How to submit a successful grant proposal with MetaMask Grants DAO

If you’re a developer building impactful, open experiences in web3, you might be eligible to apply for a grant to fund your project from MetaMask Grants DAO. This post outlines what MetaMask Grants DAO is and how to submit a successful grant application.

What is MetaMask Grants DAO and how does it work?

MetaMask Grants DAO is an internal Consensys employee-led DAO that aims to foster innovation in the MetaMask ecosystem. Established in October 2022, the DAO places an emphasis on builders and their journey to MVP.

Making MetaMask the most extensible wallet in the world requires decentralizing efforts to build out a thriving ecosystem to empower our communities. MetaMask Grants DAO not only accelerates growth for crypto-comfortable users but also aims to promote long-term adoption among crypto-curious individuals by providing multiple pathways for participation.

Every ConsenSys employee can opt-in to be a Grants DAO member with equal voting rights governed by a non-transferable token. Learn more about the DAO here.

How do I apply?

You can apply for a MetaMask grant here: https://consensys-software.typeform.com/to/TQ9ua2g2

Recipients include projects that have previously collaborated with MetaMask as well as new relationships formed as a result of the DAO.

We’ll use information from a prior grant recipient, Safeheron as an example in this guide.

To increase your chances of being funded, make sure to keep these 3 tips in mind when filling out your application:

#1 Be specific about your project and the problem you solve

Make sure you’re able to describe your project clearly. What are your goals, why is it important, and how does it align with our mission? Does it fit into our current wish list?

In Safeheron’s application, they clearly stated how their project revolved around improving MetaMask’s key management experience, specifically with a focus on helping users manage their Secret Recovery Phrase (SRP) to reduce phishing attacks while also reducing the chance of those keys being lost.

This is an extremely important issue to the MetaMask team as we prioritize user security above all else.

When filling out your grant application, don’t hesitate to include the following:

• Data: Do you have quantitative data to illustrate the problem you’re solving?
• Track record: What have you and your team been involved with? Have you participated in one of our hackathons? Collaborated with our team in the past? Let us know! Safeheron mentioned their previous relationship with the MetaMask and Keystone team in implementing a 2/2 MPC snap and described how a grant would fund the evolution of this into a 2/3 MPC snap.
• Roadmap: What is your vision and what part of your roadmap and execution will our grant enable? Feel free to call out future steps, but be clear in delineating what portion of your project the grant will be funding.

#2 Include key milestones and a path to production

Including milestones, timelines, and a thorough strategy helps us evaluate the feasibility of your project. And maybe we can even fund a portion of your build, so be explicit in your milestones. Be realistic when sketching this out— what targets would you measure your productivity by? What does success look like? Does it make sense to break out your path to production by dev weeks or by milestones achieved?

Milestones, for example, could look like this:

• 2/2 MPC solution implemented with MetaMask Flask and Keystone hardware wallet
• Compatible 2/3 MPC algorithm developed
• Designs for the 2/3 MPC experience
• Integration of 2/3 MPC algorithm with Flask, Keystone, and MetaMask Mobile
• Security review
• Marketing and PR preparation
• Launch

#3 Clearly describe how the budget would be used

What would the funding go towards? What are some blocks you’re currently experiencing? Include cost breakdowns so there’s an understanding of where the grant could contribute best.

For example, if you’re requesting funding for $35,000 how much of that will be used for development costs, security audits, marketing, etc.? We commonly see that audit fees can be a point of pressure for teams, so feel free to get an application in, even if it’s just to cover audit costs.

Making an impact

MetaMask Grants DAO was funded to enable and empower the developer ecosystem to keep building, innovating, and thriving. If you believe your project is making a positive impact and would benefit from a grant, we encourage you to apply for funding!

Keep tabs on our MetaMask Grants DAO page, and stay up to date on our developer offerings on Twitter. We’re looking forward to seeing what you build.

We can’t guarantee when we will review your request or that it will get approved, but know that our team will review the application pipeline as often as we can. Thanks for being patient with us.

Thank you to the Safeheron team for letting us use your application as an example in this guide.