### Terms and Conditions
- [x] I agree to the [Grant Agreement](https://9ba4718…c-5c73-47c3-a024-4fc4e5278803.usrfiles.com/ugd/9ba471_f81ef4e4b5f040038350270590eb2e42.pdf) terms if funded
- [x] I agree to [Provide KYC information](https://9ba4718c-5c73-47c3-a024-4fc4e5278803.usrfiles.com/ugd/9ba471_7d9e73d16b584a61bae92282b208efc4.pdf) if funded above $50,000 USD
- [x] I agree to disclose conflicts of interest
- [x] I agree to adhere to the [Code of Conduct](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcg-code-of-conduct/41787) and [Communication Guidelines](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcg-communication-guidelines/44284)
- [x] I understand all milestone deliverables will be validated and accepted by their intended users or their representatives, who will confirm that the deliverables meet the required quality, functionality, and usability for each user story.
- [x] I agree that for any new open-source software, I will create a `CONTRIBUTING.md` file that reflects the high standards of Zcash development, using the [`librustzcash` style guides](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#styleguides) as a primary reference.
- [x] I understand when contributing to existing Zcash code, I am required to adhere to the project specific contribution guidelines, paying close attention to any [merge](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#merge-workflow), [branch](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#branch-history), [pull request](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-request-review), and [commit](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-messages) guidelines as exemplified in the `librustzcash` repository.
- [x] I agree to post request details on the [Community Forum](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/c/grants/33)
- [x] I understand it is my responsibility to post a link to this issue on the [Zcash Community Forums](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/c/grants/33) after this application has been submitted so the community can give input. I understand this is required in order for ZCG to discuss and vote on this grant application.
### Application Owners (@Octocat, @Octocat1)
@VoodooKingX, @luciotato, @aidonker
### Organization Name
Build Buddies, powered by Meta Pool
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
We discovered Zcash Community Grants through Zcash’s official grants resources and community channels while researching ecosystem partners for Build Buddies’ multi-chain education and community activation program. We were particularly interested in Zcash’s mission to advance financial privacy, open-source development, and real-world user education.
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
10000
### Category
Community
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
Name: **Pablo Vazquez — Head of Operations, Build Buddies**
Role: Pablo Vazquez will serve as Project Lead and primary point of contact for the Build Buddies x Zcash program. He is responsible for operational planning, milestone delivery, local-host coordination, event logistics, budget tracking, evidence collection, and reporting to Zcash Community Grants.
Background: Pablo works within the Build Buddies and Meta Pool ecosystem, coordinating distributed community initiatives across Latin America and Asia. His role includes aligning local ambassadors, partners, venues, event pages, participant communications, and post-event follow-up.
Responsibilities: For this grant, Pablo will ensure that all program activities follow Zcash Community Grants’ communication, reporting, and milestone-validation requirements. He will coordinate closely with the project’s product, technical, ambassador, and educational leads to ensure timely delivery and a high-quality participant experience.
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
**Claudio Cossio — Co-Founder, Product and Ecosystem Strategy**
Claudio leads product strategy, partnerships, ecosystem coordination, growth, and strategic reporting. He has experience in software product leadership, Web3 ecosystem development, DeFi, DAO governance, liquid staking, and multi-chain expansion. Through Meta Pool, he has worked across ecosystems including NEAR, Ethereum, Solana, ICP, Aurora, Optimism, Linea, and Story Protocol.
**Lucio Tato — Co-Founder, Technical and Educational Architecture**
Lucio leads technical review, curriculum quality assurance, workshop design, privacy and security guidance, and evaluation of relevant Zcash tools and learning resources. He is a senior software engineer and DeFi architect with more than 30 years of experience in distributed systems, smart contracts, blockchain infrastructure, and large-scale software systems.
**Francisco Montesdeoca — Build Buddies Ambassadors Lead**
Francisco coordinates local ambassadors and hosts, supports event delivery, maintains execution standards, and helps ensure that local sessions follow the approved curriculum, participant-safety guidance, and measurement methodology.
**Cibeles — Operations and Academic Initiatives**
Cibeles supports educational content, student and academic outreach, workshop coordination, participant follow-up, and pathways for technically interested attendees.
