Community development opportunities

Find verified grants, fellowships, accelerators and support for African founders working in Community development.

5 open opportunities, 1 closing within 7 days

FellowshipCloses 11 Nov

Dalai Lama Fellows

2027 Dalai Lama Fellows Program: A Year Long Contemplative Leadership Fellowship for 15 to 20 Changemakers Worldwide

Dalai Lama Fellows is looking for 15 to 20 changemakers from around the world, aged 20 to 36, for a year long leadership fellowship running from April 2027 to March 2028. It wraps a contemplative leadership curriculum, one on one coaching and a global peer network around the social change project you are already building. The application window is October 1 to November 11, 2026 at 22:00 UTC.

Eligibility: Aged 20 to 36 years old as of April 1, 2027

Deadline: November 11, 2026
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: The fellowship does not provide direct funding for projects and no cash stipend is published. Fellows receive the curriculum, personalised coaching, group learning calls, assembly participation and access to the global Fellows network.

View opportunity

Checking saved status

AcceleratorOpen

Melton Foundation

Melton Foundation Global Solvers Accelerator 2027

A ten month, cohort based leadership and peer learning programme for social impact practitioners aged 20 to 35, bringing 15 to 20 changemakers from around the world together to strengthen the community projects they already lead.

Eligibility: Emerging changemakers aged 20 to 35 who are actively driving social impact in their communities

Deadline: November 16, 2026
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: Participants pay a programme fee of USD 900, payable only once selected into the programme, and scholarships covering 20, 50 or 80 percent of that fee are available to participants with proven need. The fees strengthen the programme and seed a shared GSA Fund that is awarded to participant projects towards the end of the programme. The week long Global Solvers Co Lab in Germany from 3 to 10 July 2027 is fully funded.

View opportunity

Checking saved status

AcceleratorOpen

Unearthodox

Unearthodox Exploration Co-Lab 2027 for Systems Innovators

A 10 month online incubation programme, running from 1 March to 31 December 2027, for innovators working on the deeper causes of nature and society challenges. Selected initiatives receive a CHF 10,000 grant plus tailored support worth up to an estimated CHF 60,000. Applications close 16 November 2026 at 11:59 PM GMT plus 1.

Eligibility: An early stage initiative at the intersection of environmental and societal change

Deadline: November 16, 2026
Location: Global
Funding or benefit: A CHF 10,000 grant for each selected initiative, plus access to a shared pool of tailored non-financial support estimated at up to CHF 60,000 in value. The non-financial support is not a cash award.

View opportunity

Checking saved status

The Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership banner used on the Ashoka Changemakers challenge page.

CompetitionOpen

Ashoka and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation

Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027

The Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027 gives young changemakers aged 20 or younger in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, and in the United States, a route to funding for youth led civic projects. Applications are still open and they close on 31 January 2027 at 11:59 in the evening Eastern Time. Across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, 66 winners share awards of USD 250, USD 1,000 and USD 5,000, and 30 of them are invited to an in person convening in Kenya during the week of 26 July 2027 with travel covered.

Eligibility: You are between 5 and 20 years old by the end of the entry period on 31 January 2027

Deadline: February 1, 2027
Location: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
Funding or benefit: For Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, 66 winners are distributed equally across the three countries: 30 Civic Promise Awards of USD 250, 30 Civic Impact Awards of USD 1,000 and 6 Civic Leadership Awards of USD 5,000. The early Civic Seed Grant round for African applicants, 25 grants of USD 50 per country, closed on 10 October 2026. US applicants can still receive a USD 100 Civic Seed Grant as one of the first 600 eligible new ideas by 17 November 2026, then a USD 500 Civic Promise Award, a USD 1,000 Civic Impact Award or one of two USD 10,000 Civic Leadership Awards.

View opportunity

Checking saved status

AcceleratorOpen

Halcyon

Halcyon Open Application: Apply Year Round to Join a Global Community of Impact Driven Founders

A year round route into the Halcyon founder community. Submit one short eligibility application for a venture built around social, environmental or economic impact, and a pitch deck of up to 15 slides, and Halcyon reviews it on a rolling basis for fellowship invitations.

Eligibility: Founders of ventures designed to create social, environmental or economic impact.

Deadline: Timeline not announced
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: No funding amount is stated for the eligibility application. Support offered through Halcyon fellowships varies by programme.

View opportunity

Checking saved status

Community development opportunities

2027 Dalai Lama Fellows Program: A Year Long Contemplative Leadership Fellowship for 15 to 20 Changemakers Worldwide

Melton Foundation Global Solvers Accelerator 2027

Unearthodox Exploration Co-Lab 2027 for Systems Innovators

Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027

Halcyon Open Application: Apply Year Round to Join a Global Community of Impact Driven Founders

Get new grants on WhatsApp, before they close