The Office of the Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and the Black Student Union have collaborated to launch a Multicultural Fund which can be used for campus diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across campus.

The overarching goal of the fund is to support and encourage campus-based collaborations that promote social justice, antiracism, inclusion, and acceptance within the Springfield College community. Faculty, staff, students, and student clubs and organizations may apply for a grant through the fund in order to support these goals. The Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement; Director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and the President of the Black Student Union will administer the fund and review requests for funding.

Cultural Connections event at Springfield College

Guidelines

  1. To be eligible for funding, a Multicultural Fund application must be completed. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  2. Grants will be awarded monthly starting with the third Friday of October.
  3. Applicants must meet with members of the selection committee to propose their initiative in a five-minute presentation.
  4. The Springfield College community must be the primary beneficiary of the initiative. Initiatives shall include, but are not limited to, cultural celebrations, educational speakers, diversity awareness campaigns, advancement of underrepresented populations, cultural collaborations, and other collaborative events.
  5. The Multicultural Fund is intended to be used toward essential costs of the initiative (e.g., honoraria, travel cost, printing, and programming logistics). Funding should not be used for gifts, member recognition, or awards. Please complete a budget proposal using this template or your own. Indicate who will be collaborating (but not providing funding) and who will be contributing to/sponsoring the event financially. If your club, organization, or office has a budget, you must contribute at least 5 percent of the program's total cost.
  6. We ask that the Multicultural Fund not be used solely for the purpose of purchasing food. As such, please note that we will only fund 50 percent of food-related requests.
  7. The maximum amount per grant request is $1,000/per semester. Club leaders may request up to $1,000 per semester (a one-time grant request or two or more smaller grant requests).
  8. Joint proposals will be accepted up to $5,000. A joint proposal is defined as a submission on behalf of multiple campus stakeholders/contributors. Contributors, as highlighted above (#5), must contribute at least 5 percent of the program's total cost. Individual clubs and organizations may appear as financial sponsors/contributors on one request per semester.
  9. Considerations for each proposal may include prior requests, availability of funds (not to exceed $30,000/year, or $15,000/semester), compliance with guidelines, the overall benefit to the College community, and relationship of the initiative to pertinent campus or societal issues.
  10. Please acknowledge the Multicultural Fund for providing underwriting assistance on any publicity where appropriate.

Grant Criteria: 

 

In order to be eligible for a Multicultural Fund Grant, the initiative has to demonstrate the following:

  1. A campus connection that fosters collaboration and builds relationships across different parts of the campus and with community partners in unique and innovative ways; serves as a model for diverse community-building and critical service learning designed to teach individuals to be politically, civically, and socially engaged in order to acknowledge and address the historical injustices that promote inequality; and provides development and skill-building opportunities and offers curricular, co-curricular, social change, and social justice leadership development.
  2. Increases community and civic engagement, builds social and cultural capital, and enhances co-curricular development, social change, and social justice leadership, that fosters student advocacy and achievement while giving members of the campus community and beyond opportunities to learn and grow from each other, support and advocate for each other, and express what's important to them and why, as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  3. A plan for evaluation and assessment of the project/program effort(s) and outcomes, engaging campus/community members/partnerships/stakeholders in planning, implementing, participating, and evaluating the project.
     

Apply Now

Multicultural Fund committee meetings are held at 11:00 AM on: 

  • October 15, 2021
  • November 19, 2021
  • December 17, 2021
  • January 21, 2022
  • February 18, 2022
  • March 18, 2022
  • April 15, 2022

NOTE: Grant applications are due on or before the following dates:

  • October 8, 2021
  • November 12, 2021
  • December 10, 2021
  • January 14, 2022
  • February 11, 2022
  • March 11, 2022
  • April 8, 2022