Strengthening Communities Grant
This grant offers a unique opportunity for creativity to meet compassion and action. Undergraduates, grad students, faculty, and staff all have a chance to make an improvement in their communities.
The Strengthening Communities grant supports a wide range of community engagement experiences, from episodic place-based projects to regional Indiana-based plunge experiences. Experiences may be short-term co-curricular community engagement activities or training and advocacy initiatives addressing systemic community issues. Projects are to be designed in such a way that participants develop a deeper understanding of civic learning and democratic engagement, and develop into future civic leaders and civic-minded professionals. A focus on the development of high-quality community-campus partnerships where all partners are able to transcend self-interest as a means of seeking mutual benefit and a “larger definition of community.” (Enos & Morton, 2003, p. 25).
Apply now to fund projects which end before August 31, 2022. To fund projects that begin after September 1, 2022, apply for our HICEP or SEAD grant (applications available in mid-June, 2022).
Funding Award
$2,500
Required Institutional Match
$625 or 25% of requested amount
Who Should Apply:
PROFESSIONAL STAFF and SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS looking to implement community engagement projects that benefit the community and its members or community- or campus-wide training related to community or civic engagement, including deliberative dialogue events.
STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE* of any discipline leading community or civic engagement work at their campus or in their community. *Undergraduate student applicants require a faculty, campus professional staff, or graduate student to serve as a co-primary investigator in an administrative support role.
STUDENTS, GRADUATE of any discipline working to support community and civic engagement across their institution or incorporate community engagement practices into their growth and development.
FACULTY of any rank or discipline looking to support community and civic engagement practices across their institution.
Application Deadlines & Project Timelines
Proposals are accepted on the second Monday of each month. Applicants are notified of the funding decisions six weeks from the proposal due date.
Projects must start at least seven weeks after the application due date, as indicated below. All projects must be completed no later than Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
| Proposal Due Date | Earliest Project Start Date | Latest Project End Date |
| September 13, 2021 | November 1, 2021 | May 31, 2022 |
| October 11, 2021 | December 6, 2021 | May 31, 2022 |
| November 8, 2021 | December 27, 2021 | May 31, 2022 |
| December 13, 2021 | January 31, 2022 | May 31, 2022 |
| January 10, 2022 | February 28, 2022 | May 31, 2022 |
| February 7, 2022 | March 28, 2022 | May 31, 2022 |
Submission Process
Applicants are responsible for proper routing and approval by their institution prior to submission. Detailed instructions on the submission process can be found in the request for proposal and on the main Community-Engaged Alliance Engagement Portal page.
Applications must be submitted via the Community-Engaged Alliance Engagement Portal. We require the Primary Investigator to create their own individual account for submission. Instructions on how to create a user profile can be found here.
Looking for Assistance?
Contact us to learn more or to discuss grant ideas. Our partners get the benefit of our team's expertise in navigating the grant application process, every step of the way.
Project Examples
The types of projects previously funded include:
- Episodic place-based projects such as MLK Day of Service or Cesar Chaves Day of Service projects
- Indiana-based plunge experiences such as Fall or Spring Break trips or other such experiences focused on a societal topic such as examining the systemic causes of poverty or addressing food insecurity in a region
- Short-term, on-going co-curricular activities such as mentoring programs, neighborhood literacy programs, and voter education activities
- Training workshops designed to build the knowledge, skills and abilities of participants on essential community engagement topics such as critical reflection and creating reciprocal partnerships
- Training and advocacy initiatives focused on addressing localized systemic community concerns
Additional Documents
Sample Proposal
Following the guidance in the provided Sample Proposal does not guarantee funding.
Sample Reporting Guidelines
The Sample Reporting Guidelines are provided as a reference. Those who have received funding should refer to the individualized Reporting Guidelines provided with their funding notification. Contact us if you require another copy of your individualized Reporting Guidelines.