Announcing the Intercultural Microgrant Program

The Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) is a creative leadership program designed to develop skills and confidence, grow social capital, and build relationships to bridge divides. We work to build relational infrastructure across Kentucky, so that more Kentuckians have opportunities to meet, connect with, and collaborate with folks from vastly different backgrounds and perspectives.

Alumni already graduate from RUX with ideas for new projects that have been co-developed with members of their RUX consultancy teams, but we’ve never had the resources to directly invest in these ideas. Thanks to support from the Pluralism and Civil Exchange program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Kentucky Foundation for Women, we are launching this microgrant program to invest in our alumni network to employ the skills they’ve learned in the RUX program to the benefit of their state and local communities. 

SUPPORTING KENTUCKIANS TO DO GOOD DESPITE DIFFERENCE

As we approach our 10th year, the Intercultural Microgrant Program will support two or more individuals or organizations collaborating across distance, difference, or sector on projects that celebrate and connect Kentucky's people and places.

Recipients will receive seed funding, technical assistance, and peer support in exchange for a short creative product (video, photo, artwork, writing, or audio storytelling) that tells the story of their project. 

We are accepting applications through June 16, 2023. Read on to learn more about this opportunity, and apply here.

Guidelines and Eligibility:

  • Awards may range from $250-2000.

  • The primary applicant must be an alumni of the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX), while the supporting applicants can be alumni or former/current RUX partners, committee members, or facilities from a RUX host community. Projects must take place in Kentucky.

  • Grants must include a partnership between two individuals, two organizations, or an individual and an organization. Organizations do not need to be nonprofit, but can be. *If you need help finding alumni, organizations, or host committee members that might be a good fit for your project, RUX staff will be happy to connect you.

  • Priority consideration is given to applicants who are, are led by, or are serving People of Color, Indigenous Kentuckians, Kentuckians from rural communities, and Kentuckians impacted by recent natural disasters.

  • We encourage applicants to leverage this seed funding to entice partnerships and/or matching funds, but do not require a cash match.

  • Primary and secondary applicants will be required to complete an evaluation and develop a creative product (photo essay, blog post, video, podcast, etc.) by Jan 31, 2024.

  • Past, current, and 2024 Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange host communities include Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Covington, Estill County, Harlan County, Horse Cave, Knott County, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead, Muhlenberg County, Owensboro, Paducah, and Whitesburg.

About the selection process:
RUX applications are reviewed and scored by a panel of fellow KY RUX alumni. 

Timeline for application review:

  • June 1- Informational Webinar

  • June 16- Application Deadline

  • June 30- Award notification

  • July 10- Grant Agreement 

  • July 21- Public Announcement 

  • August 1- Award disbursement deadline

If you have questions while completing this application, please contact Savannah Barrett (savannah@artoftherural.org). We can offer accommodations and alternatives to this text-based application if needed.

KYRUX