It is a commonly held myth that when disaster strikes, those impacted are paralyzed by shock and helplessness. Social psychologists have studied this across all types of disasters and found that the exact opposite is true. The first responders in disaster are rarely ever professionals working in an official capacity. In most cases, they are survivors themselves.
One thing is clear — while we all feel the impact of COVID-19, we aren’t experiencing it the same way. Social distancing, shelter in place, and strict attention to hygiene are the dominant refrains here in the United States, and many are struggling with the isolation and abnormality of these measures. Yet in many parts of the world, these guidelines are an unattainable luxury, impossible to conceptualize in the context of crowded urban slums, refugee camps, and impoverished cities with little access to running water.
TPP changemakers have the ability to pivot and prioritize the immediate need of their communities, families, and the world. This week’s grantees have all stepped forward to ensure their neighbors are safe and have access to vital resources during the COVID-19 crisis....
As we grapple with Earth’s ferocity through the coronavirus, she reminds us that we don’t own her. Instead, as James Perkinson, a long-time activist, educator, and poet, and one of my mentors, said, we belong to her. I add that we are her…
TPP grantees are attached to the fundamentals that will grow their communities and nourish the qualities that need to emerge within every individual. They implement social sustainability by honoring the planet, expanding access to technical resources, promoting...
Our community of changemakers means everything to us–we exist to support it, to support you. Our goals have been and always will be the same: to uplift and empower individuals to create change for a more compassionate world. So when our community undergoes hardship, we take it very seriously, and we want to make sure that no member of our community feels alone. Our team is here to listen, provide guidance, and encourage you as our world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak.
TPP grantees demonstrate and capture the beauty of placing matters into the hands of the community and how to reconfigure present and future moments with the resources and opportunities that currently exist. Taking charge of the current moment is how to create future...
The TPP Grant was a seed for me to start my journey; it turned my dreams into a real sense of work that I was passionate about. It changed my life because I have created a large network of people I work with and the society I serve.”
Art has its own unique and special way of spreading self expression and magnifying the voices of communities around the world. TPP grantees incorporate all forms of art and encourage individuals to create with their mind, body and spirit. Whether it is a workshop to...
…the real problem lies somewhere else: how to make sure that people who care about social change do not retreat because they fear failure and do not quit because they are convinced that they are not good enough…
Change begins with having a dream or an idea. It is accomplished with leadership, determination and a loyal community that is eager to join the movement. The grantee projects below demonstrate what occurs when someone becomes proactive about their curiosity and...
The TPP grantees featured below are dedicated to helping women and children explore and succeed on a path towards economic and emotional stability, and detach from the perception of displacement. There is never only one individual who is experiencing a life challenge...
The Canary Fund, in partnership with The Pollination Project, has awarded its first grants, and we at TPP are so thrilled by the heart and intention that went into choosing these remarkable grantees.
TPP provided a grant to NCCASP in publishing a groundbreaking article that brings light to this gap in the U.S. criminal code. NCCASP was able to document the gap within state criminal codes and publish a groundbreaking article in Journel of Child and Youth Review in 2019. This report educates legislatures on the issue for the purpose of updating state criminal codes to close loopholes in child torture cases.
There are infinite issues and concerns in the world that seem crushingly overwhelming to tackle and transform. TPP grantees use this as an opportunity to implement local change and include others in the mission to solve global hardships without the burden or pressure....
This video is the latest in The Pollination Project’s “Profiles in Compassion” video series and beautifully illustrates how a small initial seed grant from TPP provided Mulo the belief he needed to launch an organization that has since reached more than 4,000 children in Kenya.
Before being introduced by TPP’s Grantee Community and Special Program Developer, Selene Gonzalez-Carrillo, TPP grantees Nina Magpili-Smith and Becky Suzik, both working in North Carolina, didn’t know about their mutual connection to TPP. Later, after meeting in person at a TPP grantee gathering, Magpili-Smith and Suzik decided to join forces to plan an upcoming event that captured both their hearts: the Valentine’s Day Climate March.
TPP grantees are masters at rekindling the spark that lives inside each and every one of us. They allow their communities to approach life with confidence, and challenge limiting societal views of what can and can not be achieved. Through imagination and solid project...
The TPP Family has created a book to inspire, uplift, and support you–the 2019 TPP retrospective, Impact in Action.
We are thrilled to announce that TPP has received funding to provide $1,000 seed grants, plus trainings and networking opportunities, to groups who are working on behalf of animals. Are you or someone you know working in animal advocacy? Apply today! We are especially...
