GivingTuesday will commit $250,000 in micro grants toward coaching and peer learning for leaders worldwide as part of its new Starling Collective to spur implementation of new ideas and grassroots action. Applications for the first cohort of participants opens today and will be accepted through Sept. 1. Participants will be announced in early October.
The Starling Collective started as a pilot during #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5. It’s designed to break down traditional barriers to resources and networks that often exclude underrepresented voices, leaders of color and grassroots movement builders. The program is open to organizations and individuals worldwide.
Priority consideration will go to applicants in the regions of greatest crisis or lowest resource and to those with particularly innovative ideas for inspiring generosity through projects or initiatives with potential to scale.
GivingTuesday aims to double the available funds through support from foundations and individuals by the end of 2020. The initial round of grants is expected to help at least 50 initiatives around the world, and will be awarded in amounts typically ranging between $2,500 and $7,500. Additional cohorts of the Starling Collective are expected to be offered in 2021.
To manage the program, GivingTuesday is expanding its team by adding global regional directors who will review and select applicants and also serve as mentors and coaches to participants. GivingTuesday’s Starling Collective regional directors include:
- João Paulo Vergueiro, CEO for the Brazilian Fundraisers Association (ABCR) and GivingTuesday Brazil country leader, will serve as regional director for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Brazil;
- Estefania Rodriguez, new venture consultant at Robotic Drums and GivingTuesday Uruguay country leader, will serve as regional director for Europe and South America;
- Catherine Mwendwa, research and stakeholder engagement at wasafiri and former GivingTuesday Kenya country leader, will serve as regional director for Africa; and,
- Cherisse Faith Beh, senior manager at Special Olympics Asia Pacific and former GivingTuesday Singapore leader, will serve as regional director for Asia Pacific.
A regional director for the United States and Canada will be announced later this month.
In the weeks after the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) was declared, GivingTuesday rallied a global network of leaders, partners, and individuals for #GivingTuesdayNow. More than $503 million in online donations were contributed in the U.S. alone on May 5, with activity in more than 145 countries.
In a pilot program to support on-the-ground campaigns for the event, GivingTuesday funded more than $170,000 in Starling Fund micro grants to empower its existing cohort of global leaders. This effort inspired and informed the creation of the more comprehensive Starling Collective.
“GivingTuesday creates a shared space where those who engage with it can see, and work to co-create, the radical implications of a more generous world,” said Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday. “We have an opportunity to create an inclusive, mutual learning network that drives grassroots generosity at a global scale. The Starling Collective will provide passionate leaders and movement builders with the tools to rapidly implement their ideas, and with the wisdom and support of one another,” she said.
To learn more and apply to be a part of the Starling Collective, visit https://givingtuesday.org/starling
