Comcast NBCU Foundation Invites Proposals for 2020 'Project Innovation' Grants

The Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, have announced the return of their “Project Innovation” competitive grant challenge. Through the challenge, the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation and NBC/Telemundo-owned stations in eleven select markets will award a total of $2.475 million in grants to nonprofit organizations that are helping to move their communities forward through programs in four categories:

Next Generation Storytellers — Programs that promote access and develop pathways for emerging talent, diverse voices, and underrepresented youth to explore careers in news, entertainment, sports and the arts.

Culture of Inclusion — Programs that encourage equitable access, opportunities, and resources for traditionally-underrepresented communities.

Youth Education — K-12 in- and out-of-school programs that equip youth with the tools they need to succeed, including STEM/STEAM education.

Community Engagement — Programs that enable individuals to engage and volunteer in their communities

NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations in the eleven participating markets will select and present grant awards to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are physically located in a participating market, serve the market in which they operate, have an annual operating budget of more than $100,000 (defined by the organization’s most recent 990-N IRS filing), and whose programs are helping to resolve everyday community issues in any of the four grant categories.

Project Innovation 2020 markets include: New York (WNBC, WNJU), Southern California (KNBC, KVEA), Chicago (WMAQ, WSNS), Philadelphia (WCAU, WWSI), Dallas-Fort Worth (KXAS, KXTX), Boston (WBTS, WNEU, necn), Hartford, CT (WVIT, WRDM), Washington, D.C. (WRC-TV, WZDC), Miami-Fort Lauderdale (WTVJ, WSCV), San Francisco Bay Area (KNTV, KSTS), and San Diego (KNSD, KUAN).

The online application is open from January 10 to February 14, 2020. Grant winners will be announced by the stations in May 2020.

Grant applications can be previewed online at nbcuprojectinnovation.com and in Spanish at nbcuproyectoinnovacion.com. Interested groups are encouraged to visit the program's websites for additional rules/eligibility requirements. For a list of 2019 Project Innovation grant winners, click here.