Rising Tide Foundation’s newest initiative: the Spark Fund for Collaboration

January 19, 2023

Following an expression of interest by grantees to collaborate on existing and future projects, Rising Tide Foundation launched the Spark Fund for Collaboration – a designated fund for former and current RTF grantees to develop and test ideas for collaboration between at least two grantees.

By working together, grantees have the potential to scale their impact, contribute to enhancing freedom, and create value for both the beneficiaries and participating organizations. The new Spark Fund gives access to small grants through a simplified process. The first round of applications was accepted until December 1st, 2022, with six grant proposals approved for funding. The Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) will cooperate with Archbridge Institute to create a one-stop-shop for researchers, policymakers, and the public to learn everything they need to know about the role agency plays in human flourishing and policy debates. This concept – called the Agency Hub – will bring together various researchers, intellectuals, and direct service practitioners from multiple disciplines for in-depth discussions on agency and to promote its key role in enhancing freedom and responsibility. LFMI will also work with KEFiM to expand their educational initiatives for the generation Alpha audience (born 2010-2020) by developing effective messaging, media, and styles to which this younger generation will respond. This project will inform education and communication initiatives through a better understanding of the specific psychological, social, and learning characteristics of generation Alpha. Emerging Leaders will collaborate with MYNE Together Inc to create a short video that animates the content of an Emerging Leaders training session with relatable, engaging content for multiple demographics. The intention of this collaboration is to enhance and deepen the current training, with the opportunity to reinforce ideas after the in-person training has been completed. With some First Step Staffing (FSS) clients facing ongoing barriers to retaining employment and attaining self-sufficiency, Emerging Leaders will also work with FSS to introduce their training modules around mindset shifts to unlock agency and motivation. The goal of this collaboration is to help FSS clients retain employment and empower themselves into self-sufficiency. On an initial phase of collaboration, Dr. Steve Humble, Reader at Newcastle University, will be advising the Leadership Foundation of India on how to consider the impact of the Avasara program on different aspects of girls’ empowerment and leadership skills. The aim of this pilot is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Avasara program and understand its real-life impacts on both the students’ knowledge and skills as well as their families and communities. Finally, Professor Pauline Dixon and Dr. Steve Humble from Newcastle University, in conjunction with Fundación Paraguaya and Indus Information Initiatives, will explore the range of education and healthcare choice options in marginalized communities of Asuncion, Paraguay that are provided by the communities themselves, through entrepreneurial activity. They aim to discover how individuals, enterprises, and communities can provide basic services for themselves and, by working with think tanks, promote policy change that will put such private solutions at the heart of public policy. We welcome this first round of collaborations and look forward to future collaboration among our grantee community.