Grant Funding for Faculty and Students

The Office of Community Partnerships and Service Learning recognizes the ingenuity and passion of the Sarah Lawrence community in working toward social change. To help harness that creativity and drive, the OCPSL provides grants to support students' and faculty's community-centered initiatives. The funding helps support projects utilizing the gifts of SLC members in collaboration with community-based organizations.

Examples of possible proposals include:

• An initiative where volunteers prepare tax returns for low-income workers and hosts displays on campus about what an average earned income credit could buy a family. The funding supports the printing and copying needs of the initiative and items for the displays.
• A community-based research project that analyzes the benefits of personalized tools for individuals living with varying ability levels, with reports and presentations provided to the manufacturing agency for grant proposals. The grant purchases cardboard for the agency to design the tools used for analysis.
• A workshop facilitator that prepares a group of SLC student volunteers to construct bins for a rooftop garden, with the funding allocation supporting an honorarium for the facilitator and for the materials.

Interested applicants can obtain a proposal by visiting the corresponding MySLC site.

Requirements for Funding

Funding proposals will be evaluated on the project's ability to address the following:

• Community Impact
• The OCPSL first and foremost supports projects that engage the broader community in addressing a defined issue through a collaborative effort.
• Campus Awareness
• Housed at an institution of higher learning, the OCPSL also seeks to support initiatives that educate and inform the broader campus community about our partners and the issues we as a network of neighborhoods and people face.
• Level of Innovation
• SLC thrives on creativity and as such funded efforts should demonstrate the power of creativity in community work.
• Assessment of Project
• The OCPSL challenges grantees to articulate the impact of a funded project, detailed at least in part through an assessment report a week following the close of the project.

Support throughout the Process

The staff of the OCPSL also provides insight for potential applicants into the design and development of their projects. Interested students or faculty should contact Community Partnerships to discuss the project. Interested applicants can obtain a proposal by visiting the corresponding MySLC site.