Community Engagement Mini-Grants

Brinson Honors College Student Board of Directors
Community Engagement
Mini-Grant Guidelines
2023-24

 The Brinson Honors College Student Board of Directors is offering this mini-grant program to support Brinson Honors College student involvement in community engagement and service learning. Applications for mini-grants are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications open on September 18, 2023 and close on March 29, 2024.

Mini-grant recipients are strongly encouraged to present their project at the Research and Scholarship Conference (Undergraduate Expo) March 20-21, 2024. Mini-grant recipients are required to present their project to the Student Board of Directors no later than the last day of classes during the Spring semester.  

STEP 1:  Start by forming your team! Proposals must come from teams of students. A team must be 2 to 6 students. Your team must include a majority of Brinson Honors College students but may include non-Brinson Honors College students. Still, team size cannot exceed 6 students.

STEP 2:  Next, approach a community partner. You may want to select one that you researched already. Learn about the community partner’s needs. Be mindful of their schedules, their time and how you can best serve them. Find out what skills you might gain while meeting their needs.

STEP 3:   Then, create your proposal. Elements of the proposal should include:

1. Each group member's name and contact information (email & phone number); Identify the lead group member to contact to notify of funding status,
2. The name, location and contact information of your community partner (spell out acronyms please),
3. The mission of the community partner,
4. A statement from you that confirms you have contacted the community partner and that the partner is okay with project implementation at their organization,
5. A project name or title,
6. The GOAL(S) of your project for yourself AND the organization Note: The goals should be stated in terms of what you will learn, achieve, or accomplish. 
7. An overview/description of your project. What activities will you perform?
8. A list of resources you will need to complete the project and how you plan to acquire the resources. Note that mini-grants will typically be in the range of $100 - $300 but no maximum has been set.
9. An itemized budget that explains your funding needs. Note that mini-grants will typically be in the range of $100 - $300 but no maximum has been set. Budget requests should be sufficient to cover your needs, but not excessive. Budget requests should be sufficient to cover your needs, but not excessive. Provide an itemized budget that explains your funding needs.
10. A project timeline. Be specific. Include specific dates if possible and the duration of the project. This timeline should work for both you and your community partners.

STEP 4:  Share your proposal with your community partner. Modify as needed.

STEP 5:  Submit your proposal! You can submit your proposal by emailing it to honors@wcu.edu AND honorscollegecommunityservice@gmail.com with the subject line Mini-Grant Proposal.

If you email it, look for an email confirmation that it was received. If you do not get a confirmation within 24 hours, contact the Brinson Honors College Office. ONLY ONE PERSON on the team needs to submit the proposal, on behalf of the whole team.

Your proposal will be reviewed by a committee of students from The Brinson Honors College Student Board of Directors and faculty and staff from The Brinson Honors College.

Funding notifications will be sent via email to the lead group contact. Group members that are funded must attend a brief orientation meeting to learn how to access the funding prior to beginning the project. Student teams will also be asked to write a brief report about their project and email to honors@wcu.edu with the subject line Mini-Grant Proposal Report no later than April 21, 2023.

UPON PROJECT COMPLETION
Projects that are funded through the mini-grant program are encouraged to present their work at a special showcase at the Research and Scholarship Conference (Undergraduate Expo) March 20-21, 2024. First-year Brinson Honors College students who present will be considered for a community service award, sponsored by the Brinson Honors College Student Board of Directors’ Community Service Committee. Mini-grant recipients are required to present their project to the Student Board of Directors no later than the last day of classes during Spring semester. The presentation will include learning goals, project success, images, and information included in Step 3.

RESOURCES & TIPS
There will be four quarterly meetings with the co-chairs of the community service committee to discuss the progress of the project. The first meeting will be an email. The second email will be an in-person meeting. The third meeting will be another email. The fourth meeting will be the preparation and review of the presentation that will be presented to the board of directors. If needed, reach out to the honorscollegecommunityservice@gmail.com email. Also, feel free to reach out to your honors college advisor. 

PROPOSAL TIPS
Statement of the project’s goals must be written in terms of student learning goals (what you will learn, achieve, or accomplish); and goals for the organization.

Examples:
Below are two examples of previous projects that received funding.

Resource Bags for Unhoused Students

First Gen Emergency Preparedness Kits

Budget Example:

The timeline should indicate the duration of the project (start and end) as well as the specific dates of activity or schedule of activities.