Purpose: “One Small Step” grants are designed to fill gaps in the area of space history. Applications from individuals and organizations are accepted throughout the year, whenever the need presents. We seek proposals where $250-$1,000 could make a real difference—ideas such as digitizing historical documents, collecting an oral history, creating podcasts, or filling gaps at the Space Business & Commerce Archives.

Grant amount: $250-$1,000 USD

Application Due and Review Dates: Applications will be reviewed throughout the year on a rolling basis, there is no formal deadline. Urgent requests may be fast-tracked at the discretion of the Board.

Eligible Applicants: This program is open to individuals and institutions, domestic or foreign.

Types of Projects: SPACE 3.0 is seeking a wide variety of proposals, and applicants should not limit themselves to the types of projects listed as examples. That said, proposed projects must relate to space history and be consistent with the mission of SPACE 3.0. The Foundation will not fund scholarships or support attendance at conferences/events through this grant program.

In addition to the merits of the proposal itself, we will consider whether the funded activity is definable and fills a gap, if the award would be impactful, and how any resulting materials would be preserved.

• • Definable: The proposed activity should be a discrete project, but it may be part of a larger effort. For example, an applicant might apply for funding to collect two specific oral histories, expanding an ongoing effort to collect histories from commercial space engineers and entrepreneurs.
  • Fills a gap: Proposed activities should expand the body of knowledge, increase accessibility to historical space materials or information, or support preservation efforts.
  • Impact of an award: We are seeking projects for which a small-sized grant would make a difference, especially projects that could not move forward without this award. Large fundraising campaigns are not suitable for this grant program.
  • Preservation of results: SPACE 3.0 wants to ensure the resulting materials, products, or information produced through these grants are not subsequently lost. Applicants are encouraged to identify what from the awarded project can be deposited in the SPACE 3.0 Archives and describe any other actions planned to preserve such materials. (Applicants may propose to co-deposit in additional archives.)
  • Acknowledgement: To be transparent to our donors and document the impact of this grant program, SPACE 3.0 requires grantees to acknowledge grant funding as appropriate for the type of activity and media employed. For printed materials, the following statement would suffice: [This project] was completed with support from the SPACE 3.0 Foundation through their “One Small Step” grant program.

Application contents: Applications should be one to five pages in length. To be considered, your proposal must include the following:

• • Your name and contact information.
  • If another person or institution will be serving as the point of contact for the grant, their contact information.
  • A short description of the project and, if applicable, what aspect(s) of the project will be supported by this grant.
  • How much total you are seeking to raise?
  • How will the grant money be used?
  • What would be the expected result/outcome of the grant?
  • What results/materials will be deposited in the SPACE 3.0 archives?
  • How the grant will be acknowledged?

Submission: Please email your proposal to info@SpaceCommerce.org or submit the proposal text via our contact page.