Our Blog
The stories behind the grants
Brian Vegah Viyof, Pass Over The Seed (POTS) Project, Bamenda, Cameroon
We want to appreciate your support and it is thanks to your funding that mushroom cultivation has been introduced in the SW region - Buea to be precised and it is thanks to your funding that we had to sign partnership and mentor students at the Pan African Institute...
Beatrice Nyambura Wahu, Twashukuru Eco Friendly School, Lamu Island, Kenya
We are serving the poorest families in Lamu and it makes our heart swell with pride to know that we can offer their children a free education in a bright, colorful, and inspirational setting. We strive to provide quality education focusing on the arts, the...
Doree Collins, Kids R.E.A.D., Temple, TX, USA
The grant made a difference to me on a personal level because it encouraged me in knowing that I am receiving support from others who are like minded and want to see great things happen. As I see others making a difference with the pollination project I am motivated...
Melanie Gilbert, Street Mutts, Nicaragua
On a personal level, our grant from The Pollination Project meant so much more than "just" receiving funding for our first international partnership. It meant that there was an organization out there who could see value in the work we are doing and was willing to take...
Lynn Douglas, The Visionary Institute Summer Camp for Girls, Greensboro, NC, USA
Our program serves underserved populations of students (most attend Title-I high schools) that would not otherwise have the opportunity to receive college preparation at no cost to them. Two of our main goals for this program was assist the girls in creating a...
Nora Ramirez, Oaxaqueño Youth Encuentro, SCICON – Tulare County, CA
With the support of the TPP, the organizing committee was able to invite a larger number of youths to the conference. This grant allowed us to invite youths from other regions that never before have been invited. Providing a safe space were youths can come together to...
Carly Wilson, Rubber Jellyfish – The movie, Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast, Australia
Receiving a seed grant from the Pollination Project made me realise in a deeper way than I had before that there are people out there who believe in what I am doing and want to support me. Film making can be a lonely exercise. A lot of time is spent behind a computer,...
Priscilla Umutashya Ruzibuka, Ki-pepeo kids clothing, Kigali, Rwanda
The $1000 grant from the pollination project was entirely used to buy high quality fabric and purchasing a finishing machine. To me the grant added my confidence knowing that people and organizations like The Pollination Project are ready to support young...
Volunteer Empowerment
Explore how our mindset and approach impact the recruitment, structure and sustainability of our volunteer programs with Nicole Huguenin. Read over peer grantees comments, questions, and presenters answers here.
Vasanthi Kumar, Compassionate Classrooms, New Delhi, India
The Pollination Project grant has been one of the most encouraging things that has happened to my project "Compassionate Classrooms" in India. It was my first seed grant and I shall always remember it with warmth. Meeting Ariel Nessel, the founder of TPP, at the Pune...
Mariia Kalashnik, The Strawberry Project, Nógrád, Nagylóc, Hungary
The grant made an great impact on me and my work as well as on the team of local and international volunteers who were involved in the project. At first it gave the empowerment, and the feeling of the importance of what we are doing. At second it united many people...
Harriet Kamashanyu, Rhythm of Life, Kampala, Uganda
The work that has been accomplished in this project has given us many learning lessons to take on while scaling up. It has also leveraged partners that we can continue working with on this same project though in other locations and other beneficiaries.
Kasolo Sheilla Elizabeth, Charity Initiative Eastern Region Book Drive, Bulandya, Uganda
The grant has allowed us to reach out and provide the much needed support to the Bulundhya Community in Kaliro. Being able to see the joy and positive feed back from the community on opening of the library has encouraged us to work harder and set up many more of these...
Tzirou Georgia, Permaculture garden, Neapoli, Lesvos, Greece
We worked all together, refugees, locals and volunteers and this created strong bonds between of us. The sense of community was created and this effected the whole life in the camp. Especially for the refugees, residents of the camp, the project helped a lot to be...
Leslie Mestman, Off the Sideline Outreach Support, Portland, OR, USA
It is so hard to be a start-up organization. Every dollar is gained through hours of effort. Pollination Project came through as one of our very first funders. Not only did this grant provide money to assist in our outreach efforts, it represented a belief in us as an...
Micheal Ssemwogerere, Making Ethanol Fuel and Cookers in Communities, Kalanga Islands, Uganda
The grant offered us the opportunity to acquire new machines and begin on the new journey of accelerating the manufacturing, selling and distributing Stoves and ethanol. Every big dream begins small, the grant has helped us to begin on our big dream by starting small....
Shawna Weaver, 310 Miles Project, Duluth, MN,USA
Receiving this grant helped me know that this project is important on a local level, in Duluth Minnesota, but also on a national level. I know what we do here effects the water of millions of people, and I know that as a community we need empowerment to be our best...
Christy Evers, Everybody Eats: Community Food and Pollinator Gardens, New Jersey, USA
This grant gave me the confidence to organize volunteers and plant gardens in land that I did not have access to before. The food garden grew at least 60 pounds of vegetables and herbs in only a 10' x 10' space. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to work with this...
Cultivating the Longer View by Focusing on the Present Moment
I’ve rolled my eyes at the idea of being happy. With so much suffering on this earth, shouldn’t we be more concerned about leading lives that are meaningful and that contribute to the greater good than leading lives that are happy?
Chelsey Everest, The Writing Sangha, Philadelphia, USA
The Writing Sangha is based on community-building, and I realized the workshop itself needed to live in a physical space suited for the kind of powerful healing work it was designed to promote. The more I looked for this space, and the more I talked about the...
Joseph Knight, StandUP, Cambridge, UK
Often it is hard to see how your actions are helping achieve social justice, however the grant made us feel that our work is valued and makes a difference. It gave us fresh energy to expand and grow the realms of youth advocacy and we discovered a force within...
Rory Townsley, Fresh Food And Veggies For The Community Of Imperial Beach, Jamul, CA, USA
Thank you with all my heart to The Pollination Project for providing me a grant which will be used to expand my garden to provide fresh food to the community of Imperial Beach. How amazing you are and seeing all the other projects people have done with the grants...
Ivy Nyawira Wahito, Using IT for Sexual and Reproductive Rights awareness, Machakos, Kenya
On a personal level, the grant has enabled us to take the lead and be bold enough to explore opportunities and territories we feel that are not meant for us. To break barriers and cycles that continue viewing women as second class citizens and to take advantage of any...
Apio Josephine, Mushroom growing and Peanut butter Machine for the elderly, Tororo, Uganda
In most cases we have ideas but we are limited by resource to achieve our goals. It takes personal commitment to take a step and do something. Teamwork, record keeping, willingness, integrity, transparency, monitoring and evaluation can determine our success to our...
Murthy Kantimahanti, Community-based Conservation of King Cobras in the Eastern Ghats of South India, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Snakes have always been largely misunderstood and neglected animals in India. Getting support from the Pollination Project to initiate community-based conservation of king cobras in a largely underappreciated landscape like the Eastern Ghats made a huge difference to...
Keagan Anfuso, The Grey Area, Jacksonville, FL, USA
As the director and main subject of the film, this project is deeply personal and passionate for me. I knew going into this project that it was going to require an immense amount of resilience in response to rejection when reaching out for support which I have...




















