Facebook has launched its Community Accelerator Programme, with a promise to award $3 million to 80 participants in the programme. The programme was launched in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
In an official statement, Facebook said the initiative is a part of its mission to empower people to build community around the world and its commitment to supporting community leaders who drive change around the world.
“An evolution of the Facebook Community Leadership Programme (FCLP), this six-month accelerator programme provides training, mentorship and funding to help community leaders grow their communities. Up to $3 million in total will be awarded to 80 programme participants worldwide,” Facebook stated.
The Tech Giant explained that selected community leaders would spend three months learning how to create a plan to grow their communities from experts, coaches and a customised curriculum. They will spend the next three months iterating and executing their plans, with funding and support from their networks.
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“Our mission is to empower the leaders who foster community – people who offer support, encourage others and make real change.
“We are investing in leaders because we believe and know they make significant contributions to today’s social challenges, by sharing knowledge and information and helping people to connect with others that share same interests or passions for a good cause,” said Kiran Yoliswa, Strategic Partner Manager, Communities SSA at Facebook.
The Facebook Community Leadership Programme, in 2019, provided training, funding, and support to over a hundred community leaders who in turn implemented projects which impacted over 1.9 million lives through online community support, the use of helpful resources and other activities.
Facebook also announced the launch of new and improved membership management tools that will help community leaders add new members and moderate conversations in their Groups. Using these tools, the group administrators can manage new member requests, and content moderation features make it easier for them to see important posts.
The statement called for applications from community leaders, who “run an impactful, established community, ready to grow using Facebook’s apps and have the time and energy to invest in this programme”, whether or not they have a presence on one of Facebook’s apps. Applicants must be at least 18 years.
All applications are expected to come in before 10 April 2020.