In our day to day lives we do not always recognize the realities that many people face around the world. At TPP, we are honored to stand beside grantees who remind the world of the challenges and beauty that we are unable to perceive. We all have the ability to choose...
A significant element for creating global change is building safe havens for people to gather. Whether it is a physical space or a digital platform, building an environment for communities to grow, learn and reclaim their well-being is essential for long term success...
As I and other animal rights activists broke silence to share our personal experiences throughout the retreat, it was revealed just how many of us had or were currently suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, or incessant stress from working on such big issues with so few resources.
TPP grantees portray a version of all of us that we can’t give up on. They are able to vision hold for individuals and communities who have dreams, small or grand that move the needle forward. When life is uncertain, anything is possible. It takes courage, love and...
Being a changemaker goes beyond the successful execution of a community-based project. TPP grantees are visionaries because they can authentically spread their positive perception to others. In order to reimagine the future and leave strong legacies, TPP grantees do...
Strengthening our connection to Earth has the ability to ignite our inner leadership, spirituality, and foster community. All around the world, TPP grantees utilize the richness of what nature has bestowed on us to transform food systems, build economic stability and...
Susan Silber is a force of nature—an apt comparison as she has been working as an environmental educator for the past 30 years. Stunned by the harsh reality of the climate change crisis as presented through Al Gore’s 2006 film, An Inconvenient Truth, Silber was forever changed…
Do you remember the first time you were inspired as a child? Did you have people in your life to advocate for your health, education and overall wellbeing? As children, our self confidence and life perspective is highly impressionable. TPP grantees understand the need...
Whether you’re a TPP grantee or hope to be one in the future, it’s always helpful to get a little perspective from those that have “been there and done that.”
How do you identify your individual greatness? Although this can be discovered on one’s own, at TPP, we believe inner transformation is best discovered through communal experience with others. Recognizing the beauty and power in someone else mirrors the power that...
This month, The Pollination Project (TPP) celebrates its wonderful partnership with Tipping Point Foundation (TPF)!
The way TPP grantees engage with our planet is astounding and ever evolving. From organic farming, gardening, rain water harvesting and clean water initiatives, there are infinite ways to heal and develop a community. Although each project below is passionately...
Paul Kronenberg is the co-founder and co-director of kanthari, an immersive training program that equips participants who have overcome adversity with the techniques, methods, and ideas needed to start up and run effective, relevant social projects all over the world.
There are moments in life when our problems feel bigger than our wins. TPP grantees understand that the answer is not hoping the situation disappears, but to hold less faith in the problem and more appreciation in the communities that make life worth living for. This...
This sentiment of seeing what others overlook—or choose to ignore—is important to Angilello. Last year, Angilello lost his husband, Jim Rivett. In a eulogy written for Rivett by a dear friend…
TPP grantees generate change by utilizing the resources, knowledge and cultural traditions that already exist in communities around the world. They see the beauty in the land and talent within people that can be used to propel communities to new heights. Through...
TPP grantees continuously demonstrate that life struggles can transform into ongoing progression when we utilize the healing powers of our planet, provide people with sustainable hygienic resources, and bring communities back to nature. From community gardens to...
Education can be taught and received through infinite mediums. TPP grantees unite and educate their communities through art, curated trainings and basic necessities that allow others to fully follow their goals. Whether it is through literature, documentaries or...
Five years ago, Fatumah found out she was HIV positive. She also found out she was again pregnant. Though she had little hope of ever having the opportunity to see her child grow, she continued to attend her prenatal check-ins at the hospital. She also continued her sex work, as she had no other means of supporting herself or her growing family.
Having a solid community is one of the most vital assets to our livelihood and forward progression. Being surrounded by people who affirm our strengths, potential and advocate for our human rights can change the outcome of our life experiences. As a child, receiving...
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.
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…
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…
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...
“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...
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.
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.
Here are Tara Matthews’ Top 5 tips to increase your chances of receiving funding—and getting to that all-important “yes”
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...
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.
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.
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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...
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...
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 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 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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
TPP works alongside organizations and leaders across the globe. The latest grantees introduced below show that regardless of where we are on the map, world causes trickle or flood into all of our lives. Gender based discrimination that occurs in Malawi is also...
The greatest lesson I got from this experience is the realization that, while empathy is a beautiful quality, only empathizing with somebody’s pain will drain me, consume me and render me incapable of doing something to help lessen that pain. It’s only when compassion follows that I’m helpful, when I use that empathy as fuel to act.