CHALLENGE GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
What is the aim of the AWS InCommunities Mexico Fund?
The aim of the AWS InCommunities Mexico Fund, sponsored by AWS, is to support nonprofit organizations based in Southern Mexico, to either start a new project from a selection of available projects or to expand an existing project, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for communities. Applicants choose the project they want to start based on their community’s needs, from a portfolio of ideas on the ChangeX site, or alternatively submit an existing project, once it meets the criteria outlined in the following section. Once the applicant has demonstrated their commitment and ability to start or expand the chosen community project by successfully completing a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website, ChangeX will provide funding, information guides and support to give the applicant the best chance of success. In addition, once the applicant has demonstrated the impact the new project is having in their community, they will receive a further installment of funding to support the maintenance of the project. All projects should be managed in an inclusive and welcoming manner.
Criteria
The following criteria must be met by all applicants:
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The project must address at least one of the following themes: Economic Development, Education & Access, or Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (NOTE: the portfolio ideas on the ChangeX site all address at least one of these themes)
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Projects must take place within the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Campeche, Yucatan, or Quintana Roo.
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Projects must be able to be run in a safe manner in light of COVID-19 and resulting restrictions.
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Applicants must be a registered charity and authorized donatory in Mexico (RFC number, Constancia de situación fiscal & Opinión de cumplimiento de obligaciones fiscales positiva will need to be provided).
Opening date
The challenge opens for applications on May 25th 2022. Registrations will close when the grant funds have been distributed to applicants who have successfully completed the 30 Day Challenge. Please visit our fund website (https://www.changex.org/ie/funds/fondo-awsincommunities-mexico) to confirm whether we are still accepting entries.
Registrations for existing projects will close on July 15th 2022. Applicants will be notified by August 15th 2022 as to whether they have been allocated funding and can progress with the 30 Day Challenge or whether they have been unsuccessful.
What can the funding be used for?
The AWS InCommunities Mexico Fund can be used to cover direct costs relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new or existing project. For example, funds can be used for space rental, insurance fees, tools,materials, training fees; pretty much any materials you might need for a project that benefits your community.
What can the funding not be used for?
Funds may not be used to promote or engage in criminal acts of violence, terrorism, hate crimes, the destruction of any state, or discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion, military and veteran status, disability, sex, age, gender identity or sexual orientation, or support of any entity that engages in these activities. Funds may not be used to deliver money, gifts or any other things of value to government officials.
The fund cannot be used to cover costs of work that has already been carried out and can’t be used for anything that is not related to the set up and maintenance of the new or existing community project. It cannot be used to cover the promotion of political parties, religious causes, non-charitable activities, sponsorship or fundraising events. Funds cannot be used as payment to group members for their work on the project.
Reporting Requirements and Funding
In return for any funding you may receive, you are required to share the outcomes of your new project with ChangeX and AWS.
The funding allocated to your new project is divided into two stages. The first payment (70% of total funding amount) can be accessed upon successful completion of a 30 Day Challenge on the ChangeX website. For organisations who choose to replicate one of the available projects on ChangeX, during the 30 Day Challenge, several steps that demonstrate the commitment and ability of you or your community group to start or expand the project are taken. These include scheduling a support call with a ChangeX team member; setting up a team meeting; sharing a photo of your team meeting and providing a narrative on what you will spend the funding on, your next steps as a group, and how you hope the project will ultimately benefit your community. For organisations who are selected to receive funding to expand an existing project, the 30 Day Challenge only requires that the organisation share a team photo and provide an update on their project after being notified of their successful grant application and before receiving the first payment.
The second payment (30% of total funding amount) will be issued to you after you have completed an impact survey demonstrating the outcomes of your project. The impact survey will be accessible to complete on your page on the ChangeX platform from three months after you applied to start the project. You will be sent email reminders about completing this survey and will have up to six months after you originally applied to complete it. You will be asked to answer questions such as the number of beneficiaries impacted by your project, as well as specific questions related to the idea you have started. At this stage, you will also be asked to share photos that show your project is up and running and having an impact. These photos should show your group in action and should ideally be taken at any significant events, for example: planting events, trainings, workshops or planning meetings and should include as many of your organizing group and beneficiaries as possible.
It is very important that you keep all receipts (facturas) and records of how any funding you might receive is spent. ChangeX will require you to provide these receipts before issuing the second payment. If receipts cannot be shown, or the funds are found to have been spent on costs other than those relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new or existing community project, no further funds will be allocated to this project and ChangeX reserves the right to retrieve the funds that have already been distributed. The applicant will be indefinitely ineligible to apply for any subsequent grants through ChangeX.
Multiple applications
Existing community groups can apply for and receive funding to start up to three different portfolio ideas, once each application and the resulting project is submitted and led by a different member of the organisation's team.
Family
Family and close contacts of ChangeX employees or of AWS are not eligible to apply for funding.
