Your projects are thought-out, your ideas are many – but in your entire wallet, you do not have a spare penny?

Consider this FLEX alumni: American Councils for International Education has launched two grant programs for 2013, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), to assist past participants of the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) in funding their project ideas!

Opportunity #1
The FLEX Alumni Grant Program (Application Deadline Monday, February, 25, 2013) offers FLEX alumni the invaluable opportunity to apply for a grant to initiate social, economic, and civic development projects of their own design in their home countries.

Individual grants (Up To $250) are offered to support community service projects organized by an individual FLEX alumnus or alumna, as well as personal or professional development projects, including attendance at conferences.

Group grants (Up To $3000) are offered to support professional development or teaching programs, community service activities, the promotion of the English language, and American culture projects. Not all people participating in the group have to be FLEX alumni, however, the grant recipient and the project leader or co-leader must be a FLEX alumnus/a.

The application and further information about eligibility can be found on Facebook under FLEX Alumni Grant Program or at https://ais.americancouncils.org under the application entitled FLEX 2013 FLEX Alumni Grants Program Application.

Opportunity #2
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) FLEX Alumni Matching Grants Initiative (Application Deadline Monday, February 25, 2013) invites FLEX alumni to apply for matching funds of up to $500 to implement local community service projects as part of the Global Youth Service Day initiative, occurring April 26-28, 2013.

By offering a matching grant, ECA will leverage additional funds for GYSD. In order to receive this grant, alumni must conduct local fundraising efforts to secure contributions from other donors. If the project is chosen for funding, those funds may be matched on a dollar for dollar basis to complete the project.

Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign and the largest service event in the world. This international campaign celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning.

The Global Youth Service Day FLEX Alumni Matching Grants Initiative application and further information about eligibility can be found at https://ais.americancouncils.org under the application entitled FLEX 2013 Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) FLEX Alumni Matching Grants Initiative Application or at the FLEX Global Youth Service Day Matching Grant Program page on Facebook.

Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!