**Local Hosts and Ambassadors — Community Delivery**
Selected local hosts will deliver events in their cities, coordinate venues and local promotion, facilitate onboarding, collect event evidence, and support post-event community engagement. Hosts will be selected from the existing Build Buddies network based on availability, experience, and local demand.
```
### Project Summary
Build Buddies x Zcash is a three-month, community-led program that delivers in-person privacy education, responsible Zcash onboarding, and follow-up community pathways across Latin America and Asia. The program will run 20 local events, reach up to 510 verified attendees, and create a reusable multilingual playbook for sustainable Zcash community growth.
### Project Description
# Build Buddies x Zcash: Privacy Education and Community Adoption in Latin America and Asia
Build Buddies x Zcash is a three-month community activation and education program designed to introduce Zcash, financial privacy concepts, and responsible self-custody practices to users, students, developers, creators, and local Web3 communities across Latin America and Asia.
Build Buddies is a global, community-led initiative powered by Meta Pool. It organizes recurring in-person events, workshops, and hands-on learning sessions through a distributed network of local hosts and ambassadors. Build Buddies has organized more than 500 events, reached more than 5,000 attendees, and maintains activity across nine countries.
With support from Zcash Community Grants, Build Buddies will deliver 20 co-branded events over three months in selected cities within its active regional network. Events will be adapted to local audiences and delivered in accessible language, primarily Spanish and English, with additional local adaptation where needed.
Each event will offer:
- An accessible introduction to Zcash and the importance of financial privacy
- Clear, responsible education about transparent and shielded transaction models
- Self-custody and wallet-security education
- Guided discovery of the Zcash ecosystem, official learning resources, available wallets, and community channels
- Optional, participant-led wallet onboarding using ecosystem-approved tools
- Practical learning activities appropriate to the participant’s level and the availability of supported tools
- Follow-up pathways into local communities, online channels, future sessions, open-source learning resources, and contributor opportunities
The project is designed as an education-first program. It will not provide financial advice, custody services, investment recommendations, token sales, or promises of financial returns. Participants will retain full control over their devices, wallets, keys, funds, and decisions at all times.
The proposed program will target up to 510 verified attendees. Because privacy, self-custody, wallet availability, and access to funds are personal user decisions, the project will not require users to make transactions or disclose transaction data. Instead, success will be evaluated through verified attendance, completion of privacy and security learning activities, voluntary wallet onboarding where appropriate, community retention, technical-session participation, participant feedback, and event-level delivery evidence.
The project will produce a reusable Build Buddies x Zcash Activation Kit, including localized educational materials, event agendas, a facilitator guide, security and privacy guidance, participant follow-up templates, and aggregate reporting templates. This will create a practical foundation for longer-term Zcash community growth in emerging markets.
### Proposed Problem
# Problem
Many people in Latin America and Asia are aware of cryptocurrency but lack practical, trustworthy, and locally relevant opportunities to understand privacy-preserving digital money, self-custody, and the tradeoffs between transparent and shielded blockchain activity.
Online content alone often creates awareness without building confidence or long-term participation. New users may struggle with basic questions: What is financial privacy? How do transparent and shielded transactions differ? Which wallet tools are appropriate? How can a person protect recovery phrases and avoid scams? Where can they find reliable Zcash educational resources and local community support?
This challenge is compounded in emerging markets by fragmented communities, language barriers, inconsistent local education, and a shortage of in-person spaces where users can ask questions safely. Developers and students may also be unaware of Zcash’s privacy technology, open-source resources, and potential contribution pathways.
Zcash is especially relevant because shielded transactions are designed to protect sensitive transaction information. However, privacy-preserving tools require careful education: participants need to understand the technology, self-custody responsibilities, and safe-use practices before deciding whether and how to use them.
Build Buddies addresses this educational and community-distribution gap by creating recurring local spaces for privacy-first learning, ecosystem discovery, responsible onboarding, and sustained community participation.
### Proposed Solution
# Solution
Build Buddies will operate a three-month, 20-event Zcash education and community-activation program across selected cities in Latin America and Asia.
