Winners Announced: Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant 

December 1, 2025

Congratulations to our 2025 Regional Events Civic Ignition Grantees! We received 27 submissions totaling $43,330 in financial requests. These grants were discussed in a consensus-based workshop with approximately 17  community leaders. 

The winners are:

Lux Capacitor by Glass House Arts 

San Diego / Youtopia 

Lux Capacitor is an open-source, ground-mounted solar floodlight system for lighting art and paths at regional events: rugged, walkable, repairable, and easy to fabricate with hand tools or a cutting service. It reduces generator dependence and e-waste while improving night safety and aesthetics.

StarShade by “Squirtle” and Team

Portland, Oregon / SOAK 

StarShade is a prototype solar-powered shade canopy designed for rapid deployment wherever off-grid power is needed. Inspired by NASA’s folding origami shade sails and solar arrays for deployment in space, StarShade uses a dynamic scissor mechanism that allows it to fold and unfold easily with minimal on-site assembly.

The mission of the project is to develop a simple, low-cost, open-source, rapidly deployable solar energy resource station that can provide sufficient solar energy to reduce or replace the use of fossil-fuel generators and provide reliable power for event operations, art installations, and theme camps.

Note: Precipitation Northwest 501(c)(3) came in as a collaborative funder and matched the BWB Civic Ignition Grant. 

What is the Regional Civic Ignition Grant?

The Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant is a program designed to fund innovative civic and community-based projects connected to Regional Events and 10 Principled gatherings. Any project rooted in the 10 Principles is welcome to apply, regardless of location.

We’re especially looking for projects that build open-source production and community-building tools that can be used across the Regional Events network.

Some examples of the kinds of projects we’re excited to support include:

• Designing and testing new infrastructure to improve safety, accessibility, and resilience at events.
• Experimenting with sustainability practices that reduce environmental impact—through new approaches to materials, energy, water, waste, or shared systems.
• Creating civic projects that engage and benefit local communities before, during, or after the event.
• Sharing new ideas and learnings that can inspire and be remixed by other Regional and 10 Principles-aligned events across the global Burning Man network.
  

Anyone can apply—individuals, event production teams, camps and nonprofits. This grant supports collaborative, creative, and principle-driven ideas, with the potential to receive up to $1,500 in funding.

Timeline:

–Grant application opens on: October 29th 2025 (10am PST)

–The deadline for grant submissions is: November 19th 2025 (Midnight PST)

–Workshop Participants will review the grant proposals at the Burn After Reading (BAM) (Weekend of Nov 22-23

–The winner(s) will be announced the week of November 24th 2025 

Apply here between 10/29-11/19 : https://forms.gle/rq6YsYpT1dwi9FGq6

What’s unique about the Burn After Meeting  (BAM) Regional Events Civic Ignition Grant?

The BAM Civic Ignition Grant is unique because it’s designed by and for Regional Event organizers, with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in building principled, community-led gatherings.

Submissions to Regional Events Civic Ignition Grant cycle will be workshopped and judged by a group of participants and community leaders who attend this year’s Burn After Meeting (BAM). This group will use the submissions as material to review and workshop while learning how to administer their own grant programs.

Who is eligible to apply?

Anyone is eligible to apply—individuals, theme camps, crews, nonprofits, collectives, or first-time collaborators.

The key is that your project should be rooted in or connected to a Regional Event or a gathering aligned with the 10 Principles. That could mean happening at the event, supporting it, or creating civic impact before or after it.

You don’t need to be a long-time burner—just someone with a bold, principle-driven idea and a desire to make a difference through community-led action via events and gatherings. 

How much can you ask for?

The maximum grant that may be awarded is $1,500. We encourage your project’s viability to not solely depend on this grant. Think about other sources of funding that might be available. Grants awarded could be less than the amount requested in the application. 

What types of proposals will likely not get funded by this program?

Programs solely based on artistic endeavors and which do not have an event, community or civic aspect will likely not be considered for funding. Funds should not be used for direct fundraising, event promotion efforts, or paying people for their work.

What follow-up will be expected by grant recipients?

Recipients will submit a short written report and photos documenting their project outcomes and learnings. Selected content will be shared on the Burners Without Borders website. 

Suggestions for a quality grant proposal:

–Look at the Civic Ignition Micro-Grant Workshop & Tool-Kit (for Regional & 10 Principles Events) to see how we think about grants.

—Reach out to your local Burning Man Regional Contact and ask if they might be an advisor.

–Watch our video “How to write Quality Grants: Burning Man 101”(Starts rough but gets going at (9:00 min)

–Listen to our podcast  “Targeted Grant Writing: with Meta-Regional Jacqui Latendresse”

Who won the last Regional Event Civic Ignition Grant?

This is the first of its kind! The BAM Civic Ignition Grant is launching as a new pilot, designed specifically for Regional Events and 10 Principles-aligned gatherings. That means you could be one of the very first recipients to shape this experiment and inspire others across the global network.

Additional questions…

How long will it take to receive the funds if selected?

In order to process your grant funds, we’ll require contracting and payment information about the Grantee, including tax information as applicable. Once all grantee information has been collected, it may take an additional 2-8 weeks to process your payment. We strive to complete all grant payments as quickly as possible.

Are the funds taxable?

Yes, grants are considered income and are taxable for organizations and individuals.

International Wires for Grantees

International payees are responsible for any foreign exchange or bank fees associated with funds being sent as USD to local currency. Please speak with your bank about receiving funds from the United States of America to be aware of any fees that might be incurred.

Burning Man Project is not responsible for researching foreign transaction fees or related bank charges. Please ensure that your wiring information is accurate; otherwise, potential additional fees may be incurred against your grant. If you are unclear about receiving an international wire, please contact your bank for further information.

More Info about BAM 2025 can be found here.