About Sprout Seed Awards
The Seed Award program is one of the ways The Sprout Fund supports innovative ideas and creative people that are making an impact in Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania.
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. Project applications are accepted from individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and collaborative groups. Awards range from $500 to $10,000.
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.
How to Apply
Upcoming Deadlines
Friday, July 6th, 2012 @ 5pm: Allegheny County applications due
Decisions on Seed Award applications take 6-8 weeks to make
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
- Answers to the 10 Application Questions
- Required Attachments for Budget, Timeline, and References
Download the Cover Sheet, Application Questions, and required Attachment Templates here:
- Download the 2012 Seed Award Cover Sheet and 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
- Download the Complete Seed Award Application materials packet as a single PDF file
The preferred method for submitting your application is e-mail. Please send your application materials as attachments to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@drawadees by the application deadline.
You may also submit your application via postal mail or hand delivery to:
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 Allegheny, Fayette, and Greene counties.
Sprout accepts applications from individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and collaborative groups.
The Sprout Fund welcomes potential applicants to the Seed Award program with consideration of the following criteria:
Purpose
Although each project is different, 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 conventional funding formula, grant size, and/or cycle
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.
Size
Seed Awards are made in amounts of $500 to $10,000 in Allegheny County, $500 to $5,000 in Fayette & Greene Counties.
Decision-Making
Funding awards over $1,000 are decided by a community-representative Advisory Committee at regularly scheduled meetings. Applications typically take 6 weeks to review before funding decisions are announced.
For applications requesting $1,000 or less in Allegheny County, decisions are made by Sprout staff and decision-making can be expedited if requested.
Frequency
For 2012 in Allegheny County, applications are accepted on the first Friday of May, July, September, and November.
For 2012 in Fayette and Greene Counties there are no current opportunities at this time.
Limitations
The Seed Award program concentrates its efforts and resources on community engagement projects that fall outside the realm of other traditional avenues of support. Given this focus, Sprout Seed Award generally is unable to consider requests for the following types of projects:
- Small business development or venture capital
- Traditional health & human services programming
- Youth (ages birth-17) programming
- Sponsorship or underwriting
- Unstipulated operating support
- Loans
Sprout funding should be predominately used in ways that will directly serve the programmatic ends of the project. Administrative and other non-programmatic expenses will be supported but should not constitute a significant portion of the budget request. In particular, the use of Sprout funding for indirect administrative costs, also termed overhead, cannot exceed 10% of the total award amount requested.
The Sprout Fund does not provide funding to start a business or offer operational support to for-profit entities.
Application Assistance and Development
Seed Award offers many opportunities for potential applicants to engage with The Sprout Fund’s extensive network of support.
Seed Award Workshops
Sprout holds informational workshops on Fridays at noon, with some exceptions. Come learn more about Sprout’s funding opportunities, navigating the application process, and strategies for developing successful projects. The workshops are held from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm at Sprout’s offices at 5423 Penn Avenue in Garfield/Friendship.
Next Seed Award Workshop: Friday, June 8, 2012
To attend, please RSVP via email to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@drawadees or call (412) 325-0646.
Draft Application Reviews
A Sprout Fund staff member can review a draft application before the deadline to help refine the best proposal for the idea. Individual meetings can also be scheduled with Sprout staff.
Next Draft Application Submission Deadline: Friday, June 29, 2012
Submit your draft application via email to gro.dnuftuorpsnull@stfard.
Mentorship Program
The Sprout Fund enhances the quality of project activities, protects investments in the community, and builds the capacity of project managers through the Seed Award mentorship program. The Sprout Fund’s mentorship network includes Board & Committee members, past Seed Award project managers, and community experts who can provide funded projects with leadership development opportunities, implementation assistance, and connections to a diverse network of professional resources.