Amateur Radio Digital Communications Grants

The Amateur Radio Digital Communications Grants support projects that enhance digital communication and promote amateur radio. The California-based ARDC foundation funds initiatives focusing on education, research, and the growth of amateur radio, including scholarships and community engagement programs. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofits, educational institutions, and international charities. Emphasizing open access, funded projects must make their outcomes available to the public, fostering innovation in communication technology.

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. Our mission is to support, promote, and enhance digital communication and broader communication science and technology, to promote amateur radio, scientific research, experimentation, education, development, open access, and innovation in information and communication technology.
Grantmaking Categories
Support and growth of amateur radio. Grants in this category are core to our mission. We make grants to clubs for all types of projects, including licensing classes, continuing education, repeater infrastructure, and certain emergency communications projects that expand interest and access to amateur radio.Examples:  Make Operating Radio Easier (MORE), CVARC Serves Its Community and Promotes Amateur Radio, Bridgerland ARC: Engaging and Educating Youth in Amateur RadioEducation. Grants in this category include scholarships, as well as projects that aim to educate or mentor individuals, such as K-12 school programs and programs aimed at under-served groups. We are primarily interested in STEAM programs that are linked to amateur radio, wireless technology, or digital communications.Examples:  West Bend Public Library, Walters State Community College (WSCC), South Eugene High SchoolResearch and development.  Projects in this category are projects that are advancing the state of the art in amateur radio and communication science and technology.Examples: Rhizomatica: Digital HF Telecommunications for Civil and Amateur Uses, Tangerine SDR
Grantmaking Goals
ARDC makes grants to programs and organizations that aim to advance our mission and vision to create:

• A thriving global community of learners, experimenters, and contributors advancing freedom with open source communication and information technology.
• ARDC’s strategic approach to achieving this vision involves three main goals:

Promoting learning: getting more people learning about amateur radio (AR) and digital communications (DC).Promoting experimenting: getting more people experimenting, innovating, and developing technology (in the context of AR and DC).Promoting doing: getting more people using new technology productively on more (and newer) bands, modes, and technologies (and other dimensions) within the context of AR and DC.
As we evaluate opportunities for our grantmaking and other program activities, we will be reviewing them based on their ability to meet the above objectives and, overall, help to manifest our vision.
Open Access Requirement
Because ARDC works with and for the public, we require that the work of the projects we fund be freely available to everyone who can benefit and to everyone who can contribute. Thus, all technology, documentation, and other materials produced using ARDC funds must be made freely available to the public, ideally using one of the below open source licenses:
Software: GPL licenses (esp. AGPLv3), MIT, BSD, LGPLHardware: CERN Open Hardware LicenseMedia, writing, images etc.: Free Culture subset of the Creative Commons licenses, particularly CC-BY-SA, as well as CC-BY and CC0

Eligibility

U.S. based 501(c)(3) Public Charity, government agency, school, or university.International charity, nonprofit, school, or university.Radio clubs and groups who are NOT nonprofits may be eligible if they have a U.S. based, nonprofit fiscal sponsor. For tips on finding a fiscal sponsor, see our instructions page.Individuals may be eligible if you work with a fiscal sponsor.

Ineligibility

US & international for-profit businesses are currently not eligible for ARDC grants.