ROI Community Update
Effective July 1, 2026, we will no longer run ROI Community. We close this chapter with deep gratitude for the colleagues and community members who shaped it. Read our full announcement.
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Who is eligible to apply for ROI micro funding?
ROI Community members can apply for micro funding if they:
- Participated in the 2016 ROI Summit or later, and
- Have completed the most recent ROI Member Survey.
Priority will be given to ROIers who are advancing social change in one of ROI's three focus areas.
In all cases, the ROI Community team maintains the right to approve or deny any grant request.
How many ROI grants can I receive in a given year?
Professional Development Grants:
- Up to two Professional Development Grants of up to $1,000 each (i.e., no more than $2,000 per year in total)
- Minimum funding request: $250
Career and Organizational Milestone Grants:
- Up to $3,500 per Career and Organizational Milestone Grant
- An ROIer cannot receive a Career and Organizational Milestone Grant two years in a row
Grassroots Initiatives Grants:
- Up to two Grassroots Initiatives Grants of up to $5,000 each (i.e., no more than $10,000 per year in total)
- ROI will not consider a second Grassroots Initiatives Grant application until the final report for the first Grassroots Initiatives Grant has been submitted and approved.
Can I apply for a grant to support an opportunity that will run into next year?
Grants for a given year must be used for opportunities in that same calendar year. In other words, 2025 grants must be put towards activities that will be completed by December 31, 2025. 2026 activities will be counted towards 2026 grants.
If an opportunity starts at the end of one year and runs into the beginning of the next, we will count it as next year's grant.
Can I apply to use the total ($2,000) annual Professional Development Grant allotment towards one opportunity?
No. You may apply for a maximum of $1,000 per opportunity.
Can ROI micro funding cover the entire cost of my project/opportunity?
There will be an advantage given to applications that exhibit additional sources of funding.
What will ROI micro funding NOT cover?
This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some examples of what ROI micro funding will not cover:
- Any program or opportunity already subsidized by Schusterman or for which you already received a Schusterman/ROI grant of any kind
- Travel to self-organized meetings, even if related to your project/venture
- Overseas travel if a similar opportunity is available in your locale or if the benefits of the experience do not justify international travel
- Business class or first class tickets
- Salaries
- Food for yourself
- General academic tuition costs (for example, to subsidize an MBA or PhD program)
- Transport and/or accommodation that is not directly connected to the micro funding opportunity
- Donations or sponsorships for other organizations
- Purchase of hardware, software or other equipment
- Book publication costs
- Ongoing business-related expenses (e.g., renting office space, long-term equipment rental, ongoing subscription fees for software, web hosting, association/membership fees, etc.)
- Another individual’s (e.g., a colleague’s) expenses
- Services that you are rendering to yourself, your organization or others (for example, grants cannot be paid for your time spent preparing for a presentation)
- Services provided by a spouse or close family member
- Reunions, festivals or other primarily networking events
- Legal work (for example, legal advice, litigation, etc.)
In addition, no aspect of the opportunity may involve an attempt to influence legislation, the outcome of any specific public election, or support of any voter registration drive.
In what currency is ROI micro funding awarded?
All dollar amounts are in US Dollars.
When will I receive the funds I've been awarded?
ROI micro funding is given as reimbursements: the ROIer covers all costs and then submits receipts for reimbursement through the Final Report Form after the opportunity is complete.
With Career and Organizational Milestone Grants and Grassroots Initiatives Grants, ROIers may request partial (up to 60%) upfront payment by completing the Interim Report Form 15 business days or more before the end date of their opportunity. The remainder of the grant will be processed as reimbursement upon completion of the Final Report Form.
Interim and Final Reports can be accessed via the Community Platform.
When is my Final Report due and what happens if it is overdue?
Your Final Report will become available on the end date of your opportunity, and is due within 30 days. Following this time, grants will be forfeited and no longer reimbursable unless an extension has been explicitly requested and approved by the ROI Team.
My opportunity involved other ROI members. Can we submit a report together?
No. Each ROI member must submit a separate report that they write individually.
Are grant approvals "all or nothing"?
No. Some grants are approved for a partial amount of the original grant request. This is at the discretion of the ROI Team.
Who should I contact on the ROI team about grants?
You can reach out to us anytime! We have a dedicated Grants inbox at [email protected], and we typically respond within a few days.