Our Blog
The stories behind the grants
Ask A Donor Panel
The Pollination Project Donors answer common questions from grantees. Read over peer grantees comments, questions, and presenters answers here.
Renee Gardiner, Growing Change, Fremantle, Australia
The TPP was the first grant I ever received when starting Growing Change. It gave me hope and encouragement for the future of our organisation, and kick started the journey and current success of our social enterprise.
Strategic Visioning
An overview of strategic visioning with Julian Mocine-Mcqueen. Read over peer grantees comments, questions, and presenters answers here.
Purity Wanjohi, Mazingira Safi Initiative: Community Based Litter Management System, Nairobi, Kenya
The TPP grant was the first grant I had ever applied for and to have it approved for funding showed me that other people do believe in my idea and it was worth working hard for. As a result, I have been applying for grants where I can because I have faith in my work....
Fundraising Basics
Fundraising strategies and tools with Marianne Manilov. Read over peer grantees comments, questions, and presenters answers here.
Thomas Ponce, Lobby for Animals, New York, New York
When you receive a grant from The Pollination Project you become part of a community, an extended family, and the support they give beyond the monetary award, means more to me than I could ever express. Their continued support is like having your very own personal...
Shelly Dusic, Vandalia-Con, Parkersburg, West Virginia
Getting this grant and the recognition that comes with it, gave credibility to what I thought was once just an impossible dream. Not only did this grant help me to tilt with the windmills, but it allowed me to open doors, of communication, of friendship, of...
Zachary Lager, Access to Water and Community Reforestation Project, Nguineia, Mozambique
Often times the most difficult part of starting or building a project is the getting over the feeling of being powerless to affect change. Apart from the direct financial support that the Pollination Project has given me, the TPP impact grant represented a larger...
David Omondi, Girls for Girls Digital Skills Project, Kisumu, Kenya
TPP is amazing and what really stands out for me is how much you value grantees and see them as collaborators that you can work with at the eye level, without making us feel inferior or incapable. Whether it is the 10 year old Kirsten Chavis or the 63 year old...
Carin Steen Community Mural Chimachoy, Chimachoy, Chimaltenango, Guatemala
The TPP grant was the kick-off for this community mural, the biggest I’ve done so far. Once I was rewarded the grant, there was no way back and I had find the other $1500 necessary to complete the project. The fact that I already had the TPP grant made this easier and...
Lindsey and Nicholas Jarrett, Strings for Uganda, Kajjansi, Uganda
We took a huge leap of faith when we started this program in 2013. A leap that most people only dream about, but take little action in making it a reality. With that leap of faith we have learned that we are not alone. There are people out there, such as you at TPP,...
Sean Russell, Stow it Don’t Throw It, Florida
Your support of this project has been critical to its continued growth over the past year, and my ability to train new student leaders to drive and expand this effort in regions across Florida and the country. The application and reporting process was very well...
Wendy Baker, Garden to Grinds Community Outreach Project, Pahoa, Hawaii
This grant was a vital component in continuing my work with Garden to Grinds in this community. Previously, I had limited success with donated items, operated without a budget, nor had I been awarded any grants. Tired of forging this difficult path on my own, I was at...
Moses Seenarine, Meat Climate Change, Long Beach, California
The granting of this award by The Pollination Project arrived at a most critical time in my life and for my project. As my first ever award, it was instrumental in many ways. First of all, The Pollination Project award gave me the funds and validation I desperately...
Budgeting Basics
Budgeting Basics with Alissa Hauser, The Pollination Project and Precious Stroud of BlackFeamleProject.org.
Seeding Change in Kisumu, Kenya
It is 9 pm in Kenya, my phone rings and it is Franciska on the other end. She is one of the recipients of the 'flow fund' grants that I made through the Pollination Project's East Africa Hub. She asks how I am and proceeds to inform me that she is away for 3 days...
Born Barefoot
The Summer Olympics are in full swing. American swimmers & gymnasts, Jamaican runners, and Irish rowers have all won gold. Eyes will be fixated on Rio until August 21st. The Olympic opening ceremonies were spectacular; could be the best ever. Of all the highlights...
Dave Wylie Khanyisani, Through Music our Communities Grow Stronger, Kwabombo, South Africa
Our dreams, goals and aspirations are really easy to have on a piece of paper. It is an entirely different situation when these three fundamentals are shared by someone you have never met before. On a personal level we have gained invaluable confidence through TPP...
One Heart at a Time
Jude Thaddeus Njikem is an advocate for women in Cameroon. He is an educator and activist who works to end violence against women in his country, and bring about conditions of equality for women.
Learning From Leaders: Reflections on Working in Post-Earthquake Nepal
On April 25th, 2015, the worst disaster to strike Nepal in over 80 years came as an earthquake. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake lasted nearly a minute and its magnitude was even felt in surrounding China and India. Over 8,000 people were killed,...
Crowdfunding Overview
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Precious Stroud, Black Female Project, Berkeley, California
When it gets hard, I am reminded that TPP believed in us and I have to keep going. When I consider the financial burden and labor of love that the BlackFemaleProject has become, I am reassured by the demonstration of support from organizations like TPP. I know that...
Yash and Sachi Maniar, Shunya Alternatives, Mumbai, India
What we love most about the pollination project was how aligned it is to our values. It’s hard to find support of people who believe in your idea when you are starting out. Most people we spoke to in India were quite pessimistic about our idealistic dream of replacing...
David Omondi, An Advocate for Girls in Kenya
Born and raised in a Western Kenyan slum, grantee David Omondi knows first-hand what it’s like growing malnourished, how it feels living in a single room with his whole family, and the difficulties of trying focus on completing school work in a crowded and often...
Made with a Dash of Love Always
Shari Jones is a bright young lady with a good head on her shoulders and a passion for giving back to young children in her community. She is committed to her two young girls, and making sure they get their needs met, which motivates her to help other young girls in...
Amanda Bernal Carlo, One Million Trees to Rescue Water of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Pueblo Bello, Cesear, Colombia
The TPP grant offered strong emotional support and hope to the community of indigenous women of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), to The Great Balance (TGB), to the Bunchanawin Indigenous Women’s Center and to myself as the coordinator of the project. You were...
Hayu Dyah: Back to the Roots – Community Health in Indonesia
Beginning in the 1970s, Hayu’s home country of Indonesia experienced great interest from multinational food producers. These firms sought to drastically increase food yields so they could supply a burgeoning global market. For example, genetically modified seeds for rice, known as I8 rice, were one of the experimental mechanisms that began during this time that led to 30% more rice yields.
Keeping Girls in School: Meet Lila Kiwelu and Mdada
How does a seed grant grow and sprout into sustainable, and fruitful impact? Travel with us to Kenya, where a lot of young girls are missing days, or months of school because they cannot afford it. Grantee Lila Kiwelu and her project Mdada, strives to keep girls in...
Abby Hylton, Queer Youth Circus, North Carolina
When I first talked about this idea many people told me was far-fetched, didn't make sense logistically, and would be too expensive. When I received the grant, the support that I got was not just financial. The award made me feel like others believed in my idea and...
Introducing Our Hub Team – Suzan Joy
Suzan Wilmot grew up straddling the line between poverty and privilege, a foot in each world as her father struggled to raise her single handedly while doing odd jobs for wealthier families. These contrasting experiences gave her the chance to determine what is truly meaningful in life. The history we go through shapes our future and determine what we can become in life, and Suzan didn’t let this situation stop her dreams.