Earlier this year, we launched the Zcash Minor Grants program. Ten minor grant applications were submitted to a poll of the Zcash Community Advisory Panel (ZCAP), and four grants were approved.
Feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Therefore, we are today opening applications for a second round of the Minor Grants program.
The maximum grant size is $25,000, and the total budget for this round is $75,000. We will again be engaging the Zcash community, and taking advantage of the “wisdom of the crowd” by polling ZCAP regarding which grants should be funded.
If you are interested in submitting a Minor Grant application, please read this blog post carefully.
The Application Process
Applications must be submitted via the ZF grants platform, and applicants must agree to sign ZF’s grant agreement, and undergo the ZF KYC process if their application is successful.
The deadline to submit a grant application is 20:00 UTC on Monday 18th September.
ZF will review all applications, and will reject any grant applications that are deemed unsuitable (see the FAQs section below for examples of why ZF may judge a grant application to be unsuitable under this program). Suitable applications will then be submitted to a poll of ZCAP to determine which should be funded. Applicants who are members of ZCAP will not be eligible to participate in this poll.
Applicants should feel free to submit a grant application in their native language. ZF will translate it to English (likely using an online tool, such as Google Translate) and make both the original and translated application available to ZCAP.
We aim to publish the list of suitable grant applications, and open the ZCAP poll by 2nd October. The ZCAP poll will remain open for approximately two weeks, and we plan to announce the results on 16th October. We will keep applicants and the community apprised of any changes or delays to this timeline via the Zcash Community Forum.
To be eligible for funding, a grant application must receive greater than 50% approval from the participants in the ZCAP poll. Eligible grants will then be funded in order of priority determined by the level of ZCAP’s approval, and as the total budget permits. There will be no partial funding of grants.
Grant payments will be made in the form of shielded ZEC. Successful applicants will be required to provide a z-address or u-address. Approved grantees will also be required to submit KYC documents before receiving payment.
Example of how the ZCAP poll will work
In the example below, ten suitable grant applications for varying amounts were voted on in a ZCAP poll that had a turnout of 134 with a $75,000 USD total budget.
| Grant name | Amount | ZCAP Approval Votes | ZCAP Approval (%) | Eligible for funding? | Funded? | Cumulative funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | $15,000 | 128 | 96% | Yes | Yes | $15,000 |
| Beta | $9,000 | 127 | 95% | Yes | Yes | $24,000 |
| Gamma | $1,200 | 109 | 81% | Yes | Yes | $25,200 |
| Delta | $25,000 | 102 | 76% | Yes | Yes | $50,200 |
| Epsilon | $20,000 | 97 | 72% | Yes | Yes | $70,200 |
| Zeta | $18,000 | 91 | 68% | Yes | No | - |
| Theta | $1,800 | 88 | 66% | Yes | Yes | $72,000 |
| Kappa | $5,500 | 72 | 54% | Yes | No | - |
| Sigma | $1,000 | 62 | 47% | No | - | - |
| Omega | $12,000 | 57 | 43% | No | - | - |
In this example, the approval threshold to be eligible for funding would be 68 votes.
The Zeta and Kappa grants would not be funded because there would be insufficient funding remaining in the budget (after funding grants with higher approval ratings) to fund those grants.
However, the Theta grant would be funded because, while it achieved a lower approval rating than Zeta, it is small enough that it could be funded out of the remaining budget.
The Sigma and Omega grants would not be eligible for funding because they failed to achieve a greater-than-50% approval rating in the ZCAP poll.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Zcash Foundation’s mission?
Our mission at the Zcash Foundation is to build financial privacy infrastructure for the public good, by helping sustain and improve open financial networks that allow anyone and everyone to protect their own privacy, on their own terms. While our primary focus is the Zcash protocol and blockchain, we also support broader applications of zero knowledge proofs, as well as other approaches to financial privacy.
Do grant applications have to be Zcash-related?
No. Any project that aligns with the Zcash Foundation’s mission is suitable for the Minor Grants program. We would especially like to attract grant applications that are not directly Zcash-related but explore broader applications of zero knowledge proofs or other approaches to financial privacy, in line with our charitable purpose.
How does the Minor Grants program relate to Zcash Community Grants?
The Minor Grants program is entirely separate from the Zcash Community Grants program (ZCG). ZCG is intended to fund Major Grants for teams that are carrying out large-scale, long-term projects. By contrast, the Minor Grants program is intended to provide a source of funding for smaller, more short-term grants for both teams and individuals. We also hope that the Minor Grants program can provide an opportunity for teams to demonstrate their ability to deliver on a Minor Grant before applying for a Major Grant.
Under what circumstances would ZF reject a grant application as unsuitable?
Here are some examples of why ZF may reject a grant application:
- The grant’s purpose is not congruent with the Foundation’s mission.
- The grant does not, in our estimation, represent value for money.
- We have reason to believe that the applicant is not capable of delivering on the grant.
- The purpose of the grant would violate U.S. law or contravene the Zcash Foundation’s obligations under U.S. IRS 501(c)(3).
Can applicants remain pseudonymous?
Applicants can keep their identity private but they must undergo the ZF KYC process if their application is successful, which includes disclosing and verifying their identity to ZF.
Where is the funding for this program coming from?
This program is being funded by the Zcash Foundation, from its slice of the Dev Fund.
My application to the ZCG program was rejected. Can I re-apply to the Minor Grants program?
Yes.
Can current and former recipients of ZCG grants apply for a Minor Grant?
Yes.
Can I submit multiple Minor Grant applications?
You may only submit one Minor Grant application at a time (i.e. per round).
Can I specify multiple milestones as part of my grant?
No. There is no “milestone” option for Minor Grants. Grant payouts will either be paid upon award of the grant (i.e. up-front) or upon completion of the grant. Note that members of the Zcash Community Advisory Panel may look less favorably on applications that request up-front funding.
I have a question that’s not answered here.
You can post questions to this topic on the Zcash Community Forum. Alternatively, you can email minorgrants@zfnd.org