Most international development funding flows through large institutional channels. These two take different paths: one funds community-level clean water NGOs through a wine-sales revenue model, the other backs science content creators reaching global audiences on YouTube and TikTok.

What we know: Water from Wine partners with NGOs delivering durable water access and WASH projects internationally. Listed partners include Water1st International, Water Access Now, and Gravity Water. The foundation holds about $510,000 in total assets, and its foundation-wide median grant is around $8,900, so the upper end of that published range reflects rare outliers.

Realistic fit: small to mid-size water and sanitation NGOs with active field projects in the Global South.

What we know: Sloan's Public Understanding division funds science, technology, and economics content on video platforms. The process starts with a one-page emailed LOI. Foundation-wide, Sloan made 1,550 grants totaling $270 million over three years (median around $100,000), with top recipients like UC Berkeley and MIT. The program explicitly excludes science fiction, K-12 content, and exam prep material.

Realistic fit: nonprofit media organizations or fiscally sponsored creators producing public-facing science and economics video content.

Both programs accept inquiries year-round, so there's no deadline pressure. Water from Wine doesn't publish detailed eligibility criteria, so confirm requirements through their application form before investing time. For the Sloan program, email the one-page LOI to the program director listed on their page.

If you work with a WASH nonprofit operating in Africa or South Asia, or a science communications org producing for YouTube, send this their way.