[Osmf-talk] OSM Foundation’s Call for Microgrant Applications

Fri May 1 02:16:02 UTC 2020

In case you missed this announcement, I'm reposting it on talk and
osmf-talk mailing list. Please repost on your local mailing lists.

2020 will be the first year that the OSM Foundation operates the new
microgrants project. In the coming weeks, we hope to hear from you about a
bold, community-driven, and impactive OpenStreetMap project idea that will
benefit from a microgrant of up to 5000 euros. We welcome a broad range of
projects, with the minimum requirement being a clear connection to
OpenStreetMap.

What is a microgrant <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microgrant>? In our
case, it is a modest amount of funds awarded to applicants in order to fund
direct expenses of a project. For an idea of successful projects, you can
take a look at the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team’s 2019 microgrant
awardees
<https://www.hotosm.org/updates/eight-new-communities-selected-for-2019-hot-microgrants/>.
Keep in mind that the OSMF has a wider focus than the humanitarian sector,
spanning our global community, and welcomes applications with any focus
that relates to OpenStreetMap. We particularly encourage applicants to
consider the core values from the OSMF’s mission statement
<https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Mission_Statement>and how any
microgrant work can incorporate them.

The OSMF Microgrant Program focuses on simple grant proposals, and we will
swiftly decide on what to fund. Our goal is to avoid a complicated and long
application and decision process. You should submit a brief and concise
proposal, and we plan to quickly announce the awardees.

We encourage submissions from individuals, groups, and organizations who
have a clear idea they want to pursue. Each project should be completed
within 12 months of the microgrant being awarded this spring. Microgrants
are open to all OSMF members, and can be submitted in any language. If you
are not yet a member of OSMF then you can apply to join
<https://join.osmfoundation.org/> up until the time you submit a microgrant
application, and be eligible for an award. Please note there is a fee
waiver program that may allow you to join the OSMF at no cost.

In light of the ongoing health crisis regarding COVID19, we will not be
awarding microgrants for projects which require offline group gatherings
and in person meetings, although these ideas are certainly valuable for
future rounds.

Funding can be used for a variety of purposes. You may need tools and
supplies for mapping activity, funds for training materials, technology
expenses for a series of virtual mapathons, prizes for an online coding,
mapping, or writing contest, and many more examples. Please embrace your
own creativity and not feel limited by the range of examples.

We encourage you to consult with your local OpenStreetMap community when
planning a microgrant application, and make sure you adhere to community
guidelines in the scope of the project. If accepted for a microgrant, you
will be responsible for reporting progress, signing a grant agreement, and
making sure to follow the detailed microgrant rules
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Microgrants/Microgrants_2020>. It is
strongly suggested that your project uses the funding to enable volunteer
work to have a wider and stronger impact than it would without funding.

The call for microgrants will open on April 19th, 2020 and we will continue
to accept applications through May 10th, 2020. In order to submit,  visit
the OSM Wiki page
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Microgrants/Microgrants_2020> and
click on “Start your application”
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Microgrants/Microgrants_2020#Start_your_application>
to enter the template. When this is complete, send a message to microgrants
at osmfoundation.org. We also encourage sharing your application on
osmf-talk when it is submitted. If you need help with the submission
process, please feel free to contact the Microgrants Committee for help. If
you don’t have enough time to prepare your plan and application, please
consider submitting it in a possible future round of microgrants.

Once the submission period closes on May 10th, we invite the community to
review the complete list of submissions and provide feedback on the wiki
page. We also will accept feedback by email to microgrants at
osmfoundation.org and via osmf-talk.

Complete timeline:

   -

   April 19: call for microgrant applications opens
   -

   May 10: final date for submission (23:59 Pacific Time Zone, USA).
   -

   May 10-TBD: community feedback period
   -

   Late May: announcement of awards

For more details, see the complete rules and guidelines on the OSM wiki
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Microgrants/Microgrants_2020> and
contact us at microgrants at osmfoundation.org with any questions. This is
the first time the OSMF is sponsoring such an activity, and we look forward
to learning together about how this benefits our community and how to build
a transparent, effective, and inclusive microgrants program for everyone
involved. We are grateful for the opportunity to make funds available to
the community and hope to hear your ideas in the coming weeks.

Clifford

Member of the OSMF Microgrants Committee

-- 
@osm_washington
www.snowandsnow.us
OpenStreetMap: Maps with a human touch
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