SPECIAL PROJECTS
U.S. EMBASSY MICRO GRANTS COMPETITION
BACKGROUND & RATIONALE
Social impact projects are of various kinds, some need a lot of resources but often they need a pilot grant to initiate change. Several of these social impact projects are rooted in the local communities and therefore produce higher impact with lesser resource. This project is run in collaboration with the U.S Embassy Consulate in India, the Alumni Micro Grants Project aims to promote positive change in Indian society through social impact projects of micro-and macro-scale in fields as diverse as entrepreneurship, education, environment, youth empowerment, and women’s empowerment. Through these small grants to individual and group projects, we want to create a space of collaboration, co-learning and cross-learning.
SELECTION AND REVIEW OF GRANT APPLICATION
MACRO AND MICRO SCALE PROJECTS
IMPACT AND OUTREACH ASSESSMENT
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In 2019-2020, 100 applications were received from around the country, which resulted in 19 selected micro and macro-scale projects being shortlisted. These were focused on issues around the environment, sustainability, gender, tolerance and inclusion, entrepreneurship and women empowerment. In 2021-22, we received 83 applications across the themes of strengthening Democracy and Human Rights, A Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Combating Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Global Health Security and Media Literacy and Countering Disinformation. We have selected 25 powerful grassroots projects being implemented across 15 states in the country currently.
PROGRAM OUTREACH
Applications
Projects
State
People Engaged
PROGRAM VIDEO
Get Involved
We are always looking for young and enthusiastic minds that can help us create the change along with being the change. Whatever your passion, we always have opportunities for you along with endless cups of Chai!
SOME OF OUR
TESTIMONIALS
"It is high time to create awareness among people on the side effects of using excessive quantity of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the judicious use of resources through green audit and Green protocol. This grant helped us move closer to safe and sustainable farming."
Dr. Mary Venus Joseph
Kerala
"The collaboration with Swechha and the embassy ensured that up-skilling workshops for the LGBTQ+ community and sensitization drives for the society could be carried out."
Meera Parida
Odhisha
"Some of the important issues that
need to be highlighted to bring awareness for better living and financial management by women such as their rights, incentives and healthcare are what we worked on by using this grant that we secured."
Dr. Gayad Singh Inda
Rajasthan