Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities
2024 Mini Grant Program
Request for Applications
Important Information
Deadline: April 12, 2024 at 11:59 pm Pacific
Introduction and Overview
Thank you for your interest in the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities Mini Grant Program! We are excited to support your interest in building a deeper understanding and connection with Japan. Each year, the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities organization awards mini grants to members of the Salem-Keizer community. We do so to further our mission:
The Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities is dedicated to developing friendly and meaningful relations with Kawagoe City and with the wider Japan. This interchange between the two cities furthers international understanding at all levels on a long term basis. We sponsor international exchanges with Kawagoe for adults and school groups, and promote educational programs that increase our community’s understanding of Japanese culture.
This page covers:
Grant Criteria
Applicant Eligibility
Available Grant Amounts
How to apply — Award Conditions; Application Form
Timeline — Application Deadline; Key Dates
Contact Information
For questions, please email the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities Board at contact.salem.kawagoe@gmail.com.
Grant Criteria
As a contribution by the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities organization towards the advancement of our global community, grants are awarded to projects or activities that:
Facilitate awareness and/or foster a better understanding of Japanese culture, people, language, or the Japanese-American diaspora;
Facilitate an exchange among the people and communities of our sister cities -- Salem, OR (USA) and Kawagoe City, Saitama (Japan).
In addition to the project or activities described in a Mini Grant Application, grant recipients will be asked to share a presentation on what they experienced or learned through a funded project or activity to a broad public audience. This is to further enhance awareness and communication to the local community about Japan. Most presentations will happen as a component of an annual award ceremony held during the year following receiving a mini grant.
Grant applicants will be invited to volunteer at the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities’ annual water sale stand during the Oregon State Fair. Participation is not a requirement for successful grant applicants but it is strongly encouraged as a way to ensure future applicants can continue to receive funds for their projects and activities.
Applicant Eligibility
Priority in consideration is provided to:
Current residents of Salem, Oregon
Current students or employees in the Salem-Keizer School District
If you live outside of the local Salem-Keizer area but still have a connection to our community or the community of Kawagoe City, we welcome and encourage your applications.
Available Grant Amounts
For 2024, the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities anticipates awarding Mini Grants in the following increments:
$100 Micro Grant -- intended to support purchasing materials for Japanese language education or the pursuit of self-study on topics inclusive of the Mini Grants’ grant criteria (see above).
$500 Supporting Grant -- intended to supplement projects or activities that also draw on other sources of funding.
$1000 Mini Grant -- intended to be the primary source of funding for a project or activity.
How to Apply
Award Conditions
Awards will be distributed on a reimbursement basis, unless this would create an undue hardship on the applicant (if requesting advanced disbursement of grant funds, please clearly state the reason in the grant application).
Recipients are expected to use funds by March 2025.
Recipients are expected to attend the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities annual dinner the year following receiving a Mini Grant (for 2024 Mini Grants, this is the 2024 Annual Dinner). Recipients will present a presentation on the impact of the Mini Grant to their project or activity.
A note for the gakusei:
Students of the Salem-Keizer School District are encouraged to reach out to contact.salem.kawagoe@gmail.com if they would like assistance from a Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities board member in completing the application. Ask your teacher, parent, or guardian to help you reach out to us -- we’re here to help!
Please complete all required fields on this form. A copy of your submitted application will be sent to the provided email address and edits are accepted until the application deadline (April 12, 2024 at 11:59 pm Pacific).
A paper version of the digital application is available upon request.
Timeline
2024 Mini Grant Applications are due April 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Successful applicants will receive notification from the Salem-Kawagoe Sister Cities on or after April 11, 2024. We will do our best to inform all applicants of the outcome of their applications.