The solution is a repeatable local education model that combines:
- **In-person privacy education:** Clear sessions explaining Zcash, financial privacy, transparent and shielded transaction concepts, self-custody, and responsible blockchain use
- **Guided ecosystem discovery:** Participants learn about official Zcash resources, wallets, community channels, developer documentation, and open-source contribution opportunities
- **Optional onboarding:** Participants who choose to explore a supported wallet can receive guidance on basic self-custody and security practices. Participation is voluntary; Build Buddies will never handle user keys, seed phrases, or funds
- **Developer and student engagement:** At least two sessions will be designed for developers and technical communities, introducing Zcash’s open-source architecture, wallet SDKs, privacy concepts, and available documentation
- **Local-language and local-context delivery:** Events and materials will be delivered in Spanish and English, with local adaptation by ambassadors when appropriate
- **Community retention:** Participants will be invited to continued learning sessions, local and online community channels, contributor resources, and future Zcash-related opportunities
- **Transparent reporting:** Build Buddies will provide monthly reports and a final impact report using aggregate, privacy-conscious metrics
The program will not require users to transact, reveal wallet addresses, or disclose personal financial information. It prioritizes informed learning and user autonomy over transaction-count targets.
At the end of the program, Build Buddies will deliver a reusable Activation Kit that can support continued Zcash educational programming in the highest-performing locations.
### Solution Format
# Solution Format and Deliverables
The project is a **community education and activation program**, not a new wallet, protocol, token, or production software product.
Primary deliverables include:
- 20 Build Buddies x Zcash in-person community events across Latin America and Asia
- Up to 510 verified attendees across the full program
- A standardized Zcash privacy-education curriculum and event facilitator guide
- Localized participant materials in English and Spanish, with additional local adaptation where feasible
- At least two developer or student-focused technical sessions
- Event registration pages, co-branded communications, and post-event recap materials
- A participant-safety guide covering self-custody, recovery-phrase protection, scam awareness, and responsible wallet use
- Monthly milestone reports with event evidence, attendance, agenda, media, qualitative feedback, and aggregate engagement metrics
- A final public impact report
- A reusable Build Buddies x Zcash Activation Kit containing curriculum, event playbook, communication templates, reporting templates, and recommendations for a second phase
No new production open-source software is planned. If any educational code examples, workshop materials, or repositories are created, they will be published with an appropriate open-source license and a CONTRIBUTING.md file aligned with applicable Zcash standards.
### Dependencies
# Dependencies
This project does not depend on protocol changes, wallet development, access to private user data, token incentives, or modifications to Zcash core software.
The project depends on the following operational, ecosystem, and community resources:
- **Public Zcash resources:** Accurate and current official Zcash educational materials, documentation, wallet guidance, branding guidance where applicable, and public community channels.
- **Wallet availability:** Participants who choose optional onboarding must have access to an appropriate Zcash-compatible wallet and must independently decide whether to create or use a wallet. Build Buddies will not custody funds, handle seed phrases, or require transactions.
- **Local hosts and venues:** Availability of selected Build Buddies ambassadors, local hosts, educational partners, venues, and event dates in the chosen cities.
- **Event operations:** Reliable internet access, presentation equipment, registration tools, participant communications, and basic event logistics.
- **Zcash community coordination:** Timely access to clarification from relevant community members or ecosystem representatives when factual updates, approved resources, or technical accuracy checks are needed.
- **Participant consent:** Attendance, feedback collection, media capture, and any follow-up communications will depend on participant consent and applicable local privacy requirements.
- **Translation and localization:** Localized materials will depend on the availability of team members, hosts, or contractors capable of reviewing content for language and local-context accuracy.
These dependencies are manageable because the program is education-first and can proceed without requiring protocol releases, code integrations, financial transactions, or external technical approvals.
### Technical Approach
# Technical Approach
This is a community education and activation project rather than a software-development project. Its technical approach focuses on using reliable, privacy-conscious tools and verified educational resources to deliver and measure local events.
