About the Seed Award
The Seed Award program is one of the ways The Sprout Fund supports innovative ideas and creative people that are making an impact in the Pittsburgh area. Sprout Seed Awards provide critical financial support for projects and programs in the early stages of development when just a small amount of investment has the potential to yield big results in the community. Awards range from $500 to $10,000 – the average award is $6,000.
By supporting many small projects, Sprout is seeding community change, energizing civic and cultural life, and catalyzing local solutions to global challenges. Learn more about funded Sprout projects.
Next Deadline
Friday, July 5, 2013 @ 5pm
How to Apply
The Sprout Seed Award Application is an opportunity for you to tell The Sprout Fund about your vision, goals, and plans for your community-driven initiative. The questions you are asked will help you structure your ideas and help us compare your application to others that are submitted.
Before preparing an application, be sure to read through the Seed Award Program Guidelines and Eligibility Information for Prospective Applicants to familiarize yourself with project criteria and eligibility requirements.
A complete application consists of three elements:
- Cover Sheet (page 1 of the Application Questions doc)
- Answers to the 10 Application Questions
- Required Attachments (Budget, Timeline, and References)
Download the Cover Sheet, Application Questions, and required Attachment Templates here:
- Download the Sprout Catalytic Funding Application Questions in MS Word format
- Download the Sprout Funding Application Budget Template in MS Excel format
- Download the Sprout Funding Application Timeline Template in MS Word format
- Download the Sprout Funding Application References Template in MS Word format
The preferred method for submitting your application is e-mail. Please send your application materials as attachments to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@ylppa by the application deadline.
You may also submit your application via postal mail or hand delivery to:
Seed Award Application
c/o The Sprout Fund
5423 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206
Seed Award Program Guidelines
Sprout Seed Awards provide catalytic funding to help transform ideas into reality by supporting the programmatic costs required to implement project activities and events in the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
Overview
Although each project is different, Seed Awards are generally made to support initiatives that include the following characteristics:
- Proposes an exciting new project, program, event, or organization
- Creates a sense of community through engagement with the public
- Requires resources to develop, test, and implement a pilot program
- Falls outside of traditional avenues of grant support
While The Sprout Fund welcomes requests for support that build upon previously successful community events and partnerships, applicants must demonstrate that the programmatic components funded by Sprout will be new, innovative, or otherwise creative and different from activities that have happened before.
Impact
The Seed Award program supports projects that are designed to:
- Raise awareness about innovative new community engagement projects, events, and activities
- Engage people in taking an active role in the civic life of their community
- Provide opportunities for motivated community members to assume leadership roles;
- Foster a network of support for projects working to similar ends in the community.
Eligibility & Decisionmaking
The Sprout Fund accepts applications from non-profit organizations, coalitions of organizations, community groups, and individuals. Please review Sprout’s complete eligibility requirements: http://www.sproutfund.org/apply/eligibility/
The Seed Award Advisory Committee reviews funding requests and makes recommendations to The Sprout Fund Board of Directors for awarding grants and other forms of support. The committee includes representatives of Pittsburgh’s community of innovators – emerging civic leaders, cultural workers, former managers of successful Seed Award projects, and experts in art, activism, and engagement.
Funding awards over $1,000 are decided by the Advisory Committee at regularly scheduled meetings. For applications requesting $1,000 or less, decisions are made by Sprout staff and decision-making can be expedited if requested.
Frequency
Applications for Seed Award are accepted on the first Friday of every odd-numbered month (January, March, May, July, September, and November). Decisions are typically announced six weeks later. Proposals requesting $1,000 or less are welcomed on an ongoing basis and will be considered upon receipt.
Support for Prospective Applicants
Sprout encourages prospective applicants to contact program staff in advance of preparing an application and take advantage of several support services available to prospective applicants.
Information sessions are hosted on the 2nd Friday of every month at noon at Sprout’s office at 5423 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh. Draft applications can be reviewed upon request up to one week prior to the deadline.
Make general inquiries or ask other applications questions via email to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@ylppa or by calling (412) 325-0646.