Social Media Training Grant Program

Program Purpose

The Social Media Training grant program is administered by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. The grant supports furthering freedom of information through social media professional development and training for Ukrainian non-governmental organizations and media outlets. Such professional development programs for utilizing new media is intended to help improve Ukrainian citizens’ access to information and to further the preservation of internet freedom. Projects should show how improved social media capacity will benefit the freedom of information goals of the organization, further education on the Law on Access to Public Information, and the public welfare in general.

Major Program Requirements

The Social Media Training grant program welcomes proposals from independent Ukrainian non-governmental organizations and media outlets committed to media and Internet freedom. Ukrainian state organizations are not eligible to apply.

Private and for-profit organizations are eligible to apply as long as the proposed project is non-profit in nature and meets the Competition Project Themes and Competition Requirements.

The grant program does not support projects aimed at partisan political purposes.

No grant will exceed $75,000. Most awards will be much smaller; the expected average size grant is from $5,000 to $20,000. The actual amount of a grant awarded depends on the scope of activities and duration of projects. The duration of programs may vary depending on the proposals, but the length of the project funded should be no longer than six months. The Social Media Training grant program encourages cost-sharing for organizations to seek additional funding from other sources.

General Competition Project Themes

• The Social Media Training grant program's priorities are directed to:
• Internet Freedom: projects that work to protect freedom of expression, association, and assembly in the online world through new and social media training.
• Public Access to Information: Support NGOs engaged in providing information to the public to develop greater social media skills and capabilities so that they can expand their outreach and increase the amount of feedback they get from their target audiences.
• New Media in Traditional Media: Initiatives that will further the development and effectiveness of the traditional media’s use of new and social media.
• Youth in Social Media: Building capacity in social media among young Ukrainians for activities tied to the work of civil society organizations, freedom of public information, and internet freedom.  

Competition Requirements

• The Social Media Training grant program welcomes proposals from independent Ukrainian non-governmental organizations and media outlets. Ukrainian state organizations are not eligible to apply.
• Eligible organizations and their members may not represent any political party, or serve as appointed or elected public officials at the time of application or for the duration of the grant.  Organizations which belong to and/or are financially supported by any political party (other than via intermittent advertising) are not eligible to apply.
• Eligible organizations may not make any expenditures with their own funds on behalf of political parties, party coalitions, or their representatives.
• Grant money may not be used to contribute to any political campaigns, nor may it be used to offset the expense of contributing to any political campaign.
• Eligible organizations may not publish or communicate anything that explicitly or implicitly favors or opposes any political candidate, political party, or party coalition. 
• Application to, or receipt of funds from this thematic competition, does not disqualify any organization from competing for other U.S. government funds.  

To Apply

Only electronic applications will be accepted.  No paper application will be accepted.  You must submit your application in PDF format.  Applications must be completed in both English and Ukrainian.

Project proposals, marked “Social Media Training,” must be received no later than 11.59pm (Ukraine time) on July 15, 2012 at the following email address:

Electronic copy: KyivSocialMediaGrant@state.gov

In all correspondence please refer to the Social Media Grant competition.

You must use the standard grants application forms and follow the instructions provided.

Applicants may also request information by writing to  KyivSocialMediaGrant@state.gov.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for this competition.