Supporting the inclusion of displaced communities in skateboarding programs worldwide

We’re thrilled to announce the first-ever Open Boarders Sibling Fund—a seed funding and support program designed to connect like-minded skateboarding initiatives that engage displaced communities. Rooted in the mutual aid ethos of the Open Boarders Network, the Sibling Fund fosters reciprocity and solidarity by encouraging projects to share knowledge, skills, and resources for collective growth.

We invite established initiatives to apply for the ‘Big Sibling’ mentor role and emerging initiatives to apply for the ‘Little Sibling’ mentee role.

The Sibling Fund is now open for applications! Keep reading to learn more and find out how to apply.

About the Open Boarders Network

The Open Boarders Network (OBN) was founded in 2023 by Skateistan (global), Free Movement (Greece), 7Hills (Jordan), Skate Nation (Sweden), and Drop In e.V. (Germany) to create a dedicated space for long-standing skateboarding organizations supporting displaced communities to connect for the first time.

Over the past two years, OBN has been working behind the scenes to identify collective challenges and resource gaps that need to be addressed to better support the inclusion of displaced communities in skateboarding programs worldwide. Today, the network includes 18 social skateboarding initiatives across 16 countries.

While many social skateboarding initiatives aim to engage displaced youth, a significant lack of resources and additional barriers often prevent their full participation. These challenges—affecting the safety and well-being of refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and asylum seekers—are what the Open Boarders Network is now working to address.

About the Sibling Fund

The Sibling Fund fosters meaningful partnerships between like-minded skateboarding initiatives supporting displaced youth, enabling them to learn from and support each other. 

Projects will be paired based on their applications, considering factors such as focus areas, location/context, shared language, and expertise. We aim to match Big Siblings who have relevant experience in a challenge that Little Siblings are actively working to overcome or a topic they need support and guidance with. While Big Siblings take on a mentor role, the goal is for both partners to benefit from the relationship through mutual aid and collaborative problem-solving.

The selected projects will participate in an 8-month partnership (April 1st – November 30th), committing to monthly check-ins at a mutually agreed time. To support these discussions, we will provide a guidance framework to help structure the meetings.

Funding & Support

For this funding round, five Sibling partnerships will be created in total:

• Little Siblings will receive an unrestricted €2,000 grant, which can be used for any aspect of their programs engaging displaced youth (to be detailed in their application).
• Big Siblings will receive a €500 stipend to acknowledge their time and mentorship.
• Both partners will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the program.

Reporting & Feedback

At the end of the partnership:

• Little Siblings will submit a simple financial and narrative report, outlining how the grant was used (we can give guidance and support where needed).
• Both partners will complete a short feedback survey to help us understand the impact of the partnership and improve future cycles.

Essential Criteria:

To be eligible for the Sibling Fund, applicants must meet the following requirements:

For Little Sibling Applicants:

• Must be a registered nonprofit or have a partner nonprofit that can receive funds on their behalf.

• Must already be running a skateboarding program for displaced youth OR have experience running skateboarding programs and seek support to expand their work to include displaced youth.

For Big Sibling Applicants:

• It's essential to have worked in solidarity with displaced communities (ideally having 3+ years of experience).

• Must have previous or current experience with a social skateboarding initiative or within the wider sport for development sector.

For All Applicants (Big & Little Siblings):

• Must commit to at least one hour per month for check-in meetings with their partner.

• Must attend an initial partner introduction meeting in early April.

How to Apply:

There are two ways to participate in the Sibling Fund:

• Little Sibling Partners (Emerging Initiatives) – Receive mentorship and support from your Big Sibling while also receiving a €2,000 grant to strengthen your skateboarding program for displaced youth.
• Big Sibling Partners (Established Initiatives) – Act as a mentor, providing guidance and support to your Little Sibling on a chosen focus area. You will receive a €500 stipend for your time, with an expectation of monthly support calls over 8 months.

If you wish to apply for the Sibling Fund, simply fill out this application form (you will select which Sibling Partner you are applying for within the application).

The deadline to apply is March 13th, 2025.