Facebook Launches Second Edition Of Its Community Accelerator program Through the program, each community will receive up to $50,000 to help fund work that advances the community's goals

Online communities play a key role in bringing people closer together. We've seen them grow tremendously during the pandemic, where the need for people to connect and engage virtually becomes stronger than ever. Many of these communities exist in Facebook Groups, which are used by more than 1.8 billion people every month. Globally, more than half of all users participate in five or more groups. These groups are managed by group admins and leaders, many of which are accidental leaders who lack formal training around online community management.

Facebook on Tuesday announced the second edition of the Community Accelerator program in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, with the expansion to the three new markets including Singapore, Malaysia, and India. It is an eight-month program that will provide training, mentorship, and funding to community leaders to help them grow their communities.

A subset of communities will be eligible to receive part of $1 million in additional funding.

The Community Accelerator is part of our Facebook Community Leadership Program, a global initiative that invests in leaders building communities

Up to $7.5 million will be distributed to participants through a series of grants up to 50,000 per participant.

The accelerator will connect community leaders to experts, coaches, and a customized curriculum to create a plan to strengthen their community and meet their goals.

"Online communities have been around since the beginning of the internet, but we've seen them grow tremendously in the last year, as a result of COVID-19. There are now more than 70 million admins and moderators running active Facebook Groups. Often, it is everyday people who start and run these groups as a labor of love - with no training or support. Through the Community Accelerator program, we have helped community leaders from around the world and in APAC, to build, grow and scale their communities. With the launch of this year's Community Accelerator program, we look forward to discovering the next cohort of community leaders in Asia, and help them to unlock their full potential and create meaningful impact," said Grace Clapham, director, APAC community partnerships and programs, Facebook.

Selected community leaders will spend five months learning from experts, coaches, and a customized curriculum so they can organize and strengthen their community to work better together. Lessons include community identity foundations, leading action-oriented communities, and sustainability. Participants will also receive early access to new Facebook products aimed at helping communities better manage and activate their members.

Participants will identify an important initiative that will create a positive impact on the broader world and develop a plan to mobilize their community around their goal. Initiatives will be shared with an audience of potential partners, mentors, and a panel of judges for the chance to be awarded additional funding and receive public recognition.

They will then spend three months executing their initiatives. They will collaborate with advocates and leaders in the community space and work with the Facebook team to bring their ideas to life.

The Community Accelerator is part of our Facebook Community Leadership Program, a global initiative that invests in leaders building communities. Since announcing the first edition in March 2020, 77 communities from 13 countries have participated in the program.