KINDLING CONVERSATION

Connect with your friends, colleagues, and other members of your community through engaged conversations that deepen trust and strengthen relationships.

Each Kindling Conversation Toolkit offers a short Alaska-made film, text, audio recording, or photo-essay that acts as a springboard for discussion about a big question we all grapple with but rarely have the opportunity to discuss.

Conversations work best with 5-30 participants and are great for gatherings of all sorts, both in-person and online.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR A STIPEND

Anyone may host a community conversation. Individuals, tax-exempt organizations, and schools in Alaska are eligible to receive a $250 stipend to help defray the cost of hosting the program. You receive the funds after hosting the event and submitting participant surveys and a short final report.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Shoshi Bieler at sbieler@akhf.org.

TIMELINE

Kindling Conversation gatherings may be scheduled at any time of the year. Applications must be submitted at least 1 week prior to the event.

Kindling Conversation stipend recipients must host their conversation within 3 months of application.

REQUIREMENTS

Conversation hosts must apply for a stipend before hosting a conversation. Applications received after the conversation has been held will not be considered. In order to be eligible for the $250 stipend, the community conversation must be at least an hour-long and have at least five participants apart from the facilitator/host. 

If the event is held by an organization or promoted to the public, the Alaska Humanities Forum must be acknowledged in event promotion and during the event itself. 

Finally, the host must submit a VERY short final report within 3 weeks of the completion of the conversation. This final report includes attendance information, evaluation surveys to be completed by conversation participants, and a brief reflection by the facilitator.

ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES

The Kindling Conversation stipend is an unrestricted stipend to defray the cost of promoting, hosting, and facilitating the event. The stipend recipient may choose to use the grant to cover food, advertising, printing, facilitation, or facilities fees, or anything else.

HOSTING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS

At this time, we are offering only one stipend per organization or individual per year without prior approval. Stipend recipients may contact us to host additional conversations after submitting their final report to see if there are funds available for additional sessions.

Please email sbieler@akhf.org with questions.