In Facebook’s discussions with community leaders over the last few years, FB has learned that many of them are looking for support and guidance in how to grow their communities’ impact. FB wants to take a holistic approach to support these communities. So in addition to building the tools and educational resources that they need, FB is also building programmatic ways to provide training, support and funding to enable great communities to make an even greater positive impact in the world.
Facebook will be selecting participants through a three-step process.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
The selection committee will look for communities who would benefit most from the unique programming offered and have the capacity to engage fully in the program. This includes:
Step 1: Fill out a short application on the Community Accelerator website to express interest in participating.
Step 2: If you qualify, they will invite you to fill out a longer written application and submit a video.
Step 3: Finalists will be invited for an interview.
- Vibrant Community: An existing community using Facebook Groups that has an engaged member base and has existed for over one year.
- Purpose: The community and its leadership team have a clear purpose and vision.
- Capacity: A team that has the capacity to create meaningful initiatives that activate their members.
- Leadership: The leader(s) of the community have leadership experience, including managing teams, projects, and volunteers.
- Sustainability: The community is interested in having or already has a business model to cover their costs, even if it isn’t recurring revenue.
- Commitment: A team that is committed to engaging fully in each stage of the program.
- Real-World Impact: The community rallies together to turn impactful ideas into action that benefit its members and the larger society.
Benefits
- Training & Coaching
Learn how to organize and strengthen your community through custom training, one-on-one coaching and meaningful partnerships.
- Access to New Products
Get early access to new products aimed at helping you manage and activate your community.
- Funding
Facebook will work with GlobalGiving to offer you up to $50k USD to help fund your community’s initiatives, with a subset of communities eligible to receive part of $1 million USD in additional funding.
Participants will learn:
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Community Identity Foundations:
Participants will develop and/or refine their community’s mission, member and stakeholder engagement strategy, Theory of Change, and more.
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Leading Action-Oriented Communities:
Participants will learn skills to lead effective teams, engage members in projects that further community goals, manage volunteers, and more.
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Sustainability:
Participants will learn best practices for community income generation and options for organizational structures that help maximize community impact.
How much funding will participants receive:
- Facebook will work with GlobalGiving to fund participants’ project plans & to help set them up for success in the program. Selected participants will each receive up to $50k USD for their participation in the program and to fund their community initiatives during the eight-month program and could be eligible to receive part of the $1 million USD of additional funding available to further fund their community initiatives. Up to $7.5 million USD will be awarded to program participants in total.
Eligibilities
- This program is open to communities that have a presence in Facebook Groups with leaders who are 18 years of age or older and reside in the following countries: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco & India.
- Communities must have existed for over one year and must have a minimum size of 1,000 members.
- The program will be conducted in Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico & Argentina), German (Germany, Switzerland & Austria), and English for all the other markets.
- Participants of the 2020 Community Accelerator are not eligible to apply.
- Participants in other Facebook programs are welcome to apply as long as they meet the program requirements.
Application Process
Applicants must apply through the web application system.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2021
Application ClosedOfficial link
