Grant Applicants
A U.S. Nonprofit (501c3) status is not mandatory. While local organizational certification is appreciated, it is not required. Organizations should follow the instructions listed on Request to Apply and grant proposal.
Grant decisions are based on eligibility criteria, proposal quality, and alignment with funding priorities. A nomination or recommendation from a community partner might add credibility, but it won’t replace meeting the actual requirements.
Lisle Global Seed Grants are limited to a total of $5000 and expenditures need to be made during the calendar year for which the grant is made.
View the Eligibility Criteria for more information.
Once you’ve been accepted to complete the Request to Apply (RTA), your mentor becomes a crucial resource. If you already know your mentor from before, simply continue emailing them. If not, your mentor will be assigned to you in the approval letter for completing your RTA, along with their email information. We often find that virtual call platforms can be very helpful when discussing your project design.
Each project funded by Lisle must submit two reports: an interim report approximately three months into the project, and a final evaluation at the conclusion of the project’s activities, utilizing the final evaluation form. The evaluation must be completed within one month of the project’s conclusion. Failure to do so will disqualify your organization from future grants from Lisle.
For more information view the Grantee Reporting Requirements.
Yes, organizations meeting the eligibility requirements can reapply, as Lisle cannot fund all eligible applications each cycle.
Frequent Reasons Projects May Not Receive Funding
Over the last few grant cycles, Lisle International has seen a strong and growing interest in our funding opportunities. While many excellent projects are submitted, we are only able to fund a handful, making the process increasingly competitive.
Due to the number of applicants, we are unable to provide individualized feedback on every submission. However, we’ve included a list of common reasons why projects may not be funded. This list is not exhaustive, but we hope this guidance helps you refine and have clarity for future proposals.
- Alignment with Lisle’s Mission: A project may be exceptionally well written with complete information and still not be funded. This does not reflect its quality; rather, that other applicants align more closely with Lisle’s current mission and values.
- Limited Intercultural Focus: Projects should clearly show how they build intercultural understanding and foster long-term intercultural connections as their primary and overall goal. We recognize that the work organizations are doing across agriculture, development, education, technology along with many other themes are important, but the project must center on intercultural engagement— successful projects show they would not be viable without the intercultural component, which is central and not a secondary or added element.
- Not a Seed Grant: Lisle funding focuses on supporting the launch of new initiatives, whether as part of new projects or extensions of existing ones. Projects that primarily support ongoing or already-funded work without a clear innovative component or broader impact may not align with Lisle’s funding goals. This does not mean we do not support organizations already doing this work; rather, Lisle wants to support projects with a strong element of innovation.
- Unclear Collaboration Goals: If multiple groups are involved, it’s important to explain why they are coming together and what shared outcomes they hope to achieve.
- Overreliance on AI or Lack of Specificity: Some projects may appear AI-generated and lack detail about the communities served, feasibility, project activities, project recruitment or evaluation, among other elements. While we do not prohibit the use of AI, it is crucial that we hear the authentic voice of applicants and understand genuine community connections, which AI often impedes.
- Ambitious Scope Without Sufficient Detail: Overly ambitious projects with many or large activities or those spanning many or remote sites may be difficult to implement. Missing information about logistics, site selection, or land use can raise concerns.
- Outcome and Budget Clarity: Budget items must be clearly justified and explained throughout the application, rather than relying on the budget alone to convey their purpose. Each item should be logical and aligned with the project’s scope, timeline, and intended outcomes. Additionally, If a project already has significant financial support, it should explain why additional Lisle funding is necessary or pivotal for the completion of the project.
- Incomplete Information: Some applications are brief or do not fully answer questions about participant selection, project rationale, or alignment with Lisle funding priorities.
- Project Lead Location or Expertise: Lack of explanation for why the project lead is not local, or insufficient knowledge of the project location, can affect feasibility.
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To view previously funded organizations please visit: https://lisleinternational.org/global-seed-grants/global-seed-fund-grantees/
Discuss your questions with both your mentor if you have been approved past the RTA process and/or the Lisle International office.
AI Use in Lisle Grant Applications:
Lisle International understands that AI tools can support accessibility, especially for non-native English speakers. However, the proposal content must reflect your own voice, vision, and lived experience. We do not mind non-native English and prefer genuine writing to extremely polished AI-generated narratives.
AI-generated content will frequently sound generic, without the clarity and specificity which makes a project unique, and an over-reliance on AI in writing your proposal can jeopardize your application’s success. We suggest limiting AI use to translation, grammar, or spell-checking, not content generation. Lisle is looking for authentic proposals that tell the story of your project—your goals, your passion, and your community—in a way that AI may not be able to fully capture.