Best Buy Community Grants. Everybody loves Best Buy, right? The company is gigantic now, and it is nice to see that it provides some quality corporate social responsibility programs such as the Best Buy Community Grant. With the recent boom in technology, the company realizes that the youth should be equipped with important 21st-century technology skills, which is why they have been focusing on this topic for a few years already.
The aim is pretty simple: to bridge the 21st-century education participation between the youth in well-served areas and the youth in underserved areas. As you know, those living in underserved areas often have no or little access to technology, which eventually may lead to fewer career options in the future. Typically they want to be involved in the project too because they encourage all the award winners to make use of their technology resources and employees.
Best Buy Community Grants Program
The grant award comes in various amounts, but, in general, the maximum grant award is up to $10,000 while the average grant money given for a project is around $5,000. The money should be used to support activities that are related to the development of the 21st-century technology skills such as computer programming, graphic design, gaming development, mobile app development, videography, robotics, etc.
Since this is a community grant, it is only natural that the money is not available for individuals. Only nonprofit organizations and public agencies (i.e. community center, school, etc) are eligible, and these communities should be able to provide proof of their tax-exempt status.
Other requirements that need to be fulfilled is that the organization’s location is nearby a Best Buy related locations such as Best Buy Store, Best Buy Distribution Center, Best Buy Corporate Campus, Best Buy Service Center, or Best Buy Mobile Location. Public agencies and nonprofit organizations located more than 50 miles from these locations are not eligible to apply. As long as it is a community-based program that supports 21st-century skills in youth, you may apply for the grant.
We also receive information that the even though it is not a multi-year grant program, winners of the previous grant award may submit new application every year. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the grant again, but as long as you are able to explain the solid reason why you need more funding, you may receive more funding. Another useful tip would be to involve volunteers, especially from Best Buy employees. The company has stated that projects with this criterion will have a special consideration.
If you are interested in applying for a subsequent grant, it is important to track a record on the whole progress because Best Buy makes it mandatory to create and submit a report on the project funded by their money.
The deadline for the Best Buy community grant program is usually in June every year, and selected applicants will be notified in September. Remember to read all the expected elements in your grant proposal and submit the application before the deadline.
For more information about this grant, you can contact the Best Buy through their Best Buy Community Relations website.
References:
- Community Grants
- Image: fastcompany.com