## Educational methodology
Each session will use a standardized but adaptable curriculum covering:
- The purpose of financial privacy and its relevance in digital systems
- High-level Zcash concepts, including transparent and shielded transaction models
- Responsible self-custody, recovery-phrase protection, device security, and scam awareness
- Discovery of official Zcash educational resources, documentation, wallets, and community channels
- Optional participant-led exploration of supported wallet tools, where available and appropriate
Content will be reviewed before delivery to avoid inaccurate, outdated, or misleading technical claims. The program will clearly distinguish education from financial advice, custody, investment recommendations, or guaranteed outcomes.
## Operational tools
Build Buddies will use existing operational tools for:
- Event planning, registration, and attendance verification
- Agenda, curriculum, and material management
- Host coordination and delivery checklists
- Participant feedback collection
- Evidence collection, including event pages, agendas, photographs or recordings only when consented to, and recap materials
- Aggregate reporting and milestone documentation
The specific tools may vary by country and venue, but the project will prioritize low-cost, widely accessible, and privacy-conscious services.
## Privacy-conscious measurement
The project will collect only the minimum information needed to verify delivery and evaluate educational outcomes. It will not request seed phrases, private keys, wallet balances, transaction histories, wallet addresses, or personal financial data.
Metrics will be reported in aggregate, including:
- Registrations and verified attendees
- Number and type of events delivered
- Educational-resource distribution or views
- Voluntary feedback responses
- Voluntary follow-up engagement
- Number of technical, student, or developer sessions
- Qualitative learning feedback and operational lessons
Any personal data collected through registration or feedback forms will be limited, consent-based, and handled according to applicable privacy requirements and the policies of the selected event tools.
## Quality assurance
Before each event, local hosts will receive a delivery checklist covering curriculum requirements, factual accuracy, participant safety, privacy practices, event evidence, and reporting expectations.
After each event, Build Buddies will review the event record, attendance evidence, feedback, issues raised, and follow-up actions. This iterative process will allow the team to improve materials and delivery formats throughout the three-month program.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
# Upstream Merge Opportunities
Not applicable to the core scope of this grant.
Build Buddies will not fork, modify, or contribute code directly to existing Zcash repositories as part of this project. The proposal is focused on community education, localized materials, in-person events, responsible onboarding guidance, and transparent reporting.
No changes to Zcash protocol code, wallet code, SDKs, libraries, infrastructure, or upstream repositories are planned.
If the project produces educational materials, facilitator guides, event templates, or non-production code examples that could be useful to the broader Zcash ecosystem, Build Buddies may publish them in a public repository or other accessible format after appropriate review. Any such materials would be clearly identified as educational and would not be represented as official Zcash software or documentation without prior authorization.
If a future phase includes a software contribution, the team will first coordinate with the relevant repository maintainers and comply with applicable contribution, licensing, branch, pull-request, commit, and review requirements.
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
0
### Hardware/Software Justification
No dedicated hardware or paid software purchases are required for this project.
The core team and local hosts will use existing laptops, mobile devices, presentation equipment, and available collaboration tools. Educational resources will rely primarily on publicly available Zcash documentation, free event-registration tools where possible, and existing Build Buddies operational infrastructure.
Any minimal design, storage, or registration-tool costs will be covered within the program-management or local-event-delivery budget categories rather than treated as dedicated hardware or software procurement.
### Service Costs (USD)
6800
### Service Costs Justification
# Service Costs Justification
**Total service costs: USD 6,800**
Service costs cover the third-party and local delivery expenses required to run 20 in-person Build Buddies x Zcash educational events across Latin America and Asia. These costs are not team salaries; they are direct program-delivery expenses paid to venues, local providers, and external service providers.
| Service category | Amount (USD) | Purpose |
|---|---:|---|
| Local event venues and operational logistics | 2,400 | Venue rental or local space contributions, basic event setup, connectivity, presentation support, local permits where applicable, and essential on-site logistics for 20 events |
| Local host event-delivery support | 2,000 | Fixed per-event support for local hosts or service providers covering local coordination, venue liaison, attendee check-in, event setup, evidence collection, and post-event recap support |
| Translation, localization, and design services | 900 | Review and adaptation of educational materials, event communications, and participant resources for Spanish, English, and local context where required |
| Community outreach and communications | 700 | Localized event-promotion materials, community-distribution support, registration-page assets, and communications services |
| Participant learning materials and event consumables | 500 | Printed or digital participant materials, name tags, basic workshop supplies, and similar low-cost educational consumables |
| Contingency for local service variations | 300 | Limited buffer for local venue, logistics, translation, or operational variations; any unused amount will not be spent |
**Total: USD 6,800**
All service expenditures will be documented through invoices, receipts, contracts, payment records, event evidence, or equivalent local records. The final report will provide a summarized breakdown of actual spending by category and milestone.
