Strengthening the Campus Community Grant

Overview

_NOTE: Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until the close of the application period or until all funds are allocated, whichever comes first._

Strengthening the Campus Community Grant

In the weeks and months following the 2024 election, it is more important than ever to cultivate, support, and empower student leadership on campuses across the country. The divisive nature of the election season highlighted the ongoing tensions in our civic life and within our campus communities. Following the election, there is an opportunity for leadership on campuses that brings people together on issues of common concern.

Interfaith America’s Strengthening the Campus Community grants are intended to support projects that bring together a diverse group of students in order to bridge meaningful divides on their campus or between students on campus and their local community. Strong applications will include activities, programs, groups, or events that leverage interfaith and bridgebuilding skills for concrete and meaningful actions in post-election America. These initiatives should also be focused on engaging undergraduate students. As we move into the period after the election, we hope these grants will fund projects that respond to meaningful needs on campuses as they seek to unite a diverse range of perspectives.

This grant seeks projects that:

* respond, in a positive, engaging, and swift way to the atmosphere on their campus in the aftermath of the 2024 election.
* utilize interfaith skills and knowledge to mobilize or connect with a diverse—including religiously and politically diverse—group of students and campus community members.
* engage undergraduate students directly and/or support student leaders or student leadership.

As part of your project, we strongly recommend that involved students complete the online courses Foundations of Interfaith Leadership and We Can Build Bridges. These online, selfpaced courses provide a foundation of interfaith leadership and bridgebuilding skills and can provide a gateway to needed interfaith skills during this time.

Other resources that might be helpful as you plan your projects, include the Listening Skills module from our Bridging the Gap curriculum, the Shared Values Facilitation Guide, and the short film Differences: A Student’s Story.

If applicants intend to take advantage of one or more of these resources, they should include their plans to do so in their project proposal in the grant application.

Funding

Grant amounts will be based on the goals of the proposed project and stated budget request of the applicant, with a maximum amount of $5,000. Funds will be awarded to the college or university upon completion of all required financial forms by awardee.

Grant funds are intended for the direct purposes of the proposed project and are intended to achieve the stated deliverables and outputs of the project. We are amenable to grantees using up to 10% of disbursed grant funds for operational costs if needed.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Only students, staff, faculty, and administrators at colleges and universities in the United States may apply for this grant.
* Funds will be disbursed to the college/university of the applicant.
* Student involvement is central to these grant projects and all projects must encourage significant student participation to be considered.

Ineligibility

* The grant is not eligible for organizations, institutions, or individuals located outside of the United States.
* Grant funds may not be used for:
* Alcohol
* Expenses associated with political campaign activities, including directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office; making contributions to political campaigns; or attempting to influence legislation (i.e., lobbying).
* Capital funds or expenses (e.g., endowments, capital campaigns, annual funds, tuition, or student fees).
* While not restricted, we generally don’t fund grantees to use a large portion of their funds for Interfaith America’s fee-for-service offerings, such as campus consultations or speaking engagement fees