Mosaic Movement Infrastructure RFP

About Mosaic's Movement Infrastructure RFP:

Mosaic is a national initiative strengthening field-wide movement infrastructure that supports people working to ensure clean air and water, a safe climate, healthy and just communities for all, and protection of our natural heritage. Mosaic seeks to fund projects that advance the ability of people and organizations to work together toward a stronger, more just, inclusive, diverse and impactful environmental movement. Projects should be collaborative by design, engage and benefit multiple stakeholders, and create shared tools that are widely beneficial to movement actors as opposed to narrowly focused on one or a small number of organizations.

To advance this overarching goal, Mosaic seeks ideas for projects that advance one or more of six types of movement infrastructure (as depicted in the diagram below). Mosaic also welcomes proposals that advance other infrastructure needs that Mosaic may not have thought about. There are many important projects that advance the six areas of focus of this RFP: Communications, Leadership Development, Advocacy Tools & Training, Data & Information, Relationships & Trust, and Philanthropic Innovation. For illustration purposes only, here are some examples:

Mosaic’s Areas of Strategic Focus
Mosaic’s Areas of Strategic Focus

Applicant Resources

English

Español

Q&A Webinars (Video)

Interested in collaborating on projects? 

  • Join us on Mosaic’s public collaboration page to connect with other collaborations, organizations, and individuals who are interested in submitting a project to Mosaic’s Movement Infrastructure RFP. 
  • Communications
    • Ex: Develop and test shared messages for movement members
    • Ex: Expand the field’s use of cutting-edge digital communications
    • Ex: Develop low-cost training academies or regional communications hubs
  • Leadership Development
    • Ex: Create or expand diverse talent recruitment and mentorship programs open to multiple organizations
    • Ex: Provide large-scale diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training
  • Advocacy Tools & Training
    • Ex: Develop model policies addressing environmental issues for joint advocacy
    • Ex: Create campaign training bootcamps
  • Data & Information
    • Ex: Create shared data, HR, and other platforms to reduce organizational costs
    • Ex: Create or use an existing digital platform to boost cross-field information sharing
    • Ex: Create or fund local capacity to collect and analyze pollution data
  • Relationships & Trust
    • Ex: Provide collaboration support for organizations that seek to work together effectively
    • Ex: Develop or grow coalitions that include multiple issue areas and networks
    • Ex: Foster alliances among NGO and foundation board members and trustees
  • Philanthropic Innovation
    • Ex: Develop a revolving fund for defense infrastructure, like legal technical assistance and litigation support
    • Ex: Implement an initiative to streamline grant processes through common grant requirements
    • Ex: Create or use an existing digital platform to link funders and the field around real-time grantmaking opportunities 

 

View Mosaic's Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Funding Amounts

Mosaic anticipates distributing up to $3,000,000 in this RFP to amplify the power of the U.S. environmental field by strengthening movement infrastructure. Grants will range between $25,000 and $500,000. The size of the grant will not correlate to the size of the applicant’s budget, but we expect that larger grants will be dedicated to larger & broader collaborations, or projects that support large numbers of movement participants.

Eligibility

Mosaic will support projects that are led by a non-profit public charity organization (including a collaboration of organizations led by a non-profit), and based in and substantially focused on the United States, (including Puerto Rico, Guam & Virgin Islands). Proposed work should be supportive of people and organizations who predominantly focus on healthy & just communities, clean air & water, a safe climate, the protection of our natural heritage, or other related environmental protection and justice topics. The proposed work should advance field-wide connections and shared tools & resources like: Communications, Leadership Development, Advocacy Tools & Training, Data & Information, Relationships and Trust, and/or Philanthropic Innovation*, or other types of movement infrastructure that widely benefit multiple organizations (*please see RFP FAQ for definitions and examples). The proposed work should also reflect grantmaking values for this RFP set out below, including Mosaic’s commitment to equity.

Grantmaking Values

In addition to the basic eligibility criteria described above, Mosaic will prioritize projects that:

  • Demonstrate leadership by BIPOC, low-income, Women, Queer, Gender Non-Conforming, environmental justice and other socially & economically disadvantaged movement members, organizations and communities.
  • Demonstrate a focus on developing the power and capacity of the environmental movement by supporting and connecting organizations and approaches that reflect the full breadth of the environmental field in all its richness, including political, cultural, geographic, economic, social, sectoral, and issue area diversity.
  • Are collaborative by design and engage and benefit multiple stakeholders.
  • Express, in both design and intent, a commitment to building a more inclusive, equitable, and impactful environmental movement.
  • Create shared tools that are widely beneficial to movement actors as opposed to narrowly focused on one or a small number of organizations
  • Provide relevant current value while building long-term power in the environmental movement.
  • Build on existing efforts and initiatives when possible; new initiatives should clearly demonstrate how they fill a current gap in the broader landscape or ecosystem.
  • Advance and share learning broadly with the field.

How To Apply

Please note that the application window has closed for Mosaic's Movement Infrastructure RFP. Grants will be made after consideration of proposals by Mosaic’s Governance Assembly and decisions will be communicated by January 2021.

 

Please reach out to info@mosaicmomentum.org if you have any questions.

2020-21 Application Timeline and Process

Application Open Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Application Close Date: Friday, October 30, 2020

Applications Under Review by Mosaic's Governance Assembly: November 2020 - December 2020

Grants Awarded and Announced: January 2021

For any questions or concerns, please contact our team at info@mosaicmomentum.org.

Si desea que este formulario se traduzca al español, comuníquese a info@mosaicmomentum.org. ¡Gracias!