A Guide for Collaborating with The Carpentries on Grants

Statement to Interested Collaborators

This guide was developed for potential collaborators interested in involving The Carpentries in a grant proposal. We value all contributions to our mission and are excited to collaborate with individuals and organisations interested in mission-aligned activities (i.e., Carpentries workshops, Instructor training, curriculum, and community development). We offer two options for collaborating with The Carpentries on grant proposals:

  1. Request a letter of support. If you are planning to budget Carpentries programming (i.e., workshops, membership, instructor training seats) into your grant proposal and would like to request a letter of support, please complete this form. Pricing for Carpentries programming is on our membership page. All requests for letters of support require five business days to be fulfilled.

  2. Request to meet one of our program leads. If you have an idea supporting one of the Carpentries’ strategic priorities and would like to co-write a grant proposal, please schedule a meeting with the corresponding program lead using the links below. Minimum requirements for co-writing a grant proposal with The Carpentries are provided below.

We invite you to include The Carpentries in your grant to support workshops, membership, and Instructor training whether you apply as an individual institution or a consortium. We are also happy to collaborate on grant proposals supporting our mission, core values, and priorities. This guide should be used as a resource in advance of proposal development.

How is The Carpentries Funded?

Funders who help The Carpentries fulfill our mission and vision financially include Member Organisations, Sponsors, charitable foundations, and individual supporters (The Carpentries Philanthropy). The Carpentries is currently funded by grants and sponsorships (~56%), memberships (~30%), workshop/instructor training fees (~5%), and other sources including donations and curriculum development. We aim to be transparent in our sources of revenue and how they align with our vision and values and seek funding to support existing priorities and future goals in alignment with our strategic plan. Below is a list of sources of grants and sponsors who have funded The Carpentries.

Current and Past Grants and Subawards

For more information about grants we have received from these sources, please read our blog posts tagged grants.

Current and Past Sponsors

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit our Sponsorship Program page.

Minimum Requirements for Co-Writing a Grant with The Carpentries

The Carpentries has identified deliverables ideal for in-kind support and/or grant funding in curriculum development, community development, workshops, instructor training, and infrastructure. These projects typically require that a percentage of The Carpentries Core Team time be written into the grant budget to support program development, administration, and infrastructure. Below are examples of minimum requirements for co-writing a grant with The Carpentries.

  • Timeframe: Please allow 3-6 months to work on a grant proposal with a Core Team Lead. Expect several meetings/co-working sessions to develop the proposal narrative and budget during that time. A clearer timeline will be co-developed once a decision to move forward with writing a grant has been made.

  • Budget: The Carpentries is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. As such, all budget proposals will include an 11.11% fee on the income The Carpentries receives. Additionally, for any key personnel working on the grant, a minimum of 15% of their time throughout the grant must be included in the budget. Key personnel may include, but is not limited to, Core Team Leads, administrators, or contractors working with The Carpentries. Lastly, support to be written into a grant budget may include infrastructure, equipment, and/or travel as appropriate.