Build Buddies will prioritize cost-effective venues, local partnerships, free community spaces, and existing operational tools whenever possible. If a planned service cost is reduced or no longer needed, the team will preserve funds and communicate any material reallocation transparently in its milestone reporting.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
3200
### Compensation Costs Justification
# Compensation Costs Justification
**Total compensation costs: USD 3,200**
Compensation covers the core team’s direct work required to plan, coordinate, review, measure, report, and close the three-month program. Compensation is limited to defined project-management, educational-quality, technical-review, and reporting responsibilities.
| Role | Estimated hours | Rate (USD/hour) | Amount (USD) | Responsibilities |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---|
| Pablo Vazquez — Project Lead and Operations | 80 | 20 | 1,600 | Program planning, host coordination, schedule management, budget tracking, event oversight, evidence verification, milestone submissions, forum communication, and final reporting |
| Claudio Cossio — Product and Ecosystem Strategy | 24 | 20 | 480 | Ecosystem alignment, partnership guidance, strategic review, growth strategy, and quality review of community-delivery outcomes |
| Lucio Tato — Technical and Educational Review | 30 | 20 | 600 | Review of Zcash-related educational content, technical accuracy, self-custody and privacy guidance, developer-session support, and curriculum quality assurance |
| Francisco Montesdeoca — Ambassador Coordination | 18 | 20 | 360 | Ambassador coordination, host delivery checklists, event-quality review, and local execution support |
| Cibeles — Academic and Community Operations | 8 | 20 | 160 | Educational coordination, student and academic outreach support, participant follow-up, and feedback organization |
**Total: 160 hours / USD 3,200**
All compensated work is limited to the responsibilities listed above. Local venue, event, translation, design, outreach, and other third-party delivery costs are included separately under Service Costs and are not duplicated under team compensation.
The team will track project work, delivery records, milestone outputs, and relevant payment documentation. Compensation will be paid according to completed work and the successful delivery and acceptance of each milestone.
### Total Budget (USD)
10000
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
_No response_
### Other Funding Sources
Yes
### Other Funding Sources Details
Build Buddies is powered by Meta Pool and has operated through internal support, ecosystem partnerships, and collaborations with other Web3 organizations.
No other third-party funding has been secured or allocated specifically for the Build Buddies x Zcash program described in this application.
Any separate funding received by Build Buddies or Meta Pool for unrelated multi-chain community activities will not be represented as Zcash program funding and will not reduce the scope, reporting obligations, or deliverables requested in this grant.
### Implementation Risks
# Implementation Risks
## 1. Local host, venue, or scheduling constraints
**Risk:** A confirmed local host, venue, partner, or event date may become unavailable due to travel, local conditions, academic calendars, competing events, or operational changes.
**Mitigation:** Build Buddies will maintain a flexible event calendar, select locations from an existing host network, use backup hosts and venues where possible, and prioritize remote coordination well in advance. If a city cannot proceed, the team may reallocate the event to another qualified city while preserving the total delivery scope and reporting the change transparently.
## 2. Lower-than-expected attendance
**Risk:** A local event may receive fewer registrations or attendees than anticipated.
**Mitigation:** Hosts will use local partnerships, university contacts, Web3 communities, and event-registration channels to promote sessions. The team will monitor registration levels before events, adjust promotion and venue formats, and use learnings from early events to improve later attendance. Success will be measured through verified delivery and aggregate engagement, not through exaggerated attendance claims.
## 3. Wallet availability or onboarding friction
**Risk:** Participants may encounter compatibility limitations, app-store restrictions, network connectivity issues, device constraints, or difficulty understanding wallet setup.
