On May 4th, Facebook MENA announced applications for their 2021 Community Accelerator Program are now open.

In partnership with Rise-up, the program will focus on helping leaders harness the power of their community to turn ideas into action, with selected leaders receiving extensive training and up to 50,000 USD in funding to further their community initiatives. The most promising community group initiatives will also be eligible to receive part of $1 million in additional funding.

If successful, applicants will be admitted into an eight-month program where they will receive organizational training and a tailored curriculum of educational sessions delivered by experts and coaches to strengthen their communities and plan and execute their initiatives.

The 3-phase program will start with participants receiving training on community building and sustainability.

Early access to new Facebook products will also be provided to support the management and activation of members. Participants will then work to develop and mobilize their community around their chosen initiative. Once finalized, the idea will be presented to an audience of potential partners, mentors, and a panel of judges who will reward the most promising initiatives with additional funding. Participants will then work with their communities and the Facebook team to activate these initiatives and harness the power of their communities to deliver positive change.

The program is open to communities with a presence in Facebook Groups and a leader who lives in Egypt and is over 18. To be eligible, a community must have existed for over a year and have a minimum of 1,000 members. Applications will remain open until May 31st.

The Community Accelerator is part of Facebook’s global initiative – the Community Leadership Program, which invests in people to support the growth of communities. In its third year, the Community Accelerator has funded multiple Facebook communities – focusing in 2019 on leadership development and in 2020 on helping impactful communities to grow.