Our second round of Microgrants will be launching soon. The application period will be opened from June 1 - July 15, 2013.
Grants
The HCD Connect platform and the microgrant program are designed to catalyze new best practices to help ensure that people using human-centered design to tackle poverty-related challenges around the world are receiving direct input on their solutions.
The HCD Connect website and funding for these Microgrants is made possible thanks to a grant from the Agricultural Development group at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For this reason, the second cycle of Microgrants will again focus on projects using human-centered design towards agriculture-related projects.
In light of successes from our first round of Microgrants, we plan to make this second cycle even more method focused. So, brush up on your HCD Toolkit knowledge and start brainstorming which methods will be most applicable to your project!
Our judging panel will be made up of social sector, agriculture, and design experts well-versed in the power of human-centered design. Keep posted to find out who will be serving on the panel.
We will award HCD Connect Microgrants in the following two categories:
$5,000 Planning Grant: planning grants are for individuals or organizations initiating the human-centered design process as part of a particular project and requiring funding to conduct HCD "hear" or "create" research.
$10,000 Implementation Grant: implementation grants are designed for organizations that have experienced the human-centered design process and need funding to pilot or implement their project solutions.
Our 2012 HCD Connect Microgrant recipients
Anne-Marie Hendrickson (CTI) : Processing Chilli Peppers in Rural Ethiopia
Jacqueline Watts (URCSF): Providing Financial Services to Farmers in Uganda
Jeannette Rowland (Fabretto Children’s Foundation ): Redesigning Food Security and School Gardens in the Nicaraguan Context
Kevin Kung (Takachar/MIT): Turning Organic Waste into Energy Products for farmers in Kenya
Melissa Rohde (Stanford): Increaing Food Security in Water Scarce Rajasthan, India
Nancy Zamierowski and Michael Kuntz: Searching for Approaches to Conservation and Economic Development in Peru
Nitin Sidodia: Increasing Value of Farm Produce for Farmers in Central India
Linda Kwamboka (MFarm Limited): Using Mobile Technology to Create Market for African Small-Scale Farmers
