Fast, Flexible Grants
We Expect the Unexpected
Open Road is committed to supporting you on your journey to impact.
Our grants help social enterprises and nonprofits overcome obstacles to impact as they challenge the status quo to create a better world.
From the health nonprofit facing a clinic shutdown due to a delayed grant payment, to the education provider unable to continue services due to a policy change, our charitable grants ensure innovative efforts to address the world’s greatest challenges can carry on without interruption.
An Open Road Grant Keeps Impact on Track
- New regulatory requirements
- Changes in personnel
- Policy changes
- Changes in investment committee schedule
- Funder strategy shifts
- Pause on investments
- Unexpected travel
- Third-party delays
- World events
- Maintain momentum for entering new markets
- Continue on-time payment of staff salaries
- Enable partnership opportunities requiring upfront investments
- Avoid “starvation” of the business
- Ensure steady resources for longer-term growth
Our Criteria
A mid-implementation project is one that is otherwise fully funded, staffed, and designed. If not for this unexpected roadblock or opportunity, there would be no outstanding need.
A project that encounters an unforeseeable roadblock or opportunity. This includes changes in government regulations, laws, or tariffs; a crop-destroying virus; unusual weather conditions, or other events exogenous to program design.
A one-time, one project grant to address a specific solvable problem that arose mid-implementation. Once provided, no additional funds should be necessary from Open Road or any other funder to see the project through completion.
A catalytic project expands impact significantly beyond a one to one relationship, resulting in a multiplier effect. Catalytic implies exponential or leveraged returns.
Application Process
We understand that emergencies can’t wait. We accept applications on a rolling basis. Our full process from inquiry to decision typically takes two to six weeks.
Need Funding?
We’ll help you through it.
Our grants are designed to keep impact first. If you think that you are eligible for a one-time Open Road grant please submit an initial inquiry.
Case Studies
Grants Frequently Asked Questions
Charitable grants are designed to address an unexpected roadblock or opportunity.
Roadblocks are scenarios in which a disruptive event, beyond the NGO’s control, has derailed, stalled, or otherwise threatened the success of the on-going project. The disruptive event jeopardizes both the original investment and the anticipated impact.
Opportunities are scenarios in which a mid-implementation project unexpectedly encounters or is offered a chance to catalytically multiply its impact. These opportunities typically arise from sources outside of the program and are not a result of project iteration or natural scale/growth.
In either case the proposed scenario must meet the following criteria:
- The project must be mid-implementation.*
- The roadblock or opportunity must be unexpected.
- The solution to removing the roadblock must be discrete, so that a one-time infusion of funds will allow the NGO to fix the problem. Similarly, capitalizing upon an opportunity must be a discrete action that can be completed within a tangible timeline.
- The project carries a significant potential to lead to catalytic results.
Terms:
- Non-repayable, one-time, charitable grants
- Average size: $80,000 – $120,000
Details:
- Charitable grants are almost always given to non-profit organizations where there is a loss of funding instead of a timing issue.
- Open Road looks for a multiplier effect where the grant will have outsized impact on a given sector.
Most traditional grant programs are inflexible, restrictive, and slow. Because NGOs cannot access additional capital quickly, even high performing programs are stymied when obstacles are encountered mid-implementation.
To address this issue, Open Road provides grant capital to help NGO’s manage unexpected disruptions. Specifically, we deploy our charitable and recoverable grants when a mid-implementation project encounters an unexpected roadblock or opportunity. We provide the necessary, fast, flexible capital to help organizations meet unanticipated challenges.