**Mitigation:** Wallet onboarding will remain optional and participant-led. Events will prioritize education, security, ecosystem discovery, and self-custody principles rather than requiring wallet creation or transactions. Facilitators will only reference current, publicly available, appropriate tools and will direct participants to official resources whenever possible.
## 4. Inaccurate, outdated, or misunderstood Zcash information
**Risk:** Zcash software, wallet availability, documentation, terminology, and ecosystem resources may change during the program, creating a risk of outdated materials or unclear explanations.
**Mitigation:** The curriculum will use official and verifiable sources where possible, be reviewed before delivery, and be updated when material changes are identified. Facilitators will avoid unsupported technical claims and will clearly distinguish educational examples from instructions or guarantees.
## 5. Privacy and participant-safety concerns
**Risk:** Participants may misunderstand self-custody, disclose sensitive information, share recovery phrases, or interpret an educational session as investment or financial advice.
**Mitigation:** Every event will include a clear safety disclaimer: Build Buddies does not provide custody, investment advice, financial advice, or assistance with seed phrases, private keys, or funds. Facilitators will reinforce scam awareness, device security, recovery-phrase protection, and participant autonomy. The program will not request transaction data, wallet addresses, seed phrases, or private financial information.
## 6. Cross-border operational complexity
**Risk:** Events across multiple countries may face differences in language, culture, regulations, payment methods, venue availability, local safety conditions, or communication norms.
**Mitigation:** The project uses a distributed local-host model, localized materials, and flexible event formats. The team will avoid legal or financial claims, ensure local hosts follow the standard program guidelines, and adjust implementation based on local conditions.
## 7. Reporting quality and evidence consistency
**Risk:** Distributed events may generate inconsistent evidence, attendance records, feedback quality, or reporting formats.
**Mitigation:** Build Buddies will use standardized event checklists, reporting templates, attendance-verification methods, consent-aware media guidance, and milestone review processes. The Project Lead will verify evidence and aggregate results before each milestone submission.
## 8. Forum posting and community-review timing
**Risk:** The applicant may initially lack the forum trust level required to create the mandatory grant-application topic.
**Mitigation:** Immediately after submitting the GitHub application, the Project Lead will request the required forum trust-level increase through a comment on the application issue, following the instruction provided to new grant applicants. The forum topic will be created and linked as soon as access is enabled.
### Potential Side Effects
# Potential Side Effects
## 1. Privacy misconceptions
Educational content about privacy-preserving technology could be misunderstood as a guarantee of complete anonymity, legal protection, financial safety, or immunity from user error.
**Mitigation:** Materials will use careful, non-absolute language and explain that privacy outcomes depend on user choices, wallet behavior, network conditions, operational security, and applicable laws. Sessions will emphasize responsible use, self-custody, and the limits of educational guidance.
## 2. Security risks for inexperienced participants
New users may make mistakes when creating wallets, securing devices, storing recovery phrases, or responding to scams.
**Mitigation:** The program will repeatedly communicate that participants must never share seed phrases or private keys and that Build Buddies will never request them. Wallet onboarding is optional, participant-led, and does not involve custody or direct access to user devices or funds.
## 3. Unwanted collection or exposure of personal data
Event registration, attendance evidence, feedback forms, or media could create unnecessary privacy risks if excessive information is collected or published.
**Mitigation:** The project will collect only information necessary for operations and aggregate reporting. Photography, recordings, testimonials, and follow-up communications will be consent-based. Public reporting will use aggregate metrics and will not publish sensitive participant information.
## 4. Uneven regional representation
A limited three-month pilot may concentrate activities in locations where Build Buddies already has strong host capacity, leaving other communities unserved.
**Mitigation:** The final report will transparently describe the selected cities, the basis for selection, participation results, and limitations. The Activation Kit and public resources will be reusable beyond the pilot locations, and future expansion recommendations will be based on evidence and community demand.
## 5. Overstated adoption expectations
Event attendance or wallet exploration may be misinterpreted as evidence of long-term Zcash adoption or sustained economic activity.
**Mitigation:** The program will distinguish between registrations, attendance, voluntary wallet onboarding, learning completion, feedback, and follow-up engagement. It will not claim that education sessions or attendance guarantee long-term Zcash use.