How to Apply
Once you have ensured that you meet all of the criteria above, you can go to https://www.changex.org/ie/funds/fondo-awsincommunities-mexico, and choose one of two routes; either select your preferred idea from the portfolio of proven ideas and register to start it; or alternatively, if you are already working on a project in your community that you want to expand, select the option to submit your own project. The amount of funding available for your project depends on which idea you chose to start. Funding amounts generally range from $10,000 to $100,000 Mexican Pesos for the proven portfolio ideas (the amount of funding available per idea can be found on the webpage of each idea; funding amounts align with the cost of starting each project). For your own, existing community project, there are three available price points, of $25,000, $75,000 and $150,000 Mexican Pesos, depending on need. Once you have completed the application form for either option you will be allocated funding and assigned your own page on the ChangeX platform, where you can complete a number of simple steps to access the allocated funding. You will be able to access the funding in 2 payments; the first payment (70% of your total funding) is unlocked upon completion of the 30 Day Challenge, and the second (30% of your total funding) once your project outcomes have been demonstrated. If you do not complete the 30 Day Challenge within the allocated time period (30 days from registration), your funding will be reallocated to another group and will not be accessible to you any longer.
In order to receive the funding, you must have a bank account linked to your RFC. Once you’ve successfully unlocked your funding, you will be asked to enter your bank details on the ChangeX website to facilitate the bank transfer. In some cases, you will be asked to provide a scanned copy of your driver’s license or passport for additional verification purposes in addition to your bank details. ChangeX will not share or store any applicant banking or driver’s license/passport data; this process will all be managed by Stripe. Stripe’s privacy policy can be viewed here: https://stripe.com/privacy.
Once you have completed your Challenge and entered your bank information ChangeX will review your application to make sure all elements of the Challenge have been completed successfully. Payment will then be made, and the transfer will take an average of 4 working days to reach the applicant’s bank account.
When the final impact survey has been completed (between three and six months after the original application was made) it will also be reviewed, to ensure the project is active and the second installment of funding is necessary. Payment will then be made, and the transfer will take an average of 5 working days to reach the applicant’s bank account.
Supports Available
In order to give you the best chance of success to get your new project active, ChangeX will provide you with a number of supports, resources and tools. These include a 5-Step Guide relating to the idea you are starting, a general guide to starting projects in your community, a call with a member of the ChangeX team (which is a mandatory step in completing the 30 Day Challenge), email support, a local webpage to manage your team and previous starter stories to provide information and inspiration.
Accessibility
If you require any additional support to complete the application process or access resources please contact [email protected] and we will do everything in our power to help.
Where is this funding coming from?
This fund is sponsored by AWS. ChangeX is solely responsible for the management of the fund, including the selection of applicants, starter support, fund distribution and impact tracking.
Sharing your project with media or on social
We encourage you to share news about your community project through your local media or on social media in order to find people to join and support your project, or just to share some positive news with your wider community. When talking to media, we kindly ask you to mention the source of the funding for your project. For example, you can say: “The project received funding through the Fondo AWS InCommunities en México, run by ChangeX.” OR “The project has been made possible thanks to funding from AWS and support from ChangeX.” On social media, please use the following hashtags when announcing your project: [#AWSInCommunities ]
COVID-19
We hope your new community project will help your community to stay active, sustainable and connected as we adapt to new ways of living during the COVID-19 pandemic. However it should be noted that there is a need for your team to exercise personal responsibility and good judgment in their activities, and to stay up-to-date and adhere to any state, county or local safety laws, rules and regulations relating to COVID-19. National COVID-19 guidelines must always be followed. The 30 Day Challenge can be completed with no physical contact between team members. If adherence to COVID-19 guidelines result in unavoidable delays to the set-up of your project, an extension will be given to the impact survey deadline.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Applicants must be a registered charity and authorized donatory in Mexico (RFC number, Constancia de situación fiscal, & Opinión de cumplimiento de obligaciones fiscales positiva will need to be provided).
Could a grant be used for a set of ongoing events/projects?
Yes, a series of events or multiple projects can be submitted under the same open grant application. However, the open grants are a one time funding opportunity therefore all costs for ongoing events or projects should be considered in the funding amount applied for.
Can a minor apply for a grant?
Applicants should be at least 18 years old to apply but teams can include minors to carry out the project.
Can funds be used for capital projects like building improvements?
Yes, as long as they fit under one of the eligible themes.
Who will be reviewing applications and allocating funding?
ChangeX is solely responsible for the management of the fund, including the selection of applicants, starter support, fund distribution and impact tracking.
What criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
ChangeX uses three main criteria in an equally weighted scoring system to evaluate all applications - 1) Overall strength of application, 2) How well it speaks to one or more of the themes & 3) The potential social and/or environmental impact of the project.
How long will it take for project applications to be approved?
Applications are due on July 15, 2022 and decisions will be sent out by August 15, 2022. Extensions to the deadline may be given at the discretion of ChangeX, which might in turn affect the decision date. Any changes will be communicated with applicants.
Can I turn in my draft for ChangeX to review?
We want to ensure that the application process is fair and therefore can’t offer to review your draft application prior to the application deadline. We would encourage you to seek out mentors or organizations in the community who would be able to help review and provide feedback on your application prior to July 15th.