Shuttleworth Foundation Flash Grant

Some emails just seem too good to be true. Often, they involve suggestions of no-strings-attached offers of monetary support. One such email landed in our inbox just a couple of weeks ago. We sent it around the team and I had a look online to work out whether it was legitimate. After some research it appeared that indeed the foundation behind the sender’s address was real, and that the offer of a so-called Flash Grant was too: they exist to support/reward/encourage work for social good. One of the Shuttleworth Foundation Fellows had nominated us for one such grant.  What an unexpected surprise! Wanting to find out more, I returned their email and swiftly got a response telling us to use the money towards our mission of open-sourcing our work.

It is such an honour to be receiving this unexpected grant to further our kaupapa. It’s an immensely rewarding feeling knowing that there are people out there who find our work immensely useful, whether or not we have met face to face before.

The Shuttleworth Foundation, originally based in South Africa but supporting educational work around the globe, describes itself as a ‘small social investor that provides funding to dynamic leaders who are at the forefront of social change’. You can read more about the Shuttleworth Foundation here, and the Flash Grant initiative here.

We will be reporting back how we made use of this privilege come October this year, as per the (refreshingly brief) grant guidelines. Keep your eyes peeled on the blog, and massive thanks to Adam and the fine folks at the Shuttleworth Foundation.