## 6. Brand or communications inconsistency
Distributed local events could use inconsistent language, inaccurate claims, or non-aligned visual materials.
**Mitigation:** Hosts will use a standard event kit, reviewed curriculum, communication templates, safety guidance, and reporting checklist. Material updates will be communicated centrally, and the Project Lead will review significant public-facing content where practical.
## 7. Perception of commercial promotion
Participants could interpret a co-branded educational event as a promise of token value, financial returns, or an endorsement of unrelated products.
**Mitigation:** All communications will state that the program is educational and community-focused. It will not promote investment, price speculation, token sales, or financial-return expectations. Any Meta Pool or Build Buddies context will be disclosed clearly and will not be presented as an official Zcash endorsement.
### Success Metrics
# Success Metrics
The project will measure success through verifiable delivery, participant learning, responsible engagement, and transparent reporting. It will not use transaction counts, wallet balances, or token activity as required indicators of success.
## Delivery metrics
| Metric | Target | Evidence |
|---|---:|---|
| In-person Build Buddies x Zcash events delivered | 20 events | Event pages, agendas, host reports, photographs or recordings where consented to, and post-event recaps |
| Verified attendees | Up to 510 total attendees | Registration records, check-in records, or equivalent privacy-conscious attendance evidence |
| Cities or local communities reached | Selected locations across Latin America and Asia | Event-level reporting and final city/location summary |
| Developer, student, or advanced-user sessions | At least 2 sessions | Agenda, materials, attendee records, and session recap |
## Education metrics
| Metric | Target | Evidence |
|---|---:|---|
| Standardized educational curriculum and facilitator guide | 1 complete package | Public or shareable curriculum, facilitator guide, and delivery checklist |
| Localized educational resources | At least 3 resources | Links or copies of materials in English, Spanish, and additional adaptation where feasible |
| Participant safety and self-custody guidance | Included in every event | Curriculum, slides, participant guide, and host checklist |
| Participant feedback collected | Offered after every event | Aggregate feedback results, qualitative themes, and response count |
## Engagement metrics
| Metric | Target | Evidence |
|---|---:|---|
| Voluntary follow-up engagement | Measured after each event | Aggregate follow-up responses, community-channel joins where voluntarily disclosed, and requests for future learning |
| Community retention pathways | Available for all attendees | Links to learning resources, community channels, future-event invitations, and contributor information |
| High-intent community participants | Qualitative identification, not a quota | Aggregate examples of interest in future sessions, hosting, development, or contribution pathways |
## Reporting and quality metrics
| Metric | Target | Evidence |
|---|---:|---|
| Milestone reports | 4 reports, one per milestone | GitHub issue updates and linked supporting materials |
| Public final impact report | 1 report | Event summary, aggregate metrics, budget summary, participant-feedback themes, lessons learned, and recommendations |
| Evidence completeness | 100% of completed events documented | Event-level evidence checklist reviewed by the Project Lead |
## Evaluation principles
- Attendance will be reported separately from registrations, feedback responses, optional wallet exploration, and follow-up engagement.
- No participant will be required to create a wallet, make a transaction, disclose an address, disclose personal financial information, or share any sensitive credentials.
- All public metrics will be aggregate and privacy-conscious.
- If targets are affected by local scheduling, venue, host, or regional conditions, Build Buddies will report the variance transparently and document corrective actions.
### Startup Funding (USD)
0
### Startup Funding Justification
No separate startup funding is requested.
All project work, including program setup, curriculum preparation, host coordination, initial event delivery, reporting, and final documentation, is fully funded through the four milestones below.
