NextWorldNow - Community Investments

Overview

_Note: The latest deadline is listed above; the application  period to submit an NOI opens in January and closes March 1, 2024. but could close earlier if the expected volume of submissions has been met._

Underwriting Community Well-being: Peace Building Ventures

NextWorldNow (NWN) holds that world communities can work together in an informed and personal way, leveraging technology and resources, to improve the well-being of participants in each community.

Our Aim

We invest in and support community development projects requiring modest capital. We fund projects that are owned by the local community, whose social impact and return on investment can be measured, and whose success can be sustained. In the spirit of innovation, we aim for a diverse "portfolio" of projects and geographies to spread creative solutions.

We work to discover and apply best practice social investment models on a small scale personal level. Our process invites ongoing direct connection with the sponsored community rather than an anonymous one-time donation. We believe it is possible to invest in projects that increase the wellbeing of communities while avoiding unintended harm. We operate with minimal overhead and a goal of funneling nearly 100% of grant resources to the intended community project.

NextWorldNow Community Investments (NWN) works with individuals, communities, and other organizations to make this happen. We invite communities with project ideas to submit their requests for funding. We study the requests and make funding decisions. We welcome scale-able partnerships with other organizations on joint projects. We invest in solutions built to last, looking beyond short term fixes to address long standing problems. We continue to refine our process as we learn more about what works and what does not. NWN is a non profit private foundation with United States 501 (c) (3) status.

Mission

We partner with communities, providing resources for projects defined by local leaders to improve the lives and well-being of the people in the community.

Vision

We see a world where every person has the basics for well-being: clean water, good food, housing, health care, safety, education, social activity, and jobs. We know that the current state of the world represents many unmet needs. Despite the size of the need which seems unlimited, we choose to act. We believe that small change leads to bigger change and is a preferred option to a default acceptance of the status quo.

Why This Program

We hold that we are connected with one another in the world community. Like thousands of individual cells connected within a single body shaping its health, the actions of individuals within the world community effect the wellbeing of all. Discomfort in a part of our collective body impacts the whole and serves as a source for other downstream social ills. This program is designed for individuals who share a view of a larger self, have decided that they have enough means to live comfortable lives, and want to share their resources with others in a creative and smart way.

Our Values

The following core values inform our mission and guide our actions as investors:

* Respect: We believe the community should decide what the community needs   
* Optimism: We believe that good outcomes can be the rule, not the exception, based on disciplined and continuous effort
* Innovation: We challenge ourselves and our collaborators to think creatively     
* Leverage: We expect that a smart investment process will grow resources, not waste them  
* Accountability: We deliver what we promise and avoid promising more than we can deliver. 
* Efficient: We are careful managers of resources
* Life Affirming: We enjoy being alive and want the same opportunity for all  
* Enlightened Compassion: We care for the well-being of others without neglecting care of self

How We Work

NextWorldNow learns about community based projects that need more resources to meet their goals. We connect with the leaders, learn about their work, and decide which projects to invest in. Investments may include time spent supporting a project, in-kind resources, and financial grants. We invite community proposals. We rate the likely success and the impact of the project – such as how many people will benefit. We look for people and groups who have new ideas for old problems. We prefer to invest in a variety of geographic locations and issues in order to learn more about the world and its people. We may take on projects that are beyond our funding means by seeking like organizations to partner in the investment.

What are our target investments?

Consistent with our mission, we are interested in supporting many types of community programs:

* Civic Participation
* Education
* Effective Development 
* Environmental Mediation – Water, Sanitation, Deforestation
* Health Care Access and Treatment
* Human Rights
* Peace and Human Security
* Shelter
* Smallholder Productivity and Food Security
* Sustainable Markets/Livelihood

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Only one application accepted per organization.