Request for Proposals (RFP) for Community Engagement Using High-Impact Practices Program

Proposal Deadlines: March 1, June 1, October 1, & December 1
Funding Amount: $4,000 max
Program Duration: 3-12 months

Program Overview

Community Engagement Alliance (CEA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Community-Engagement Using High-Impact Practices Funded Program. This initiative aims to support the integration of community-based high-impact practices (HIPs) into students’ collegiate experiences in a way that enhances student learning outcomes, encourages civic-mindedness, fosters community connection, and develops of the next generation of civic-minded leaders.

Applicant Qualifications

• Faculty of any rank or discipline
• Professional staff
• Senior administrators
• Graduate Students*

The primary investigator must be a student or employee of a CEA partner institution, and any funds awarded will be distributed to the partner institution for further management and distribution. CEA welcomes and encourages proposals from project teams that include any combination of eligible applicants above as well as community partners.

*Graduate Students wishing to apply to this funded program must include a full-time faculty or staff member to serve as co-primary investigator.

Program Goals

This program seeks to:

• Enhance student learning and engagement through community-based HIPs.
• Strengthen partnerships between higher education institutions and community organizations.
• Encourage collaboration among higher education stakeholders and community partners to design innovative and impactful projects with reciprocal benefit.

Focus Areas

Applicants are encouraged to design projects that incorporate one or more of the following seven HIPs, aligned with civic mindedness:

1. Undergraduate Research
2. Service Learning
3. Common Intellectual Experiences
4. Learning Experiences Exposing Students to Viewpoint Diversity
5. First-Year Experiences
6. Collaborative Assignments and Projects
7. Capstone Courses and Projects

Learning Cohort Model

Once selected, awardees will be placed into a learning cohort designed to foster collaboration and peer support. This cohort will meet quarterly to:

• Engage with guest speakers.
• Participate in activities to assess project health.
• Learn assessment techniques and share best practices.
• Build a network of social capital to support future community engagement efforts.

Project Examples

• A civil engineering professor empowers students to collaborate with community partners on real-world infrastructure challenges through hands-on capstone projects. Students visit project sites, gather data, and work closely with community stakeholders to design impactful solutions. By engaging in practical design work and presenting their ideas publicly, students gain professional skills while creating meaningful community benefits. The project fosters ongoing collaboration and strengthens connections between students, faculty, and the local community.
• A philosophy professor weaves a series of community-engagement experiences into a course to help students better understand the forces that encourage or hinder racial justice. Students meet with community leaders and local organizations to share perspectives and listen to their stories. While in the classroom, students reflect on which philosophical theories inform their understanding of these societal forces, design peer-led class sessions to explain a particular societal practice that resonated with them, and collaborate on an advocacy strategy that can be deployed within the community.

Proposal Requirements

Applicants must submit the following materials by the proposal deadline:

1. Project Overview
   • Project Title
   • Project Start Date – must be at least seven weeks from the submission deadline
   • Project End Date – anywhere between three and twelve months after the project start dates
   • Requested Amount – monetary figure requested to conduct the project
   • Executive Summary
2. Investigator Information
   • Full Name
   • Academic Institution
   • Professional Title
   • Email Address
   • Phone Number
   • All of the information above for any Co-Investigators
3. Fiscal Officer*
   • Full Name
   • Professional Title
   • Email Address
   • Phone Number
   • *Fiscal Officer refers to the individual who is a designated financial signatory for the campus and/or department. The Fiscal Officer will fulfill the financial reporting requirements and manage all financial aspects of the grant. The Investigator cannot also serve as the Fiscal Officer.
4. Needs Statement
   • What problem or issue is the project intended to address?
   • How was the problem or issue identified?
   • What do you believe to be true about the identified problem or issue?
5. Project Description & Activities
   • What are the core activities of this project?
   • How do these activities represent high-impact practices?
   • How will each of these activities contribute to the ultimate goal of the project?
   • What are the underlying reasons for the way this project was designed?
   • Are there community partners?
   • Describe the nature of your relationship with the community partner.
   • Who else is considered participants and what role do these participants play?
   • What potential risks and challenges does the project face?
   • Have you identified strategies to mitigate these risks?
6. Goals, Anticipated Outcomes, & Evaluation
   • In the simplest terms possible, explain what you hope to achieve with this project.
   • How will achieving your goal(s) represent progress toward the identified problem or issue?
   • What quantifiable or observable outputs will your core activities produce?
   • How will progress be assessed?
   • What data will be collected and how will it be analyzed
7. Dissemination Plan
   • How do you plan to share the knowledge you gained or created through this project?
   • Do you plan to publish your research results? If so, where?
   • Do you plan to present at a conference? If so, what conference?
   • How will you communicate the findings of your project to the most relevant and broad audiences?
8. Timeline of Activities
   • Chronologically detail the project plan, month-by-month, and include when the funds will be spent.
9. Sustainability Plan
   • How do you plan to generate the financial support, institutional support, and community engagement needed to sustain the project?
   • How does the design of this project encourage reciprocity for students, faculty, community partners, and other stakeholders?
10. Budget Request and Reporting Form
    • Complete the Budget Request & Reporting Form.
    • All requests must adhere to the Grant Terms and Conditions regarding allowable and non-allowable expenses.

Optional Information

1. Letter(s) of Support - Letter(s) of support can be submitted from a senior administrator, community partner, or any relevant stakeholders.
2. References - If you use quotations, refer to prior research, or make mention of your previous work, please provide a reference list in a standard format (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Benefit to Students and Community: The potential impact of the project on both student learning outcomes and community partner benefits.
2. Integration of HIPs: The number of HIPs included and the degree of their integration into the project design.
3. Strength of Community Partner Relationship: The quality and reliability of the partnership with community organizations, as well as their project’s potential to fuse a more durable bond between the higher education institution and community partner.

 

Final Reporting

At the end of the project period, awardees will submit a final grant report including:

• Geographic and quantitative impact of the project.
• Evidence of the addressed community need.
• Tangible products generated by the project.
• Student learning outcomes and dissemination plans.
• Plans for sustaining the project’s work beyond the funding period.
• Reflections on the experience with CEA and recommendations for program improvement.

Submission Process

Please submit your completed proposal online. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. For questions regarding this RFP, please contact grants@engagedalliance.org.

Conclusion

Community Engagement Using High-Impact Practices Funded Program is an exciting opportunity for faculty, staff, students and community partners to collaborate in fostering student civic engagement and enhancing community connections. We look forward to receiving your proposals and working together to make a meaningful impact.