We Media PitchIt! Challenge (looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media)
December 29, 2009
We Media PitchIt! Challenge
Filed Under:
* media
* journalism
* competition
Deadline: January 20, 2010. US$25,000 prize
Are you a storyteller? An influencer? A connector? An idea person?
We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers are looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media. Be part of the 2010 We Media PitchIt! Challenge.
ENTER your solutions from now until January 20, 2010. The top finalists will pitch their ideas at We Media Miami, March 9-11, 2010. The best entry in each category–non-profit and business–will receive a $25,000 prize to help launch their new venture.
What happens when people have the power to tell their story?
We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers have teamed up once again to find and launch the best new ideas for inspiring a better world through media. In the We Media PitchIt! Challenge, we’re looking for groundbreaking solutions from all fields that incite action, encourage collaboration, and lead society to knowledge.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, we will provide $50,000 in seed funding to help launch the best solutions. One business and one non-profit venture will each receive $25,000 in seed capital.
Entrants will have the freedom to collaborate with potential partners and investors, while the global online community will discuss, debate and improve upon the most creative solutions.
All finalists will participate in the sixth annual We Media Event in Miami, March 9-11, 2010, and present their ideas to a panel of judges as well as potential funders and partners.
The competition will be open to individuals from all countries. We consider the following criteria:
* Media Focus: Ideas should reflect the theme of the competition. We are searching for innovative ideas that use media to create social change.
* Idea Stage: We’re looking for early-stage ventures or brand new ideas that have not yet been launched or built. These may be entirely new ventures, new companies or new projects from existing organizations.
* Business or Non-Profit: There will be two categories: business and non-profit. In the business category, the funding must be used to support the start-up of a new business that will have a sustainable revenue model. In the non-profit category, the funding should be used to support the launch of a non-profit venture or the development of a new project for an existing non-profit organization.
* Completed Form: Entries must be fully completed and submitted before the deadline of January 20, 2010.
* Language: Entries should be submitted in English.
B. Assessment Criteria
There will be several stages to this process:
1) The community’s comments will be included in the evaluation process.
2) The finalists will be selected by a combination of We Media and expert judges. Finalists will be announced on February 3, 2010.
3) Each finalist will attend We Media Miami March 9-11, 2010 and make a formal presentation to attendees and a panel of expert judges. There will be separate expert panels for business and non-profit ideas.
4) We Media PitchIt! Challenge finalists will each receive the following travel assistance for attending We Media Miami 2010:
* Up to $300 toward a coach airline ticket
* 2 nights lodging in Miami
* Registration for the entire We Media Event
* A display location in the gallery
5) Winners each receive $25,000 in seed funding: The judges will select one business and one non-profit entry. Each winner will receive $25,000 in seed funding.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
* Innovation: Is the idea innovative? This is the knock-out test. The idea should represent a disruptive innovation that changes the way media works. The innovation should demonstrate a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field and have the potential for large-scale expansion. We look for innovative business practices, entrepreneurial quality and a plausible sustainable model.
* Story Telling: Does this idea tell a story in a new or innovative way – or enable others to tell their stories? Does it create and apply a unique storytelling experience through journalism, discovery, narrative, exposition, or new methods and metaphors? We are looking for ideas that change the way we experience or understand storytelling. In this context, we define storytelling broadly.
* Social Impact: Does the idea affect social conditions, stimulate citizenship, raise awareness, influence public policy, or marshal support for an idea of broad social significance? Does this idea present a solution for increasing access, knowledge or connection for all? The idea may address a specific underserved community or the society at large, but ultimately it is important that the innovation has a potential for application or replication globally. It is also important that the idea does not have a negative environmental impact.
* Sustainability: Will the innovator be able to launch and sustain this idea? For an innovation to be truly effective, it should have a plan for securing financial backing and community support. We are looking for social entrepreneurs with ideas that are financially sustainable and scalable. We will also consider the experience and capacity of the innovator (or team), who will be expected to launch the idea.
* Design: Does the idea creatively engage multiple levels of intelligence and understanding of complex information with clarity, style, and meaning?
* Pattern Change: Does the idea pioneer original approaches and paradigms?
* Purpose: Does the idea express a purposeful vision through values reflecting ethics, credibility, responsibility and authenticity?
* Community: Does the idea seek to organize a community, virtual or geographic, in a new way?
New RFPs from the Foundation Center–from arts to sciences
September 28, 2009
Arts and Culture
Grammy Foundation Announces New Letter of Inquiry Process for Grant Cycle
Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to organizations and individuals working to advance archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas….
