ChangeX has launched the fourth annual Community Challenge, supported by Microsoft. Prior Community Challenges enabled almost 40 local groups to start community projects. These projects have benefited more than 3,150 local people so far.*

The 2023 ChangeX Community Challenge will support community projects across five counties: Mecklenburg, Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg, and Brunswick

The deadline to apply for ChangeX funding is January 26, 2023.

Who is Eligible?

New this year, local groups may apply for up to $2,500 to develop or expand an existing community project related to digital skills or environmental sustainability.

Or, as in years past, local groups can get up to $5,000 to support a new community project from the list of proven ideas provided by ChangeX partners.

This year, the list includes 9 ideas. You could start a FIRST LEGO League, a hands-on program that supports children aged 4 to 14 to develop STEM skills and teamwork. Another option is to create a Repair Café, a free meeting place where people come together to repair things. Repair Cafés help communities connect, allow valuable practical knowledge to be shared, and reduce waste. View the full project list on the ChangeX website.

Local groups who apply for funding to start one of the ideas will have 30 days to build a small team and design an action plan. On completing these steps, they will be eligible for seed funding of up to $5,000. Funding will be allocated to qualifying applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Microsoft and ChangeX

ChangeX, supported by Microsoft, has funded more than 500 teams in communities across the US and Europe to start impactful community projects through a series of Community Challenges.

The Microsoft Community Empowerment Fund, which provides funding for the Challenge, is an initiative of the Microsoft Datacenter Community Development team. Through its partnership with ChangeX, Microsoft supports communities to thrive, as part of its wider aim to establish a positive presence in the communities where it operates datacenters.

“Microsoft is committed to the Southern Virginia community, and we look forward to supporting a range of impactful projects through this fund, and building on the success of the previous Challenges. I can’t wait to see a range of exciting projects getting off the ground this year and am delighted to be able to support the local community through this fund,” said Kelly Lanier-Arnold, Microsoft Datacenter Community Development Team.

Learn more at https://sovainnovationhub.com/changex.

*Some previous projects have not yet submitted impact data, so the total number of beneficiaries is likely higher than the reported number above.

About ChangeX

ChangeX is a community engagement platform designed to get funding and resources into the hands of everyday people to lead impactful projects in their neighborhoods.

ChangeX was established in 2015. It works with social innovators to scale proven solutions to environmental, economic and social issues and partners with corporations and foundations to support communities with the necessary funding. Its funding partners include Microsoft, Accenture, the LEGO Foundation, and Amazon Web Services, among others.

ChangeX is an international non-profit organization, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with teams based across Europe and the Americas. www.changex.org