The 2025 Sparking Change Grant, offered by USA for UNHCR in collaboration with Refugee Congress and Welcoming America, aims to empower community leaders who have experienced forced displacement and are actively working to create positive change. The grant supports initiatives in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington (WA), and Wisconsin, providing up to $10,000 for project funding and an additional honorarium of up to $2,500 for personal support. The program seeks to encourage projects that foster collaboration between refugees and local communities, utilize innovative approaches, and expand the impact of existing initiatives.

Grant projects should align with one of the four focus areas: Newest Neighbors, which emphasizes welcoming and integrating newcomers; Better Together, fostering cultural cohesion and bridge-building; Creative Voices, showcasing artistic or cultural expressions of newcomers; and Play Together, promoting unity through shared activities like sports or hobbies. While the grant prioritizes these categories, it also welcomes unique projects that support thriving refugee communities in other ways. The grant does not cover direct service projects such as food provisions or clothing drives, focusing instead on community-building and integration.

Eligible applicants must have personally experienced forced displacement, such as being a refugee, asylum seeker, internally displaced person, or having entered the U.S. through special immigration pathways like humanitarian parole. Applicants must reside in the eligible states and lead projects to be completed in 2025. Individuals over 18 or small groups of fewer than three are eligible, but organizations, including 501(c)(3) nonprofits and LLCs, cannot apply. Individuals affiliated with organizations may apply only if the project is independent of the organization.

Applications must be submitted by November 22, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST, and include project goals, a budget, and details on previous community leadership experience. Supporting documents, such as resumes and letters of recommendation, are optional but may strengthen the application. Selected grantees must attend the Welcoming Interactive event in Detroit, MI, from May 19-22, 2025.

For further guidance, USA for UNHCR will host an informational webinar on November 5, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Prospective applicants can contact sparkingchange@usaforunhcr.org for additional information.