Community Engagement Grants

The Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship awards Community Engagement Grants (CEGs) each year to support students' involvement in community engagement over the summer and winter breaks.  The purpose of CEGs is to develop students as active citizens and to support communities in achieving their own goals.

CEGs are supported by the generosity of several funders: The Parents Association, The Pulley Family Public Service Fellowship Endowment, the Father Kelly Endowment (of the Monteverde-Jackson Endowment), and the Christopher Wren Association.  Awards are made by a selection committee composed of previous CEG grant awardees and students, staff and faculty deeply involved in community engagement.

Students identify or design their own projects that are usually associated with a social service, not-for-profit or public agency and outline their activities in a proposal that the grant committee reviews. Students may request any amount up to $2,000.

Previously funded projects have been located throughout the United States and overseas; special consideration is given to domestic project proposals.

Each CEG award is intended to allow a student to engage in meaningful service work by defraying living expenses and other costs while performing unpaid service.  Expenses that may be supported through the grants include:

• Expenses for service projects (supplies, transportation, etc.)
• Program fees for service programs
• Living expenses

Preference is given to applications that indicate that grant funds will go directly to the community, or to support reasonable living expenses for the student. It is rare that travel expenses will be covered by CEGs.

The grants are intended to support individuals or small groups.  Applications by service trip or alternative break groups will be accepted; however, each group will be awarded a maximum of $600 total.  Applicants should note that the committee will take into account other funding sources available to applicants (e.g. research grants, Branch Out financial aid, etc.) in their considerations.