Posted: September 16, 2009
Deadline: October 1, 2009 (Letter of Inquiry)
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Posted: September 16, 2009
Deadline: October 18, 2009
New York Foundation for the Arts Announces New Award for Excellence in Painting
Awards of $20,000 will be given to two New York State painters who have already applied to NYFA’s Artists’ Fellowship Program; after 2010, these awards will be presented on a biennial basis….
Posted: September 16, 2009
Deadline: November 3, 2009
Children and Youth
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to Honor Outstanding Young Volunteers at Local, State, and National Levels
Ten honorees in grades 5-12 will be given a cash award of $5,000 plus a grant in the same amount to the nonprofit charitable organization of their choice for outstanding work in their communities….
Posted: September 17, 2009
Deadline: November 2, 2009
Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants Available to Young Volunteers Who Encourage Reading
Grants of $500 each plus books worth $500 will be awarded to children and youth between the ages of 5 and 25 working to increase literacy and reading among their peers….
Posted: September 16, 2009
Deadline: October 30, 2009
Education
Nominations Invited for 2010 MetLife Foundation Community College Excellence Awards
Grants of $40,000 will be awarded to three colleges in recognition of their efforts to help less-advantaged local youth and adults meet educational and career goals; the program offers a new, streamlined online application process….
Posted: September 18, 2009
Deadline: October 2, 2009
Do Something and VH1 Save the Music Announce Awards Program for School Music Projects
Prizes of up to $2,500 plus Rock Band Video game packages will be awarded to school music programs that have successfully conducted student-led music education advocacy….
Posted: September 12, 2009
Deadline: October 16, 2009
Nominations Invited for 2010 MetLife Foundation Community College Excellence Awards
Grants of $40,000 will be awarded to three colleges working to improve their surrounding communities, with an emphasis on helping less-advantaged youth and adults meet educational and career goals….
Posted: September 12, 2009
Deadline: October 2, 2009
Fund for Teachers Offers Grants for Summer Programs to Minneapolis Teachers
Individual grants of $5,000 and team grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to K-12 teachers in Minneapolis Public Schools or at the Blake School pursuing self-designed professional development experiences….
Posted: September 12, 2009
Deadline: November 2, 2009
Environment
Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment Accepting Grant Applications for River and Coastal Projects
Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to nonprofits, watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, tribes, schools and government agencies working to restore the quality of Oregon’s rivers and associated fish, wildlife, and plants….
Posted: September 17, 2009
Deadline: October 9, 2009
Health
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Accepting Applications for Scholars in Health Policy Research
Two-year fellowships worth $178,000 will be awarded to nine individuals working in the area of health policy research….
Posted: September 17, 2009
Deadline: October 21, 2009
National AIDS Fund and Johnson & Johnson Invite Applications for Generations: Strengthening Women and Families Affected by HIV/AIDS
Grants will be awarded to community-based organizations working to create or adapt evidence-based interventions that reduce the spread of HIV among at-risk women and girls….
Posted: September 14, 2009
Deadline: November 2, 2009
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks Proposals for Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education Program
Grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded to nursing schools and nonprofit healthcare organizations working with evaluators to develop strategies that address the nursing faculty shortage….
Posted: September 13, 2009
Deadline: November 24, 2009
Healthspottr Launches New Fellows Program for Health Innovators
Grants of up to $250,000 will be awarded to individuals working in the for-profit, nonprofit, or government sectors to develop innovations that could help transform health care in the United States….
Posted: September 13, 2009
Deadline: October 1, 2009
Human Services
Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Invites Applications for Neighbors in Need Fund Systems Reform Grants
Grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded to nonprofits in the greater Washington, D.C., region working to help their communities navigate the adverse effects of the current economic downturn….
Posted: September 17, 2009
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Honda Helpful Awards Program to Honor Individuals for Community Work in Southern California
New Hondas will be given to individuals in Southern California in honor of and to assist their efforts to improve the lives of others….
Posted: September 14, 2009
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Journalism/Media
Getty Images Accepting Applications for Editorial Photography Awards From Professional and Student Photojournalists
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Posted: September 18, 2009
Deadline: November 15, 2009
Medical Research
American Brain Tumor Association Launches Discovery Research Grant Program
Grants of $50,000 will be awarded to researchers conducting high-risk, high-impact projects with the potential to change current diagnosis or treatment of adult and/or pediatric brain tumors….
Posted: September 18, 2009
Deadline: October 15, 2009 (Letters of Intent)
Hope for Vision Seeks Proposals for Annual Awards Program
Grants of up to $150,000 will be awarded to new and established researchers working to develop treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases….
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Funding Available for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Grants totaling $2 million will be awarded to pancreatic cancer investigators through four programs, some of which are new, and feature a streamlined application process….
Posted: September 15, 2009
Deadline: Various
