Youth Microgranting Opportunity

The climate crisis is not only about carbon – it’s about connection. 

It’s about healing. And it’s about building the futures we deserve through joy, creativity, and collective care.

We are inviting proposals for youth-led or youth-serving convenings that place joy and creativity at the center of climate action. This call is part of our broader microgranting initiative to support fresh, bold, and healing-centered approaches to organising community connection, and emotional wellbeing at the heart of climate action. 

What We’re Looking For:

We welcome proposals for gatherings, events, or creative spaces that:

• Celebrate joy and cultural expression as forms of resistance and resilience
• Foster emotional wellbeing, peer support, and intergenerational healing
• Use art, music, movement, storytelling, or ritual as climate strategies
• Cultivate community connection and local knowledge exchange
• Imagine and rehearse regenerative futures grounded in care
• These can be in-person, hybrid, or online; one-time events or a series of engagements.

Who Can Apply:

• Youth-led groups, collectives, or organisations (ages ~18 – 35)
• Formal or Informal community groups (you don’t need to be a registered org)
• Based anywhere, with priority for those in the Global Majority or underserved communities

Who do we fund?

We provide accessible and flexible small grants around USD 1,000 – USD 7,000 to youth groups and leaders globally. We welcome applications from individuals and organisations who are:

• Actively working and present on climate and intersectional climate & social justice issues. This includes informal community groups (you don’t need to be a registered org)
• Youth-led groups, collectives, individuals or organisations (ages ~18–35)

This is a global funding opportunity designed to be supportive of diverse voices and initiatives. We encourage groups from the Global South and communities that are facing more challenges to apply. We regret that this particular opportunity is not open for applicants based in India.

Microgrants Available:

• Grants of up to [$7,000 USD] will be awarded to selected proposals
• Funding can support facilitation, materials, honoraria, food, space, and care infrastructure (e.g., retreats, childcare, translation)

What we are not able to fund:

While we’re excited to support bold, creative, and care-centered convenings, we won’t be able to fund proposals that fall into the following categories:

1. Attendance at International Conferences
   – Including COP, Climate Weeks, SB sessions, or similar gatherings primarily for networking or advocacy travel.
2. Merchandise-Heavy Budgets
   – Proposals where a large portion of the funding is spent on t-shirts, banners, or branded materials.
3. General Awareness-Raising Campaigns
   – Projects focused mainly on raising awareness without a clear strategy for community engagement, action, or healing-centered outcomes.
4. Activities that primarily focus on Tree Planting or Beach Clean-ups
   – These are important but are often already prioritized in other funding streams. We’re focused on convenings that build connection, imagination, and collective care.

Deadline to Apply: 26 October, 2025 at 21:00/9pm CET.

Activities to be implemented by: July 1, 2026

How to Apply:

Submit a short proposal via this google form (written, audio or video) telling us:

• What are you planning to do?
• How will it center joy, wellbeing, and climate justice?
• Who will be involved and how will it build community?
• What do you need to make it happen?

Let us reimagine climate action rooted in joy, not just urgency.
Let us gather in ways that nourish us and our movements.
Let us build from the inside out.

Submit your proposal and let joy lead the way.

–

PT: Chamada para propostas

ESP: Convocatoria de Propuestas

For full details about this call please visit > Call for Proposals

The deadline for applications is October 26, 2025 at 21:00/9:00PM CET. Activities to be implemented between January a July 1st, 2026. If you have questions or comments, please get in touch via microgranting@umifund.org.