We’re excited to be launching a new grant program exclusively for student clubs. For most clubs, hosting events is a key tool for providing value to current members and recruiting new members. Participating in clubs, especially as officers, is a great way to showcase soft skills on your resume and better position you for your first job or graduate school.
We know from experience, entrepreneurship is a powerful way to develop and demonstrate critical thinking, effective communication and leadership—all skills employers or graduate programs look for to differentiate candidates. We’re hoping to empower more CWRU students through entrepreneurship and this grant is one way to start a dialog.
We are awarding up to 5 grants per semester to support Club programming. Our goal is to provide additional funding for your programs and an opportunity to meet with your members to explore entrepreneurship.
Receiving a financial award from the Club Grant Program provides a valuable learning and life-skills opportunity to develop and experience a number of critical professional practices. These include grant planning and management, budget ownership, and professional reporting.
Eligibility for the Club Grant Program
To be considered for the Club Grant Program, the club must be a university approved organization. Applicants must be an officer for their respective clubs and a full-time CWRU undergraduate student (at least 12 credit hours) or full-time CWRU graduate student (at least 9 credit hours or one credit hour of thesis).
Student Clubs applying for this grant are aligned with entrepreneurship, are interested in exploring entrepreneurial skills, and/or are hosting events and programs that align with entrepreneurship.
Application Timeframe
The Club Grant Program application will be open twice during the 2024-25 academic year.
Round 1 Application Opens: August 19, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Round 1 Application Closes: September 3, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Round 1 recipients will be notified September 6, 2024.
Round 2 Application Opens: January 16, 2025 at 9 a.m.
Round 2 Application Closes: January 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Round 2 recipients will be notified February 6, 2025.
Applications are reviewed by the Veale Institute team and grants are awarded within 5 business days of our application closing. Awards are made twice per academic year at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Grant Requirements and Awards
Our application requires typical demographic information, a description of how funds will be used and an itemized budget. We know budgets are estimates and actual expenditures may vary. The budget helps us better understand what adds value to your club and helps ensure funds are used in accordance with CWRU policy and our donor’s intent.
The maximum amount of funding available per request is $500 to cover costs such as:
- Event Sponsorship
- Event Space
- Food
- Guest Speakers
- Event/Program materials
- Merchandise
Review Criteria
The review committee for the Club Grant Program considers all proposals and notifies applicants by email as to the status of their application(s). Proposals are considered based on the following criteria.
- Proposals should have a clear connection to innovation and entrepreneurship.
- SMART Goals: Have you or your team selected goals for your idea that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound)?
- Feasibility: Can you or your team realistically meet the grant requirements within the grant timeframe?
- Monetary Feasibility: Is the requested funding appropriate for your project’s goals?
Fund Disbursement
If you are selected to receive support from the Club Grant Program, you will be required to sign an agreement indicating acceptance of the terms outlined for the Club Grant Program and meet with the grant manager before you receive the award.
At that point, you will receive 100% of the total award value, with the understanding that you are required to complete the requirements of funding in addition to the final report.
Fund Administration
If you are awarded funds, you are responsible for their use and management. You are expected to keep accurate financial records and a summary of transactions and must scan receipts to include in your project’s final report. Please be aware that monetary awards of $600 or more are taxable and, if you receive an award higher than this amount, you will be issued a Form 1099 at the end of the calendar year. Please consult a tax professional if you have questions.
Participation Requirements
Leadership, problem solving, creative thinking, etc are just a handful of the skills that make up the entrepreneurial mindset. The entrepreneurship mindset is applicable whether you are starting a business, working at a startup, or taking a role in the industry of your choice. Our programs are designed to help students tap into these skills and cultivate them, before entering the career field of their choice.
If your club received financial support from the grant, you are required to host an event with the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship with a minimum 20 participants from your club in attendance. You will be asked to host THINKFast within the 2024-2025 academic year.
THINKFast is a 90-minute, rapid fire pitch competition designed to get students practicing problem solving and communication skills in short timeframes. Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship will supply all program materials and prizes for the THINKFast program with the understanding that the sponsored club will ensure the minimum attendance to this event.
Additionally, students awarded funding are required to create 1 post on LinkedIn regarding their THINKFast experiences. (Required to tag both: CWRU Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship and Burton D. Morgan Foundation).
Reporting Requirements
- You must submit a final report by May 1, 2025. The final report must include:
- A description of the completed events
- Photos, drawings, and/or marketing materials for events
- A completed Expense Report, following the Expense Report Instructions, of purchases to date
- Scans of all receipts indicated on the spreadsheet