Frequently Asked Questions
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About the Program
Here are the eligibility requirements:
- Applicants must live in the U.S., and they must be aged 18-35 years old at the time they apply.
- Applicants must be able to attend the Virtual Orientation on August 8, 2024, from 6-8 pm EST.
- Applicants must also be able to travel to Canada in August 2024 for the KECC Studio. This requires a valid passport. Applicants must propose a community project within the following categories: downtown and neighborhood revitalization, public space and/or economic opportunity. The project must take place in one of the 8 resident communities where Knight Foundation has offices. Priority will be given to projects that also address Knight Foundation’s goals in that community. Learn more here.
Participants will receive:
- An immersive experience through the Knight Emerging City Champions in-person Studio in Toronto, Canada to develop leadership and project management skills such as stakeholder engagement, budgeting, and communications.
- $5,000 (USD) in seed funding to implement a community project.
- $500 (USD) tech bundle to support project activities.
- Ongoing support and mentorship from city building experts.
- Access to a national network of peers and community leaders.
- Opportunities to be publicly recognized and promoted by 8 80 Cities and Knight Foundation.
Your project should:
- Be implementable within 12 months.
- Be within the following categories: downtown and neighborhood revitalization, public space and/or economic opportunity and based in one of Knight Foundation’s 8 resident communities. Priority will be given to projects that also address Knight Foundation’s goals in that community. Learn more here.
- Be innovative, with an emphasis on addressing existing community needs.
- Be managed and led by you but developed through community collaboration.
- Be affordable to implement and free for the public to enjoy.
- Past projects have ranged from beehives to jukeboxes, mentorship programs to art projects, block parties to shared meals. Read more here.
Yes, we encourage applications for both new and existing projects. If your project is already underway, your application should demonstrate how your participation in the program will help you scale up or advance the goals of your current work.
Each champion is required to:
- Attend the in-person Studio in Toronto, Canada from August 23 -25, 2024.
- Implement (at minimum) one community project.
- Participate in ongoing networking and skill-building opportunities.
- Submit regular project updates via blog posts, videos, or other media content.
- Submit a final report to summarize progress and accomplishments. This report can take various media forms (i.e. video, blog post, posters, etc.).
Knight Emerging City Champions is a year-long program, running from August 2024 to August 2025.
The year consists of an in-person Toronto studio, plus monthly virtual meetings for champions.
20 champions will be selected to participate in the program.
Each champion will receive a $5,000 (USD) grant to implement their proposed idea or project. Each champion will also receive a $500 (USD) tech bundle to support their project activities.
No. You do not need to raise matching funds to qualify for the Knight Emerging City Champions program.
The program is managed by 8 80 Cities, a non-profit organization with the mission to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people. The program is funded by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Internal Revenue Service regulations on private foundations define some items that Knight Foundation can and cannot fund. We are prohibited from making grants:
- to carry on propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation (as explained in Internal Revenue Code 4945(d)(1));
- to influence the outcome of any specific public election, or to carry on a partisan voter registration drive (directly or indirectly) (as explained in Internal Revenue Code 4945(d)(2)).
Intellectual property developed using Knight Foundation grant funds generally needs to be released to the public under an open-source license. We make exceptions in a limited number of cases; the criteria are spelled out in Knight Foundation's intellectual property licensing policy.
About the Application
The online application opened on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The competition closed at 11:59 pm EDT (8:59 pm PDT) on Monday, May 27, 2024. Late entries will not be considered.
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on the strength of the project idea and its potential to impact downtown and neighbourhood revitalization, public space and/or economic opportunity.
Finalists will be scored against three criteria: the potential impact of their idea, the level of innovation it displays, and the capacity of the applicant to carry out the project. Priority will be given to projects that also address Knight Foundation’s goals in the community in which the project is based. Learn more here.
You may submit as many ideas as you would like.
8 80 Cities and Knight Foundation will select the champions in partnership with a review panel of past program participants and city building experts.
Successful applicants will be informed about the status of their application by July 4, 2024. All applicants will receive a response by the end of July 2024.
About You
We are looking for people with new ideas and fresh perspectives on civic challenges. This program is for talented people with potential who are ready to take their city building work to the next level. We have a preference for individuals who have already demonstrated impact in their community but who may need new training and networking opportunities to meet their potential. We are committed to prioritizing applicants who represent communities and groups who have been historically marginalized and are underrepresented in leadership positions.
Yes. Applicants must be aged 18-35 at the time they apply.
No, but your project needs to be carried out in one of the 8 resident communities where Knight Foundation has offices. If you’re not based in one of the 8 U.S. cities, you’ll need a local partner.
No. Applicants may apply independently, or in affiliation with non-profit, for-profit, and/or government entities. If you are proposing to carry out a project as part of a larger organization, you should be the project lead and major decision-maker.
If the project you are proposing is part of your paid work or on behalf of a larger organization, you should be the project lead and major decision-maker, including for budgetary decisions relating to the KECC grant. If your employment ends, our expectation is that you will retain ownership of the project and any remaining grant funds, not your employer.
We will select individuals, not groups or pairs, to participate in the program. If you will be completing the work alongside multiple people or as part of a larger organization, you should be the project lead and major decision-maker and apply as an individual.
Yes. Prior funding from the Knight Foundation does not affect eligibility for the Knight Emerging City Champions program. However, if you were a past KECC participant you cannot reapply.
Yes. We encourage you to reapply if you still meet the eligibility requirements and were not selected in previous years. (Please note that past KECC participants cannot reapply.)