The Stacks Grants Program has grown immensely in the past 3 months, from supporting 19 grantees with $67k in funding, to 41 grantees with $383,311. As the Grants Program continues to grow, we recognize how important it is provide grantees with an application interface that is simple and easy to use. Over the last two quarters, we've invested in improving our backend operations, as well as enabling grant payments in STX tokens. Today, we're thrilled to debut the new Stacks Grants App, which streamlines grant payments and distribution (in both $STX and USD!). Here's the TL;DR:

• Monthly Cadence: Grants will be paid monthly, on the 1st of each month, instead of on an ongoing basis. (Review Committee meetings will still take place weekly on Tuesdays though.)

• STX Token Grants: Grantees can now opt for grant payments in STX tokens (but they should still be valued in USD). Currently, the value of the STX that grantees ultimately receive will be based on a 30-day closing average for the month prior on the day of disbursement. (This is an evolving policy and is subject to change based on what works best for grantees moving forward.)

• Automated Coordination: Grantees will no longer need to personally reach out to the Grants Team when they complete a document or milestone. The new app will completely automate that process.

1. SUBMIT: Submit a grant application on Github. Continue to request milestones in USD.

2. APPROVAL: On Tuesdays, the Grant Committee reviews grants at 4:30pm EST. You will either receive feedback on your grant or an approval notice on Github, depending on the stage of your grant. Once you have been approved, click the following onboarding link:

3. FORM P1: Enter your name, email and country. Entering a company is optional. If you are going to be billing a company for tax purposes, please include that name in the 'company' section.

4. FORM P2: Here, you can opt for payments in STX. You can create a Stacks wallet if you don't already have one using the 'Tool Finder'. If you need your grant to be paid in USD instead, then you can just select the 'USD' option. (Note: We will continue providing USD if needed through the end of June, but most grantees should plan to accept STX payments moving forward.)

5. DOCUSIGN: Fill out the Docusign via email. You will receive an email with a Docusign link to the account affiliated with your Github. There are two forms you will need to sign:

• If USA: Grant Agreement and W9
• If INTL: Grant Agreement and W8BN

6. Once you have completed these forms, your funds will be ready to be disbursed!

7. PAYMENT: You will receive your grant via bill.com on the 1st of the month following your grant approval.

8. MILESTONE REVIEW: Once you complete a milestone, you should post an update on your grant application (as a comment on the corresponding Github issue). This will notify the Grant Committee that it's time to review your milestone. After the Committee reviews your progress, we will either disburse funding for your next milestone or provide feedback. Don't worry--these instructions will also show up on Github for you!

Questions? Join us this Thursday at 9:00am EST during Office Hours. We also encourage you to share any feedback you have on Discord!