Week 19 - How to get your project financed ?

Have you ever think "I have an idea that would help my local community"?

And have you then been stoped by the thought "I don't have enough money to implement it" ?

If you want to join forces with your friends to create a project that would show solidarity values, to be devoted to the global goals challenges while helping tackle regional or even national issues, than ...

Have you ever heard about the "Solidarity project" proposed by the European Solidarity Corps ?

1/ Wait a minute ... What is a Solidarity Project ?

The Solidarity Project is :

        ➡ 500€ every month to finance your project

        ➡ From 2 to 12 months funding

        ➡ Composed by at least 5 persons between 18 and 30 years old residing in any of the European Solidarity Corps country

But to get this, you will need :

        ➡ An application form to send through the online plateform in october (check the website for the exact date) 

All the informations needed here

2/ What is our experience with the Solidarity Project ?

As volunteers in Bulgaria (Shipka), we have been proposed to help to implement Kick Boxing sessions for the youth of the city Pretty cool, isn't it ?

So basically, here are the steps where we came from :

    a. Becoming professionals Kick Boxer

Ok, no, it's a joke.

    a (the real one). Propose Kick Boxing sessions in Shipka to start gathering the Youth

For this, we found a kick boxing trainer who agrees to give sessions time to time. To communicate around those sessions, we use the word-to-mouth (mainly from Markus to his Shipka friends), the display (we create posters that we display in Shipka) and the social media (instagram stories, you know that)

    b. Gather a group of 5 young people to write down the application form

And that wasn't an easy part! Thanksfully, Krissy and Hrissy (our Bulgarian teacher's daughter and her best friend) where a massive help for that. 

    c. Write down the project !

We had 1 month to write down the answers in the application form. It was quiet a long journey, but I actually really enjoyed the working sessions I had with Markus (the two of us in the living room, music on, coffe made) and with the youth (usually once every 7 or 10 days, with snacks and good laughts)

    d. Send the application form before the deadline

We made it, and have been helped by Green School Village (our hosting organisation) who read down our application form before sending it. This is not a mandatory step for you, but it is always easier when someone who already know the process give you a hand !

And then ... Wait for the result !

Don't hesitate to ask us further information in the comments or through Balkep. My advice if you want to get funded is definitly to work in team as much as you can ! This will help to build a common vision of what you want to reach.

Brought to you by Fanny from France