Sparkplug Foundation

The Sparkplug Foundation is a family foundation that funds start-up organizations and new projects of established organizations in music, education, and community organizing. It aims to support the development of emerging democratic movements and communities working on issues of local democracy, justice, and sustainable energy in the rebuilding of the U.S. and global economies.

Specifically, the Foundation funds projects in three areas:

• Community organizing: The Foundation aims to support communities to address institutional injustices and to build a just society. Note that a community organizing project is originated by and from the community itself.
• Education and teaching: The Foundation aims to: 1) Support projects that deal with “the whole student” and with learning as a community activity; 2) Support projects that reach a lot of people or a whole community and that can make a big difference in people’s lives; 3) Fund community-based education as empowerment; and 4) Fund efforts by teachers to improve the education system by organizing and networking themselves.
• Music: The Foundation supports the development of music by helping to launch new voices and ideas. Generally, this means it funds emerging professional musicians or music-development programs.

Amount: Grants generally range from $7,500-$15,000.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status or organizations or individuals with a fiscal sponsor with this status. University-based projects, schools, and organizations must have budgets less than $1,000,000.

Link: https://sparkplugfoundation.org/content/how-apply

Note: The October 8, 2019 deadline is for answers to mandatory preliminary questions. If the potential applicant is deemed eligible, a Letter of Intent must be submitted by October 15, 2019, with full applications due November 4, 2019.

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