Global Inclusive Growth Spark Grants - AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network

Applications for the 2024 Global Inclusive Growth Spark Grants are now closed.

As part of the Aspen Partnership for Inclusive Economy, the Global Inclusive Growth Spark Grants support AGLN Fellows around the world who are leading critical initiatives to reimagine more inclusive economic futures for all. Supported by Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, The Grants provide seed, catalytic funding to spark further development and impact. The fund will name up to four grant recipients, with award amounts totaling $60,000. Individual grants will range from $15,000-$20,000.

Eligibility and Criteria

Spark Grants support innovative organizations with cutting-edge approaches to advance sustainable and equitable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Fund aims to support early to mid-stage organizations for which a Spark Grant of this size could be valuable and leveraged.

To qualify, applicants must be Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and serve in an active leadership role in the initiative they are putting forward. The organization must be a registered legal organization that can receive funds and can hold any legal structure.

Initiatives should focus on following issue areas:

Financial Security and Resiliency

Promoting financial security and resiliency of small business

Economic Mobility of Workers

Supporting the economic mobility of workers, specifically through reimagining public and private benefit

Data for Good

Leveraging the power of data for good

Place-based economic solutions

Reinvigorating neighborhoods to build economically prosperous communities

Across all four focus areas, we seek solutions aiming to dismantle entrenched inequities (affecting underrepresented and marginalized communities) within and through the existing financial system. We are also particularly interested in applicants who incorporate a climate resiliency, recovery, and/or readiness lens into their proposals. Consider how your initiative can/is contribute(ing) to the mitigation of climate change and addressing environmental challenges. You may want to consider the carbon mitigation impact of your initiative, the passthrough impact on climate (e.g., the use of your solution enables better access to choices/opportunities that have a smaller environmental footprint), and/or the resiliency it would enable. Across all four focus areas, we seek solutions that aim to dismantle entrenched inequities (affecting underrepresented and marginalized communities) within and through the existing financial system.

Spark Grants encourages applications from initiatives that:

Uplift collaborative efforts among Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network
Are the Leadership Venture of and/or inspired by their AGLN Fellowship
Serve disproportionately marginalized communities

Application Guidelines and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated on each of the following:

Innovation

What is the challenge or opportunity addressed, and how is this a disruptive new solution?

Impact

What has been the impact to date, and what is the potential to have large-scale impact in the future?

Inclusion

How is the solution centered in advancing equity and inclusion?

Stage of Growth

Is the initiative at a stage of growth where Spark Grants can make a difference?

All Grantees will be named and awarded after a thorough due diligence process. Shortlisted applicants may be contacted for additional information.

Still have more questions? Please contact Anan Kittana, Chief of Impact and Managing Director, Aspen Global Leadership Network for guidance.

Not sure if you should apply? Learn about past recipients and their work:

Spark Grant recipients are working to build powerful solutions that advance long-term economic recovery and rebuild efforts in the wake of a global crisis. They are tackling issues fundamental to inclusive growth, including promoting financial security and resiliency of small businesses and workers, building economically prosperous communities through place-based ecosystems, and dismantling entrenched inequities within the existing financial system.

Read more about the creative solutions of the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 recipients.

Impact Stories

Empowering Entrepreneurs for Inclusive Growth, Multiverse led by Rocio Pinto, Central America Leadership Initiative Fellow

Rocio Pinto is the co-founder of Multiverse, a Guatemala-based organization that harnesses entrepreneurship as a catalyst to the country’s development. Multiverse addresses immediate entrepreneurial needs, including mentorship, tailored programs, online courses, consultancies, and a dedicated entrepreneurship school, all aimed at ensuring entrepreneurs have the knowledge, network, and resources they need to thrive. They’ve supported more than 4,500 entrepreneurs, resulting in at least a two-fold increase in jobs per venture and elevated incomes for all participating enterprises.

Rocio is a Central America Leadership Initiative Fellow and (with Multiverse) a recipient of a 2023–2024 Global Inclusive Growth Spark Grant. In this Q&A, we asked her about her work, her inspiration, and her future in creating an inclusive economic future for all.

National Black Bank Fund and Foundation led by a collaboration of AGLN Fellows

In 2021, the National Black Bank Foundation made history by bringing together more than half of the Black-owned banks in the country to lead in a major financing deal with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Big deals like this get banks the capital they need to better serve their communities, which can ultimately lead to closing the racial wealth gap. This deal also serves as a model for what other businesses can do to take action on this issue. The organization was named a Spark Grant Awardee for this impactful action.

Watch this video to learn more about the work of Ashley Bell, Civil Society Fellow, Tishaura Jones, Rodel Fellow, and others collaborating on NBBF.

All Past Awardees

Olusoji Apampa

Africa Leadership Initiative - West Africa

Co-Founder, The Convention on Business Integrity

Ashley Bell

Civil Society Fellowship

Founder and CEO, Ready Finance

Yolanda Daniel

Finance Leaders Fellowship

Founder, Managing Principal

Christopher Gergen

Henry Crown Fellowship Program

Chief Growth Officer, 4P Foods

Corrina Grace

Central America Leadership Initiative

Principal Consultant, Corrina Grace

Tokunboh Ishmael

Finance Leaders Fellowship

Managing Partner, Alitheia

Tishaura Jones

Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership

Treasurer, City of St. Louis, Missouri

Davith Kahwa

Africa Leadership Initiative - East Africa

Founder, IMARA PLATFORMS (PTY) LIMITED

Hasina Kharbhih

Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship

Founder and Managing Director, Impulse Social Enterprises

Margaret Lapiz

Health Innovators Fellowship

CEO & Co-Founder, Under One Roof

About the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership
Launched in October 2019 with an inaugural summit, the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership (GIGP) combines the expertise and networks of both the Aspen Institute and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to address systemic issues across a range of topics including financial security, the future of workers and portable benefits, growing micro and small businesses, and commercially-sustainable social impact. Through research, synthesis, and convenings, GIGP aims to catalyze new partnerships and shine a spotlight on innovative, data-driven, and scalable solutions to build a more inclusive and resilient economy for all.