No, we are not currently accepting applications for the Giving Project. We will update this website with application information when we are!
Interested applicants submit an online interest form as the first step. After reading completed interest forms, Headwaters staff schedule one-on-one conversations to get to know each applicant better. Staff will invite the new Giving Project participants to join the cohort by early December; programming kicks off in January.
Headwaters is not currently accepting applications for the Giving Project program.
We look for people who will commit to the full program. If you have the time and capacity to fully invest in this unique cohort experience and are passionate about organizing donors to fund social movements, then we want you apply!
We are also dedicated to meet our overall goals for cohort diversity. Headwaters centers Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color in each Giving Project cohort. We also prioritize LGBTQ folks and participants from diverse age and class backgrounds.
Yes! People involved with grantee organizations can participate as a Giving Project cohort member as a way to inform and influence their own work. We use a conflict-of-interest policy to ensure that anyone closely involved with an applicant organization does not participate in the discussion or scoring of that organization’s application.
Being present at all meetings is how we build collective analysis and support. We prioritize participants who can attend all sessions, but we are able to make some accommodations on a case by case basis. Please let us know if you'll need to miss any sessions in your application.
Frankly, most people do, and there are lots of reasons why. We work with each cohort to find their possible reasons during the staff-led fundraising training. That's when cohort members learn how to ask for money in ways that feel good. Cohort members begin to see that they are engaging in powerful, direct action for social change. It's not just about fundraising. Giving Project cohort members become donor organizers, using their own donations and influence to bring in more donations from their networks.
Many alumni credit the fundraising aspect of the program as the most challenging and rewarding. Staff are enthusiastic about supporting you on your journey.
Our 2021 and 2022 Giving Project cohorts were entirely online. This allowed participants from outside the metro to participate fully. We prefer, however, that you be based in Minnesota since that is our funding geography.
As we plan for our next cohort, we will provide updated accessibility information.
Yes! Headwaters is committed to providing childcare as part of the program in the form of a stipend. If you need a childcare stipend, please tell us during the application process.
- Tell others about the Giving Project! We need your help to get the word out.
- Be willing to be fundraised. We need a list of people who are willing to make a gift through a one-to-one conversation with a Giving Project cohort member. If you're interested, connect with Director of Individual Giving Mary Delorié.
- Donate. In order to make Giving Projects work, we need financial support from people who love the idea and the work but can’t be involved themselves. You can choose to donate to the Giving Project or to our general fund.