- Program Civil Society
- Program Area Strengthening Civic Space
- Grant Amount $150,000
- Grant Period January 1, 2013–December 31, 2014
- Location Moscow, Russia
- Geographic Focus Russia
About this grant
The program goal is to develop and expand a platform for supporting local community projects with in-kind donations, money, or volunteer time in Russia. Cloudwatcher will coordinate this Merit Bank, which operates on the basis of assigning tradable exchange units in return for contributions of time, goods, or money. These tradable units in turn can be used as donations for other projects, creating a growing circle of participation and contribution. Staff will help local citizens identify key local challenges, refine social projects for possible support, and identify additional resource contributors from within and outside the community. They will also manage the technical issues associated with tracking participants’ accounts. A gallery of potential projects proposed by local residents will be publicized through a Web site operated by Cloudwatcher — butovo.bankzaslug.ru — and also through public events. Established in 2005, Cloudwatcher works throughout Russia to promote innovative developments in philanthropy, volunteerism, and social entrepreneurship.