What is the CCC Professional Development Grant?
- CCC is pleased to offer a series of rolling micro-grants to assist BIPOC cheese professionals in pursuing professional development opportunities that are not paid for by an employer, or are voluntary in nature.
When are applications due?
Who can apply?
- Any BIPOC-identifying individual who is currently employed in the cheese industry.
How much is each grant worth?
- Each grant is between $100-250. The CCC board will allocate the amount based on the number of applications we receive, and the total funds we have available to distribute, per grant cycle.
Why is the grant amount so small?
- Our goal is to assist as many people as possible with the level of funds we are able to raise during each fundraising drive. So, as we start out, we are keeping the grant amounts small and awarding as many grants as possible. As our fundraising becomes more successful, we hope to offer more grants in larger amounts.
What can the grant money be used for?
- To cover lost wages, or childcare costs, if you take a day of unpaid time off to volunteer at a cheese event (CMI, Counter Culture, etc), attend cheese education on your own time, visit a cheesemaker, etc.
- To help you pay for cheese educational materials such as books, journal or magazine subscriptions, etc.
- To help cover the cost of continuing cheese education, such as online or in-person class fees, virtual conference fees, etc.
- Or something else that you’re welcome to ask for in your application!
How do I apply?
- Fill out the form by clicking the "Apply" button at the bottom of this page. The form will ask for your contact details, where you are currently working and your position there, and how long you’ve worked in the cheese industry. You’ll also need to describe (in a few sentences, no need for an essay!) what you’d like to use the money towards, and what you hope to get out of the experience or education.
Is there anything else I need to do?
- If your application is accepted, all we ask is that you let us know how the experience or education went, so we can continue to let our funders know how their donations are being used. Anything you tell us can be anonymised if you wish! We would also love it if you could share any images or videos that we can put in the report, or that we can share on social media with your permission.
When will I hear back?
- You can expect a response by June 26th 2023.
Can you answer a question I have that hasn’t been addressed here?
Thank you so much for your interest in applying for our grant. We look forward to hearing from you, and supporting the growth of your cheese career!