Application Status

Grant Deadline

7 May 2026

Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program

Program Overview

Over 2 billion people remain offline – about a quarter of the world’s population – and most live in remote and rural, low-income and isolated communities worldwide. Usually, they are not able to connect to the Internet for three main reasons:

The Internet Society Foundation’s Community-Centered Connectivity (CCC) Grant Program, a core part of the Internet Society’s work to help communities bridge the digital divide, aims to address these challenges by supporting organizations to develop and expand Internet access and increase adoption in digitally excluded communities.

Community-centered connectivity is when connectivity solutions are built for, with, or by local communities themselves. These solutions are not imposed from outside but instead designed with direct involvement from the people who will use and maintain them. They often emerge in places where other models have failed or are not viable.

Through its three funding tracks – Catalyst, Scaling, and Systems – the CCC Grant Program supports organizations of various backgrounds, sizes, and expertise who can offer the best context-specific, community-centered connectivity solutions.

Program Objectives

  • Support connectivity solutions that solve the major barriers to meaningful connectivity for communities: availability, affordability, and adoption. Solutions should increase the availability of affordable, reliable Internet connectivity among digitally excluded communities.
  • Increase Internet adoption by strengthening digital literacy and local capacity to manage and maintain connectivity solutions.
  • Support organizations that build and sustain collaborative partnerships with communities and other stakeholders to implement connectivity solutions and expand their capacity.
  • Increase organizational capacity of grantee partners to scale their work.

Funding

The CCC Grant Program welcomes eligible organizations to apply to one of the three funding tracks, based on their organization’s capacity, experience, the scale, and duration of the project they propose. While applications from any eligible organizations are welcome, a strong preference will be given to those working with refugees/displaced communities, Indigenous communities, and women and girls.

  • Catalyst Track: Up to USD $50,000 to build at least one new connectivity solution, or an expand an existing solution, in a community. This project can be up to 12 months.
  • Scaling Track: Up to USD $200,000 to support deployment of proven, successful solutions to improve or expand connectivity to multiple communities. This project can be up to 18 months.
  • Systems Track: Above USD $200,000 to support large-scale replication of proven community connectivity solutions in multiple communities or at regional or multi-country levels. This project can be up to 24 months. Note that this is an invite-only track. Only applicants invited by an ISOC Foundation staff member can apply.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria in order to be considered for a grant:

  • Be a legally registered non-profit organization or a social enterprise in their country with an official bank account in their name that can receive funds from a foundation based in the United States
  • Be well-positioned to implement the project in terms of successful experience managing similar Internet-connectivity work, technical skills of staff and/or partners, and other strengths and capacities
  • Have demonstrated support from the local community/communities that will benefit from the connectivity solutions
  • While applications from any eligible organization are welcome, a strong preference will be given to those working with refugees/displaced communities, Indigenous communities, and women and girls
  • The Catalyst and Scaling Tracks are open to the public to apply
    • For the Catalyst Track, a preference for organizations that have managed grants over USD$20,000
    • For the Scaling Track, organizations must have a demonstrated record of managing grants of at least USD$50,000
  • The Systems Track is invitation-only. Only organizations invited by an ISOC Foundation staff member will be eligible to apply for the Systems Track.

Funding Track Eligibility Quiz

Use the Funding Track Eligibility Quiz to help you determine (a) if your proposed project is a fit for this program and (b) to explore which funding track best aligns with your project. This quiz will take less than 5 minutes.

Selection Criteria

In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, applications will be reviewed by internal and  independent external reviewers using the following selection criteria:

  • The proposed project supports the overall objectives of the CCC grant program
  • The proposed project delivers a community-centered connectivity solution by addressing barriers to connectivity (Availability, Affordability, and Adoption)
  • The applicant and any partners demonstrate the necessary knowledge, relationships, and experience to accomplish the project goals
  • The project’s goals, outcomes, key milestones, and work plan are clearly defined and align with each other.

For more information, consult the CCC Application Guide (available soon).

Timeframe

Applications will be accepted from 17 March to 7 May 2026, at 21:00 UTC. Applications are reviewed by the Internet Society, the Internet Society Foundation, and external experts to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements and are aligned with the focus areas. Please note that this process could take up to fourteen (14) weeks.

How to Apply

The application is open to the public for the Catalyst and Scaling Tracks. The Systems Track is invitation-only, and only organizations invited by an ISOC Foundation staff member will be eligible to apply for the Systems Track.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to register their organization in the Foundation’s grants management system prior to the application window opening. Applicants must be registered in Fluxx, and applications must be submitted prior to the deadline to be considered for funding. No e-mail submissions will be accepted. Prospective applicants can view the Example Application forms for Catalyst and Scaling.

Applications may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. Incomplete submissions that do not meet eligibility requirements will not be considered (see “Eligibility” section above).

Helpful Resources

Frequently Asked Questions 

  • Why are you focusing on community-centered connectivity? The reality is that communities most affected by the digital divide are also among the most marginalized. At the Internet Society and the Internet Society Foundation, we believe that community-centered connectivity is not just a technical solution. It is a way of addressing exclusion, enabling participation, and building the Internet from the ground up. It ensures that the people who are currently offline are not just passive users, but active creators of their own digital futures.
  • What types of solutions are community-centered connectivity? CCC solutions include community networks, cooperatives, Indigenous-led connectivity projects, and many other models. They rely on local governance, use affordable and appropriate technology, and are sustained through flexible models that reflect community priorities.
  • Which of the three barriers – affordability, availability, adoption – should my project focus on? We seek proposals that address three barriers of digital divide: Availability, Affordability, and Adoption. For the Catalyst Track, the community-centered connectivity (CCC) solution should address at least two of the three barriers. For both the Scaling and Systems Tracks, the CCC solution should address all three barriers.
  • Why do you have a preference for organizations working with refugees/displaced communities, Indigenous communities, and women and girls? What if my project does not focus on these communities? As part of the Internet Society’s 2030 Strategy, we want to leverage solutions that help address issues such as global inequality. Digitally excluded groups, especially Indigenous communities, women and girls, and refugees/displaced communities, are among those who face several other inequalities and challenges that connectivity can help address. Therefore, the CCC Grant Program will give strong preferences for project proposals intending to work with these three specific communities. You are still welcome to apply even if you do not intend to engage and connect these communities.
  • Is this program open to Internet Society Chapters? Yes. Note: If your Chapter intends to apply for the Catalyst funding track (up to USD $50,000), your application will be through the Beyond the Net Community-Centered Connectivity focus area. The application for CCC Catalyst and Beyond the Net Community-Centered Connectivity are the same. Chapters can apply for the Scaling funding track (grants up to USD $200,000) providing they meet eligibility requirements.
  • What is a deployment? Deployment means installing the physical infrastructure of a connectivity solution, training people who will use the network, communicating about the project with stakeholders, and putting all the business plans into operation. Please read more about what is involved in a deployment in Internet Society’s Community Network Do-It-Yourself Toolkit.
  • What is required if I become a grantee? All grantees must submit regular reporting to the Foundation. Reports are due approximately every six months, and a final report is due one month after the project is completed.
  • What are some examples of eligible project expenses? Eligible project expenses include connectivity equipment, resources and materials for training, relevant travel costs, personnel/contractual costs, and indirect costs. Please remember to note the currency exchange rate used to draft the project budget.

Questions

If you have any further questions about this program or the application process, please email [email protected], indicating that you are seeking answers for the Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program.

Due to limited staff capacity, we cannot guarantee a response to questions about the program or the application process received within the last 24 hours of the application window. We cannot provide individualized application guidance during the application window.

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