Spark Grants Platform
The Spark Grants platform is an innovative just-in-time grantmaking process that enables organizations aligned with our focus areas to receive funding within weeks. This rapid funding approach supports initiatives that would be impossible under traditional grant decision timelines.
The Digital Equity Spark Grants funding cycle will be open from May 27th to June 10th. To support applications, copies of the Letter of Interest (LOI) and application, as well as the recording of an informational webinar are available for your reference.
Digital Equity Focus Areas
- Policy Advocacy and Civic Engagement to Achieve Broadband for All: Efforts that increase civic participation in digital equity policy-making and regulatory processes at the local, regional, or state-level. This includes the education of state policy-makers on key digital equity issues.
- Projects may feature efforts focusing on education, capacity-building, and the equitable implementation of digital equity policy.
- This may include policy efforts that improve internet affordability, network reliability, and access to broadband.
- Digital Equity as a Social Determinant of Health: Efforts that address digital inequity through its impact as a social determinant of health. Specifically, we are seeking projects that are scalable across the state. Efforts that bridge the digital divide in at least one of the following issue areas:
- Higher Education (i.e.: Research on the impact of digital inequity on college students)
- Economic Opportunity (i.e.: Workforce development; equitable access to seeking, applying, and securing jobs)
- Civic Engagement (i.e.: Access to public benefits)
- Housing and Renters’ Rights (i.e.: Access to fair and affordable housing, protection of renter’s rights to internet choice)
- Disaster Resilience and Recovery (i.e: Community-owned resources to aid in long-term disaster resilience through connectivity)
- Internet Access as a Civil Right: Eliminating digital discrimination efforts that help address the impact that low-quality and/or unaffordable Internet has in areas that may superficially appear to have Internet access. The projects should provide tools to combat digital discrimination and to promote equitable access to broadband throughout California. By focusing on the role of race in the historical causes of digital inequity, we seek to grow awareness and uplift the voices and needs of underserved communities that have been deliberately excluded from connectivity by systematic redlining and disinvestment. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Efforts that highlight disparities in broadband access
- Research that addresses mapping shortcomings at the state level
- Storytelling, surveying, testimonial-gathering
- Data that contributes to transparency around internet service providers (ISP) practices and services, for use in collective community advocacy efforts
Digital Equity Funding Cycle Details
- Given the complexity of securing funding for programs and initiatives that fully address digital inequity, we welcome proposals where Spark Grant funds are coupled with multiple funding streams.
- We will not fund initiatives that provide direct assistance to students during this round (e.g. laptops or hotspots for remote learning). While we realize there is a tremendous need for this type of direct support, we are leveraging our funding to effect broader systemic change.
- For this funding cycle, we will focus on organizations that are doing work in California.
The Spark Principles
Scalability
We support systems-level strategies that can create impact at scale and inform public policy.
Pilot Program Support
We prioritize demonstrating the viability of groundbreaking ideas, seeding innovative initiatives that are still in the proof of concept phase.
Rapid Response
We are committed to advancing or declining an LOI within one week of when the call for proposals closes. Grants are awarded within six weeks of the call for proposals closing.
Funding Cycles
In the spirit of acting quickly, grants are reviewed on a rolling basis. Below is a rough timeline of when each cycle’s call for proposals opens:
- Digital Equity (Q2 of 2025)
- Smart Justice (Q3 of 2025)
- Student Basic Needs (Q4 of 2025)
- Open Educational Resources (Q1 of 2026)
Eligibility
For our Spark Grant cycles, we generally focus our impact on organizations doing work in California. Organizations whose work does not impact California are likely ineligible, but please review our call for proposals each cycle.
Grantees
Creative Commons
Faculty Professional Development Bootcamps on OER
FFRP
Supporting Workforce Development for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in Forestry and Firefighting Careers
FRAC
Educating Decision Makers on How SNAP Benefits Help Students Meet Their Basic Needs
#OaklandUndivided
Local Bandwidth Speed Tests to Inform State Policy
PPIC
Implementation Analysis of California’s $6B Broadband Investment Through SB156
Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
Building a Student Coalition to Combat Automatic Textbook Billing
U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund
Study Revealing the Limited Choice and Uncertain Savings of Automatic Textbook Billing
University of California, Irvine LIFTED
Piloting the First UC Degree-Granting Program in Prison
Young Invincibles
Student-Led Research Ensuring Effective Implementation of California's Investment in Community College Basic Needs Centers