Wake Forest Capacity Building Grant

The Wake Forest Capacity Building Grant, part of the Educating Character Initiative, aims to enhance character education in U.S. higher education institutions. Established in 2023 with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the initiative has already provided $35 million in grants to 146 institutions. In 2026, new grants will be awarded to colleges and universities focused on fostering moral, civic, and intellectual character among their faculty, staff, and students.

Since our launch, we have welcomed over 1,600 faculty, staff, and administrators from more than 600 institutions and organizations to join a community with a common purpose: educating character and building communities of character in higher education and beyond. Over two previous grant cycles, ECI has awarded $35 million dollars in grants to 146 institutions engaged in efforts to strengthen the understanding, integration, and education of character at U.S. colleges and universities.
In 2026, the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) will award grants to U.S. colleges and universities that are committed to developing the moral, civic, and intellectual character of their faculty, staff, and students.