Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It's not.”
Dr. Seuss' Lorax left one simple word on a rock before he disappeared forever: Unless.
It meant that "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." As we look around at the state of our communities, our country, and our planet, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed with the challenges ahead - both tangible and existential.
But we at ALBC care a whole awful lot, and have decided to do something about it.
The challenge
The Big Idea
In our experience, organizations with truly new and novel ideas struggle to get the buy-in and resources they need to bring their ideas to life. It’s much easier to sell an idea that’s already been proven/profitable, so change-makers need to work much harder to get their audiences on board and bought-in, requiring high-end expertise they typically can’t afford. The gap between idea and impact is where we come in.
The Unless Project (UP) is our grant-meets-accelerator program designed to identify organizations with transformational solutions and limited resources, then to repackage, reposition, and amplify them to be as successful as possible. Once a year, we select up to four (4) organizations - one (1) in each of our four focus areas - and donate services & resources worth over $500,000 USD in total.
How does it work?
It's (sort of) simple...
Each grantee is guided through a six-month intensive process with six major stages worth up to $150,000 in services & resources to refine your positioning, build your capacity, and better engage with your audiences.
Throughout this process, we help our grantees transform from current-state to ideal-state, tapping into our entire array of capabilities and expertise, and funding all marketing-related expenditures required to realize their vision along the way.
At the end of the process, the Grantee should see a measurable increase in their impact and their ability to engage new audiences sustainably. Hopefully, their success will inspire others to pursue their own big ideas.
Discovery & Strategy to establish a viable north star, a pathway to get there, and prioritize our efforts along the way.
Operations & Education to ensure the infrastructure and resources are in place to successfully reach that destination.
Branding & Storytelling to revitalize or reimagine how the organization is packaged, positioned, and explained.
Marketing & PR to ensure the Grantee’s audience is experiencing them in the right way at the right time.
Pitching & Delivery to ensure we’re successfully achieving our goals and connecting with new, bigger audiences.
Analysis & Graduation to assess successes and opportunities, and to ensure the Grantee is headed off with the tools they need for sustainable success.
Eligibility quiz
Find out if your organization is the right fit for our grant program by taking our eligibility quiz at the following link.
Unless Project Teams
ADVISORY COUNCIL This is our collection of world-class subject matter experts and thought-leaders who help vet, select, and guide our grantees.
CREATIVE COLLECTIVE This is the multidisciplinary group of experts who design and deliver our creative work.
PARTNERS These are the symbiotic organizations that help us deliver a more comprehensive and robust experience.
Interested in contributing?
Program FAQ
Please find a list of frequently asked questions, our answers, and a form to submit new questions at the following page.
Apply Now
Start with a short eligibility quiz and, if you qualify, jump right into the application process.
Share the program
Do you know a person or organization who could use The Unless Project?
We are able to fund the Unless Project because of our paid, for-profit work. If you would like to help fund the Unless Project, hire us to work for you.
We are grateful to our partner organizations and sponsors. If you would like to enable the Unless Project, please contact us to explore if we're the right fit.
