Community Investments Grant Program

The NextWorldNow Community Investments (NWN) is now accepting grant applications to provide resources for projects defined by local leaders to improve the lives and well-being of the people in the community.

They invest in and support community development projects requiring modest capital. They fund projects that are owned by the local community, whose social impact and return on investment can be measured, and whose success can be sustained. In the spirit of innovation, they aim for a diverse "portfolio" of projects and geographies to spread creative solutions.

They work to discover and apply best practice social investment models on a small scale personal level. Their process invites ongoing direct connection with the sponsored community rather than an anonymous one-time donation. They believe it is possible to invest in projects that increase the wellbeing of communities while avoiding unintended harm. They operate with minimal overhead and a goal of funneling nearly 100% of grant resources to the intended community project.

This program is designed for individuals who share a view of a larger self, have decided that they have enough means to live comfortable lives, and want to share their resources with others in a creative and smart way.

Eligibility Criteria

• They invite communities with project ideas to submit their requests for funding.
• They welcome scale-able partnerships with other organizations on joint projects.

Review Criteria

NextWorldNow reviews applications and rates the proposal based on these factors:

• Feasibility – how realistic is the plan to meet its goals and gain success?
• Impact – how many people within a community benefit?
• Sustainability – are there other resources to keep the project going after an initial grant?
• Relevance – how important is the problem to the community?
• Creativity – how unique is the solution?
• Outcomes – how will success be measured?
• Strength – what is the level of commitment by the leaders to make this project work?
• Engagement – how involved is the greater community in determining and managing the project?
• Financial - how solid is the budget and business plan?