of $10,000 USD per initiative, and will not be granting extra funding outside of what has been requested in your application. We strongly suggest that you apply for what you need rather than the maximum amount, as we will be assessing applications closely to ensure that your identified needs line up with the funding requested.
Is the video submission really necessary?
We encourage applicants to submit videos if they can, as it really helps bring their work to life, and enables us to better assess your application. But it is not a requirement to apply for this program, as we understand this could be challenging for some people. If you are able to provide a video submission, it’s absolutely fine to record this on a mobile phone.
What are some of the other benefits of being offered a grant?
Alongside the coaching programme, we will offer:
Capacity-building: Micro-grant recipients will have access to Roots training and workshops across our core program to boost their capacity around specific needs. These include our organizing, creative storytelling, resilience and wellbeing, and counter-disinformation training, as well as their affiliated communities of practice. We will also provide opportunities for recipients to take on leadership roles within these programs.
Community-building: Grantees will be integrated into the Climate Justice Camp network, and have the opportunity to attend camps in order to expand their connections with groups in relevant regions or who are working on similar initiatives.
Media and social media support: Grantees will be amplified through the Roots social media channels through storytelling opportunities, videos, and posts. We will also offer local media support to help amplify your initiative and your messages.