How much funding does Leah Meyer Austin Award provide?

The listing does not state a funding amount. Check the funder's announcement for specifics.

When is the deadline for Leah Meyer Austin Award?

The funder has not published a deadline for this grant.

Who is eligible for Leah Meyer Austin Award?

Eligible applicants: ATD Leader College status typically required.

How often is Leah Meyer Austin Award offered?

Leah Meyer Austin Award runs on an annual cycle.

Leah Meyer Austin Award

Achieving the Dream Inc

Foundation Annual

Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle: Annual
Tracked since: April 2026

Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

ATD Leader College status typically required

Other requirements

Must be member institution of the ATD Network
Must demonstrate sustained, substantive improvements in student outcomes
Must show narrowing and closing of equity gaps
Must demonstrate outstanding commitment to equity-centered cultural change

Overview

Award Type: National recognition award (not a direct grant)

Overview:
The highest honor given by Achieving the Dream to recognize exceptional whole-college efforts to center equity and advance student success. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in supporting and promoting student success through institutional transformation, evidence-based practices, and equity-centered cultural change.

Awarding Organization: Achieving the Dream (ATD)

Award Timeline:
Established in 2008; awarded annually during the DREAM Conference opening plenary

Focus Areas:

Equity and student success
Institutional strength and alignment of policies/procedures
Student-focused culture
Sustained, substantive improvement in student outcomes
Narrowing and closing of equity gaps
Outstanding commitment to equity-centered cultural change
Creation of culture of evidence
Continuous improvement
Systemic institutional change
Broad engagement of stakeholders
Particular attention to low-income students and students of color

Eligibility:

Must be member institution of the ATD Network
Must demonstrate sustained, substantive improvements in student outcomes
Must show narrowing and closing of equity gaps
Must demonstrate outstanding commitment to equity-centered cultural change
ATD Leader College status typically required

Honors:
The award is given in honor of Leah Meyer Austin, former Senior Vice President for Program Development and Organizational Learning at the Lumina Foundation and Emerita Director of the ATD Board of Directors, whose visionary leadership shaped the development of Achieving the Dream.

Past Winner Recognition:
Past Leah Meyer Austin Award winners have achieved significant national recognition including:

Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence winner: Miami Dade College
Aspen Rising Stars: Pierce College and Palo Alto College

Recent Recipients:

2022: Tallahassee Community College (TCC)
2021: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC)

What Achieving the Dream Inc actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990, 2025

Grants in 2025: 12
Total given: $363K
Median grant: $25K
Range: $7,500–$120K

By dollars: Texas 57%, North Carolina 7%, Washington 7%. Top recipient cities: Austin, TX; Mesquite, TX; Winston-Salem, NC.
0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
50% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

Austin Community College District · Austin, TX

Implementation grants

$120K
Dallas College Eastfield Campus · Mesquite, TX

Implementation grants

$30K
Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston Salem, NC

Implementation grants

$25K
Everett Community College · Everett, WA

Implementation grants

$25K
North Central State College · Mansfield, OH

Implementation grants

$25K