More than a million people in Washington speak a language other than English at home. These people participate in their communities, they need services, and they vote. How are you engaging these communities in their preferred language?
A big part of our work at the Communications Hub is expanding the capacity of the progressive movement to reach new people. In our work, we’ve consistently seen the need for additional resources to support in-language communications. To help fill this gap, we are very excited to announce a new translation fund designed to support progressive organizations engage non-English speaking communities.
With $5,000 available to help 501(c)(3) organizations with translation, we’re excited to work with partners across Washington state to complete projects that engage audiences in effective ways.
Eligibility
A broad range of projects are eligible to receive funding. The requirements are as follows:
- Projects must have a not-for-profit purpose. Only 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to receive funding.
- A community review process is essential. All successful applicants must commit to seeking a community member to review translated materials for accuracy and cultural competency before publishing them. We are available to help with this process.
- In order to be eligible, applications must be received prior to one of the 2016 deadlines. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying early is encouraged. In total, $5,000 will be awarded and an organization is only eligible to apply for up to $1,000 for a specific project.
Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on the following key criteria. While all eligible applications will be reviewed, priority will be given to those that meet the following criteria:
- Relevance:Our goal is to engage all communities in our movement. Key to accomplishing this is providing translated information that is culturally competent and relevant to people’s lives and values. Language is just one barrier that often prevents individuals and communities, often those most impacted, from accessing the same level of information as English-speakers. For that reason, projects that include a community engagement or review process to ensure information is translated and made culturally relevant to the lives and experiences of the targeted audience is a priority.
- Publication: Our goal is to translate materials that will be of the most use to the communities they relate to and will actually reach them. Organizations with a plan in place for outreach and dissemination of translated materials will be given preference. Methods can be diverse and creative, ranging from one-on-one outreach to media engagement. Thoughtful publication of the materials is key.
- Filling the Gap:Our goal is to expand the net amount of translated resources available to the communities that rely on them. Therefore, preference will be given to projects that are not currently funded, represent an expansion of funded work, or are a new undertaking for the applicant organization.
Timeline
In total, $5,000 will be awarded to 501(c)(3) organizations to complete translation projects in 2016. We have split the application process into four application deadlines to provide additional flexibility and time for organizations to identify priority translation projects throughout the year. Decisions will be made within two weeks of the application deadline.
If you have any questions regarding the application deadlines, please contact Shetha Alaskar, Communications Hub Coordinator at shetha@fusewashington.org.
Deadline 1:
Applications received by January 31, 2016 will receive a decision by February 15, 2016.
Deadline 2:
Applications received by April 30, 2016 will receive a decision by May 16, 2016.
Deadline 3:
Applications received by July 31, 2016 will receive a decision by August 15, 2016.
Deadline 4:
Applications received by October 31, 2016 will receive a decision by November 14, 2016.
Application Guidelines
Applications may be submitted in paper using the mailing address below or online.
Along with your application, please feel free to send any supplemental materials that will provide clarity on the scope and necessity of your work via postal mail or to the provided email address. Please do not submit in excess of 5 pages of supplementary materials.
If your organization requires special consideration in this process (due to issues of logistics, timeline, etc), please contact Shetha Alaskar, Communications Hub Coordinator, via email at shetha@fusewashington.org.
Mailing Address:
Fuse Innovation Fund C/O Shetha Alaskar
1402 Third Ave, Suite 406, Seattle, WA 98101
Paper Application: http://bit.ly/1Ua62bS
Online Application: http://bit.ly/TranslationFund
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m applying for funding for an urgent project, is expedited processing of my application possible?
Yes, in some cases expedited review is possible due to the urgency of the project and subject to the capacity of the Hub to meet demand. Please contact Shetha Alaskar (shetha@fusewashington.org) for more details.
Is there a cap for the amount of funding one group can receive?
Yes, individual organizations are eligible to apply for up to $1,000. The fund’s total capacity is $5,000.
Are there preferred translation vendors that applicants should plan on using?
There are no preferred vendors; however, we are open to advising on which translation firm to work with based on those that the Hub has contracted with. We are also open to funding projects that pay a community member or increase the hours of a member of staff to do this work.
Can this funding be used for printing or publicizing translated materials? Or is it for translation alone?
Yes, please include a breakdown of the projects budget in your application.