The Civic Grant Dinner Program:
These dinners, which we call 'salons', provide microgrants that fund community projects which engage residents, produce direct action, foster collaborations between different groups, utilize several of the '10 Burning Man Principles', and creatively tackle social problems. We fund programs that have a clear civic and service-oriented goal, and are direct in their ability to create positive change for the greater community.
The Grant Dinners serve a variety of purposes in a single evening:
- sharing the table
- theater and immersion
- a chance to make a difference
- a means of participatory democracy
- a setting for dynamic conversation and debate
- networking and the development of a shared vision
- a frame of reference for communities to connect and bond
How does the Dinner Program work?
The Salon is a semi annual dinner occurring in the spring and fall. Prospective grantees submit proposals to us 1-2 months prior to the Salon, and submissions are reviewed by our Selection Committee. Among all the applicants, 4 are selected to give a 10 minute pitch at the Salon.
The Salon is open to the public, and a $5-$10 sliding scale donation is requested. After hearing the 4 presentations, attendees will vote for the project they believe most deserves to be awarded a microgrant of up to $1,000. After the voting, everyone gathers together to eat dinner and connect with others who care about their community. After dinner, the votes are tallied and the grant recipient is announced, and a portion of the grant is handed out in cash that night.
Link to Chicago-based Civic Grant website: www.boldurban.org/community-grant-program/
Link to past winners of CCGP: www.boldurban.org/community-grant-program/former-chicago-community-grant-winners/