Our Blog
The stories behind the grants
Kansiime Honest Nurtures the Leaders of Tomorrow with Girls to Lead Africa Program
For Kansiime Honest, her life-changing moment was when the Ugandan government passed a policy for universal education.
1,000 Grant Applications and Counting: TPP’s Rock-Star Grant Advisor, Jennie Kay
Jennie Kay isn’t the type of person to give herself props. Here at The Pollination Project, however, we know she deserves them–big time.
The Smithsonian and the Statue: How Sophia Hanson’s “Amazing Women’s Edition Contest” Catapulted Five Young Authors to Success
When Sophia Hanson co-founded the Pennsylvania-based National Youth Foundation, which hosts the only national book contest for kids writing and illustrating books, she could have never imagined…
“My Strength Comes from the Women”: Jenny Nuccio Changes the Lives of Women in Kenya through the Imani Collective
For my women to go from being illiterate to drawing a straight line to creating a finished tote–I remembered their faces. They were so proud of themselves for finishing something…My strength comes from the women…
Individual Ideas Influence Widespread Aspirations
All of our individual life experiences bring special insight and perspectives for how we see the world, and how we add towards collective expansion. The solutions and ideas that TPP grantees bring to their communities are endless and their unique experiences allow for...
“Sport has the power to transform lives”: David Mulo changes the lives of Kenya’s youth through sports and leadership training
“They were my role models, I wanted to become like them, they were the gateway to my life path of sport for social impact. Sport kept me from becoming involved with drugs, alcohol and crime, it gave me a vision towards a better future…” These words from David Mulo...
TPP News Update: Greg Acuna of Planet Earthlings Delivers Tedx Talk in Panaji
One age-old idea that Acuna challenges is that the teaching of kindness must be serious and sacred, and therefore cannot be taught through the use of games. What Acuna has found, though, is that this is absolutely not the case.
“Bridging the Gap”: Eric Chiaga’s Quest to Address Poverty in Cameroon through Sustainable Farming
As a result of his difficult childhood experience, Eric Chiaga had to help take care of his home and siblings and put himself through school. This inspired in him a deep calling to help others in his community escape his family’s fate.
Getting to “Yes”: Top 5 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Receiving Funding from The Pollination Project
Here are Tara Matthews’ Top 5 tips to increase your chances of receiving funding—and getting to that all-important “yes”
Back to Basics
Finding solutions that impact the world, local communities, and us as individuals can initially seem crushingly overwhelming. However, TPP grantees prove that change begins with simply going back to the basics. They use the Earth’s natural resources to allow people to...
“Seeds Are the Foundation of Life”: Five Questions with Soledad Saburido Álvarez, founder of Somos Semilla Seed Library in Mexico
The first time we received the TPP grant in 2015, we carried out programming based as a Mobile Seed Library, and we were able to reach rural communities … especially among groups of women who are running small community gardens. This was our most important jump to be recognized by our community, and we started to believe in our dream.
“It’s time to stop limiting women’s potential”: Selassie Tay takes on training women to be independent in Ghana
For Selassie, the sight of Grace’s dilapidated house and weary expression was not unfamiliar—as the son of a single mother and brother to two sisters, Selassie knew the heartbreak of this situation well. From his experience with his mother, he also sensed that, despite the bleakness of Grace’s situation, that she wanted—and was capable of—more.
Collective Rising
TPP grantees always connect youth to the programs, projects and visions they hold for a better world. In order for change to last, we must provide alternative perspectives and resources to youth who will grow up believing in themselves, their communities and their...
“Sharing Common Problems”: Uplifting Women Through Economic Empowerment and Education in East Africa
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change,...
Funding Dreams and Empowering the Impoverished in Kenya’s Capital City
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change, TPP and...
“Ensuring That No Woman Is Computer Illiterate”: The Story of Kenyan Women Accomplishing More Than They Ever Thought Possible
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change, TPP and...
Finding Connection in Kikuji: How One Woman Helped Struggling Women Become Business Owners
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change, TPP and...
Five Questions with Peter J. Harris, TPP Grantee & Founder of the Black Man of Happiness Project
I wanted to inspire viewers to see the humanity and vitality of the men. I wanted viewers to join me on my exploration of African American life and history from a refreshing, life-affirming new angle: through the lens of happiness of the men whose survival, let alone joy, has never been a national priority.
Building “Humanity and Brotherhood”: Strengthening Economic Empowerment in East Africa
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change, TPP and...
Grantee News Update: “I don’t want to wait until I’m older”: Ananya Singh Keeps “Greening Forward” Moving
Recently appointed the new CEO of Greening Forward—a NY-based youth environmental sustainability training program—Ananya Singh, 16, represents the socially conscious, modern-day teen: accomplished, ambitious, and ready to change the world.
Celebrating Change
Breakthroughs and transformation can occur independently, but with a united community these transformations are firmly rooted for infinite progression. People need help and guidance throughout the world, and TPP grantees not only provide assistance, but also celebrate...
First Steps: Securing a More Environmentally Sustainable Future for East Africa
A part of the East Africa Leadership Program Series This year, TPP entered a new stage of its East Africa programming. Focusing specifically on grantmaking to burgeoning community leaders in Kenya and Uganda who have the potential to make real, lasting change, TPP and...
News Update: Jo-Anne McArthur’s New “We Animals Media” Website Takes a Journalistic Approach to Telling the Stories of Animals
Today, after years of documenting the plight of animals on all seven continents and authoring two books, McArthur continues to ask the tough questions about how we, as humans, relate to animals through her new venture, We Animals Media.
Elizabeth Agnello and Her “Brave Little Fighters” Know What a Heaven’s For
Elizabeth Agnello couldn’t help but get emotional. She had just received an unexpected check for $2,500 from a local who, despite not having an ill child of his own, believed in the mission of her Buffalo, NY-based non-profit, Brave Little Fighters (BLF).
Believing in People
Believing in people is foundational for us at The Pollination Project. We believe everyone is extraordinary and equipped to build a world of greater compassion, goodness and kindness, in their own unique way.
Shared Confidence
The desire to generate change can not be completed without the boundless trust in others and most importantly, the trust within yourself. TPP grantees hold confidence in their vision and travel through the process of discovery one step at a time. In a world where...
Two TPP Grantees “Go Upstream” to Clean Up Cameroon
Ada Acobta and Linus Ayangwoh Embe both had the goal to clean the ocean of plastic waste. Both of them developed stunningly inventive projects to achieve that goal. Both of them submitted an application for a TPP grant. Both of them live in Cameroon—Ada a mere 26 miles upstream from Linus. Yet, neither of them knew the other existed.
Protecting Our Future Through Present Action
These projects, organizations and intimate communities are radical acts towards redefining old stagnant beliefs, supplying fresh perspectives and spreading uplifting ideas with actionable ways to make a difference.
Ayama Godlove Yuh, Restoring Hope And Creating Sustainable Livelihood Opportunity, Cameroon
The TPP seed grant award for our prison outreach project gave me and my team of volunteers greater motivation for our work and the much needed encouragement for more commitment and dedication toward sharing love and improving the lives of prisoners in Cameroon.Through...
Movies, Personality Tests, and Discovering Our “Why”: A TPP Team Retreat
I want to know what everyone’s favorite movie is,” James West, our Director of Programs, said during lunch on the first day of our recent three-day retreat to Banyan Grove, a Service Space-managed center dedicated to cultivating inner transformation and compassion in Forest Knolls, CA.