Spark MicroGrants aims to capitalize on the potential of local innovators by hosting contests in which community members propose their own solutions to social problems. We approaches communities and work with them to flesh out their ideas on how to address pressing social needs such as health, access to clean water, nutritious food and education. After selecting a winner, MicroGrants disburses a small grant (between $500 - $5000) to help the recipient realize her or his idea for a pilot period. By working entirely around the ideas of community members, MicroGrants ensures that it only funds interventions with support from those that it will impact. The goal of these contests is twofold: to find unique and context-appropriate interventions, and to enable the poor to become the driving force behind their own development.
Spark MicroGrants is a new initiative and we are currently working to create a streamlined process for MicroGranting that can thereafter be utilized to help solve problems around the world. Visit http://sparkmicrogrants.org to learn more and support a MicroGrant project!