GCP is open to activists, scholars, organizers, artists, and other leaders around the world with compelling proposals for community-based change-making work.

GCP funds individuals, or small groups of individuals, rather than organizations. An organizational affiliation is not required for application. However, we recognize that the applicant and project described in the proposal may be affiliated with the work of an organization.

Grant funds can be used for initiative support related to the project considered in the proposal. Initiative support might include, for example: labor, space, supplies, communications costs, and other expenses that are directly related to the project outlined in the proposal.

No, a GCP proposal may involve ongoing work. However, because we intend for GCP awards to support leaders in their efforts to be transformative, we encourage proposals that involve ongoing work to highlight how GCP support the applicant’s efforts to move this work in new directions, experiment with new methods, or achieve greater scale and depth. When evaluating GCP projects, we prioritize initiatives that break new ground while showing how they can be sustained and grow beyond the project year.

We look for project proposals and applicants that are based where they can best achieve their envisioned effect. We are interested in supporting innovative, transformative projects across the globe, representing a diversity of geographic locations, challenges, and types of communities. We welcome applications for projects that work at different geographic scales (e.g., local, national, transnational).

Recognizing that global challenges by their nature involve and implicate communities in the United States, we welcome U.S.-based projects. At the same time, we encourage you to look at Assembling Voices, which funds public initiatives that are primarily based in the United States.

Our grant-making adheres to Columbia University compliance policies with regard to countries and organizations that are subject to sanctions under U.S. law or additional restrictions. For more information on those policies, please consult Columbia’s research compliance policies.

We require awardees to be fluent in written and spoken English in order to carry out the responsibilities of the program, which include correspondence with Incite Institute and other individuals at Columbia University. Applications must be submitted in English, and we may request additional proof of fluency in English.

We seek projects that center communities which most directly face the global challenge identified by the applicant, and which stand to benefit from the impact of the initiative. Communities can be defined in different ways – by language, geography, or interests, for example – but applicants must demonstrate how the community’s participation will meaningfully shape the initiative. Strong applications will clearly identify the challenge or set of related challenges their project is designed to address and will clearly identify the impact their project is expected to have on that challenge as experienced by the community. 

We’re looking for specific, concerted efforts—projects, campaigns, or programs, for example—that are scaled to effectively deliver the impact envisioned in the proposal. We also look for proposals that are most capable of delivering impact at the community level given the amount of the award (up to $25,000 USD).

No. The GCP is designed to support changemakers where they are and work, within their communities. All responsibilities between Incite and the awardee are designed to be carried out remotely.

Beyond the financial assistance, Incite Institute and the awardee will work together at the beginning of the year to identify intellectual support that is most useful to the project. This may include a virtual roundtable with potential partners, assistance with the initiative’s design, support for communications, and limited administrative support.

Additionally, Incite will foster collaboration with an institute or center at Columbia of the awardee’s preference. Note that we cannot be assured of the center or institute’s interest in collaborating. Incite Institute may serve as your collaborating organization.

No. The program does not offer a formal affiliation or employment with Columbia University. The program is a one-year partnership between Incite Institute at Columbia and the awardee carrying out the project described in the proposal.