Over 2 billion people remain offline, roughly a quarter of the world’s population. Most live in rural, remote, or low-income communities where commercial ISPs have little incentive to build and where governments have struggled to reach.
We need community-centered connectivity: solutions built for, with, or by the communities that will use and maintain them.
$200,000 for Internet Connectivity Funding
Community-Centered Connectivity (CCC) Grant Program funds local approaches, often run by the people who depend on them. The Internet Society believes these solutions have a better track record where others couldn’t make the math work.
The program offers three grant tiers based on project scale and organizational capacity:
- Catalyst Track: Up to $50,000 for new or expanding connectivity solutions in a single community. Projects run up to 12 months.
- Scaling Track: Up to $200,000 to replicate proven solutions across multiple communities. Projects run up to 18 months. Requires non-profit or social enterprise registration and demonstrated organizational capacity.
- Systems Track: Above $200,000 for large-scale replication across multiple communities or at regional and multi-country levels.
The Foundation encourages applications from those working with refugees and displaced communities, Indigenous communities, and women and girls.
Projects must address at least one of three core connectivity barriers:
- availability (infrastructure gaps)
- affordability (cost barriers to access)
- adoption (digital literacy and awareness)
Apply Now: Deadline is May 7, 2026.
More Funding Opportunities
Please sign up now to get our email updates. Learn how to get startup funding for your technology business, and find new funding opportunities with donors.
We are constantly publishing fundraising guidance and competitive insights like this:
