Creative Commons is launching a new project which can empower local organizations to engage in CC research, outreach and integrations:

the Catalyst Grants program, through which we will be awarding grants of $1000 to $10,000 to researchers, educators and technologists around the world. Grant recipients will be selected through a rigorous public review and transparent evaluation process involving representatives from CC’s affiliate institutions.

Catalyst Grants will make it possible for individuals and organizations to harness the power of Creative Commons. A grant might enable a group in a developing country to research how Open Educational Resources can positively impact its community. Another could pay for a programmer to add CC license support to tools for publishing and distributing news. A third could fund a study of entrepreneurs using Creative Commons licenses to create a new class of socially responsible businesses.

But we can’t do it without your help. Our goal is to raise $100,000 from CC supporters like you to fund the Catalyst Grants. Please donate today to help spread our mission of openness and innovation across cultural and national boundaries.

I like seeing CC experiment with grant giving.  A lot of what has made CC so successful is the actions of a community that has embraced the licenses on mass.  These grants enable the members of the community to target specific needs and draw on local experts to address these needs.

PS: this reminds me a bit of the Awesome Foundation due to the low transactional cost compared with many other grants.