Strengthening Communities Through Innovative Solutions

• + 2021 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Organization must be a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
  • Fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible. If you have any questions about applying through a fiscal sponsor, please submit a question by clicking the "Contact Us" button on the application portal.
  • The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization must have an annual operating budget of more than $100,000 (defined by the organization's most recent 990).
  • The program being submitted by the organization must have been in existence and in operation for at least one year.
  • Organization must not have received cash or grant funding from Comcast NBCUniversal or an NBC or Telemundo owned television station in an amount equal to or exceeding $10,000 per year during any of the past three (3) years. This includes previous Project Innovation winners, Comcast NBCUnites partners, local NBC or Telemundo station partners, Comcast regional partners, and Comcast Community Impact partners (including, but not limited to local chapters and affiliates from the following organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Year, Easter Seals and The Arc).
  • Project Innovation will only award one grant per Tax ID number, across all eleven markets. If your organization shares a Tax ID number, please coordinate internally as only one application across all markets will be accepted for consideration as a finalist for a grant.
  • The NBC and Telemundo owned television station's Project Innovation grant program supports high impact, innovative programs that are creating change in our local communities by solving existing problems or emerging social issues in new ways. The Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation is committed to supporting the interests and needs of our diverse communities.
  • The following organizations are not eligible to apply:
    • Labor Organizations, Causes or Programs
    • Political Organizations, Causes or Programs
    • Religious Organizations, Causes or Programs
    • Schools, Educational Institutions and their affiliated fundraising entities and foundations (including elementary, secondary and universities). Fiscally sponsored schools are not eligible.
  • Organization must self-identify the program they are applying to receive the grant in one of the four grant categories:
    • Culture of Inclusion - Programs that encourage equitable access, opportunities, and resources for traditionally underrepresented communities.
    • Youth Education and Empowerment - In-school and out-of-school programs that equip youth with the tools they need to succeed, including STEM/ STEAM education and youth entrepreneurship.
    • Next Generation Storytellers - Programs that promote access and develop pathways for emerging talent, diverse voices, and underrepresented youth to explore careers in arts, news, sports and entertainment.
    • Community Engagement - Programs that enable individuals to engage and volunteer in their communities

• + FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Eligibility
  • Q. My organization has yet to file a 990, are we eligible?
    A 990 form is required to apply for an NBCUniversal Foundation Project Innovation grant.
  • Q. My organization's revenue fell short of $100,000, is there any way we can still apply?
    The organization must have had an annual operating budget of more than $100,000 (defined by the organization's most recent 990) to apply for a Project Innovation grant.
  • Q. If my organization is located near an NBC and Telemundo owned station and serves the zip codes listed in the eligibility criteria, is my organization eligible to apply?
    The address listed on the organization's 990 must be located within one of 11 participating NBC and Telemundo owned television station designated market areas (DMA) to apply for a Project Innovation grant.
  • Q. The program my organization is submitting for this grant has been in existence and in operation for less than one year, but will have hit the one year mark in February 2021, is this program eligible?
    The program must have been in existence for a least one year from the date you submitted the application. Applications close at 7:59:59 PM ET Friday, February 12th.
  • Q. Can my school's foundation apply for a grant?
    All schools, educational institutions and their affiliated fundraising entities and foundations (including elementary, secondary and universities) are not eligible to apply. Fiscally sponsored schools are not eligible.
  • Q. My organization has an innovative program that doesn't fall into one of the four (4) categories, can I apply in an "other" category?
    This program is only awarding grants in the following four focus areas: Culture of Inclusion, Youth Education and Empowerment, Next Generation Storytellers, and Community Engagement.
  • Q. My organization has received $5,000 annually from Comcast NBCUniversal, can we apply for this program?
    Yes. If your organization has received less than $10,000 in cash or grant funding per year within any of the past three (3) years from Comcast NBCUniversal or an NBC and Telemundo owned television station, you are eligible to apply.
  • Q. My organization has received $10,000 in cash or grant funding one year within the past three (3) years from Comcast NBCUniversal or an NBC and Telemundo owned television station but not for the program for which we'd like to apply. Can we apply for this other program?
    You are not eligible to apply for Project Innovation 2021 if your organization has received cash or grant funding from Comcast NBCUniversal or a NBC and Telemundo owned television station in an amount equal to or exceeding $10,000 per year, during any of the past three (3) years, regardless of program. This includes previous Project Innovation winners, NBCUniversal Comcast NBCUnites partners, local NBC or Telemundo station partners, Comcast regional partners, and Comcast Community Impact partners (including, but not limited to local chapters and affiliates from the following organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Year, Easter Seals and The Arc).
  • Q. My organization is affiliated with a national organization that has received more than $30,000 in cash or grant funding from Comcast NBCUniversal or a NBC and Telemundo owned television station in the past three (3) years, but not my local chapter. Is my local chapter eligible?
    We will verify any past support by your organization's Tax ID number. Each Tax ID number must not have received cash or grant funding from Comcast NBCUniversal or an NBC and Telemundo owned television station in an amount equal to or exceeding $10,000 per year, within any of the past three (3) years, regardless of the program.
  • Q. My organization won an NBCUniversal 21st Century Solutions grant a few years ago, can we apply for this grant program?
    Organizations that won a Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation grant between 2012 and 2017 are eligible to apply this year if they fall within the eligibility criteria.
  • Q. If I won a Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation grant between 2018 and 2020, am I eligible to apply for a Project Innovation 2021 grant?
    Organizations that won a Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation grant between 2018 and 2020 are not eligible to apply for this year's grant program.
  • Q. In the application portal, I am seeing "Not Eligible" instead of the "Create Application" button. What am I doing wrong?
    Please read the instructions on the application portal – on the home page - to ensure you have taken the appropriate steps to confirm eligibility for the program.

  • Application
  • Q. I work for a non-profit with multiple locations or chapters, how does my organization/local chapter apply?
    Project Innovation will only award one grant per Tax ID number, across all eleven markets. If your organization shares a Tax ID number, please coordinate internally as only one application across all markets will be accepted for consideration as a finalist for a grant.
  • Q. I am not able to fill in EIN information – how can I search for my organization's information?
    You first need to click "Search IRS Database." Once you do, search only using the EIN number without the hyphen. You should not enter your organization name or address in the search fields. If the organization EIN is not found, that means your organization is not eligible according to the IRS database. We are unable to override this registration function. Any questions about the IRS database listing should be directed to the IRS.
  • Q. How can I improve my chances of receiving a grant?
    The grant application process is competitive; proposals will be assessed based on your innovative program as well as the overall strength of your application.
  • Q. How will my application be reviewed?
    Judging consists of two rounds of evaluation. In round one, an initial review panel will assess the proposals and select the top finalists based on the most innovative programs, overall strength of the application as well as other criteria. The finalists will proceed to round two, where the local NBC and Telemundo stations' selection panel will identify between three (3) and twelve (12) winners in each participating market.
  • Q. How will I be contacted about the status of my proposal?
    The primary contact on all successfully submitted applications will receive an email notification in May 2021.
  • Q. Where can I find my organization's current operating budget?
    This number should be determined from the total revenue amount from your organization's most recent 990 form.
  • Q. I have forgotten my password for the Project Innovation site. What should I do?
    On the login page, click the "Forgot Password" link and provide your email address. You will receive an email to reset your password.
  • Q. How do I access a saved application so that I can complete and submit it?
    To save your application and return later, click "Save Draft" at the bottom of any page of the application. To return to the application, login to the site and find the application under "Applications/Grants". Click "Open" to return to the application.
  • Q. How should I notify you if my contact information should change after I submit my online application?
    You may update your contact information by logging back into the application site and selecting your name in the upper right. From the drop-down menu, select "My Profile" to make edits. Alternately, you can click "Contact Us" from the upper right menu and send an email with your updated information.

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