The total grant request is USD 10,000, calculated as:
Startup Funding: USD 0
Milestone 1: USD 3,000
Milestone 2: USD 2,500
Milestone 3: USD 2,500
Milestone 4: USD 2,000
Total Grant Amount: USD 10,000
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
# Milestone 1 — Program Setup and First Events
**Timeline:** Month 1
**Amount:** USD 3,000
## Activities
- Finalize the Build Buddies x Zcash event playbook, privacy and self-custody curriculum, participant-safety guidance, reporting templates, and co-branded communications
- Confirm local hosts, venues, event dates, registration pages, local partners, and communications plans
- Deliver five in-person Build Buddies x Zcash educational events
- Collect privacy-conscious attendance evidence, agendas, media where consented to, participant feedback, and aggregate engagement data
## Deliverables and acceptance criteria
- Five Build Buddies x Zcash events delivered
- Up to 150 verified attendees across the five events
- Standardized event playbook and facilitator guide completed
- English and Spanish participant materials covering Zcash, privacy concepts, self-custody, safety, and ecosystem resources
- Milestone report containing event links, agendas, attendance evidence, media where consented to, feedback summary, expenditure summary, and lessons learned
**Validation:** The Project Lead will verify event evidence and reporting completeness. Event participants, hosts, or partner representatives may provide feedback confirming that the educational materials and event experience were useful, understandable, and appropriate for the intended audience.
---
# Milestone 2 — Expansion and Technical Education
**Timeline:** Month 2
**Amount:** USD 2,500
## Activities
- Deliver six additional community education events in selected locations
- Run at least one developer, student, or technical-community session addressing Zcash privacy concepts, open-source resources, wallet SDK awareness, and contribution pathways
- Conduct consent-based participant follow-up and share relevant learning and community resources
- Review Month 1 results and refine materials, event formats, promotion, and city prioritization
## Deliverables and acceptance criteria
- Six Build Buddies x Zcash events delivered
- Up to 180 verified attendees across the six events
- At least one developer, student, or technical-community session delivered
- Localized event materials and post-event learning resources published or distributed
- Milestone report containing event evidence, attendance records, technical-session agenda and recap, feedback summary, aggregate follow-up engagement, expenditure summary, and changes made based on Month 1 learning
**Validation:** The Project Lead will verify milestone documentation. Technical-session participants, hosts, or partner representatives may provide feedback confirming clarity, relevance, and usability of the technical and educational content.
---
# Milestone 3 — Consolidation and Community Retention
**Timeline:** Month 3, Weeks 1–3
**Amount:** USD 2,500
## Activities
- Deliver six additional educational and community events
- Run at least one additional developer, student, or advanced-user session
- Strengthen community retention through local and online follow-up, continued-learning resources, future-session invitations, and contributor pathways
- Collect aggregate feedback and document emerging interest from prospective hosts, contributors, students, and community members
## Deliverables and acceptance criteria
- Six Build Buddies x Zcash events delivered
- Up to 180 verified attendees across the six events
- At least one additional developer, student, or advanced-user session delivered
- Community follow-up and retention workflow implemented
- Milestone report containing event evidence, attendance records, aggregate engagement results, feedback summary, resource links, expenditure summary, and lessons learned
**Validation:** The Project Lead will verify evidence and delivery quality. Hosts, participants, and partner representatives may validate that the community follow-up resources and event materials were accessible and relevant.
---
# Milestone 4 — Final Events, Activation Kit, and Impact Report
**Timeline:** Month 3, Week 4
**Amount:** USD 2,000
## Activities
- Deliver three final community education events, bringing the program total to 20 events
- Consolidate event, attendance, feedback, and engagement data
- Finalize the Build Buddies x Zcash Activation Kit
- Prepare and publish a final impact report with recommendations for a potential future phase
## Deliverables and acceptance criteria
- Three final Build Buddies x Zcash events delivered
- A program total of 20 events and up to 510 verified attendees across all milestones
- Build Buddies x Zcash Activation Kit completed, including curriculum, facilitator guide, safety materials, communications templates, reporting templates, and expansion recommendations
- Final public impact report containing event-level delivery evidence, aggregate results, participant-feedback themes, actual budget summary, lessons learned, risks encountered, mitigations applied, and recommendations
- Final public GitHub update linking to the report and relevant public or shareable deliverables
**Validation:** The Project Lead will verify final documentation and budget reconciliation. A representative sample of local hosts, partners, and/or participants will be invited to provide feedback on the usefulness, clarity, and practical quality of the final materials and delivery approach.
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
https://peppermint-daffodil-e37.notion.site/Build-Buddies-3ad3f29d38d380ccad65d6ecbe2a7db4
https://buildbuddies.metapool.app/
```
