The mission of the University of Virginia IDEA Fund is to provide action-oriented leadership and support to University initiatives, in collaboration with the Office for Diversity and Equity, in order to ensure that the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access permeate the University community and culture. To that end, the IDEA Fund provides support in the form of mini-grants to innovative projects that promote a diverse and inclusive culture at the University of Virginia and that show meaningful and measurable results.
We encourage applicants to keep in mind some general criteria:
- The Mini-Grant should not be the entire budget of the event. We want to assist, not fund entire activities.
- Connecting the funding request to a defined line item strengthens the request.
- The Mini-Grant should be for an item that is a key part of executing the event (not something like pizza for volunteers), and should be a significant portion of the overall budget.
- The event should have an active diversity, equity, or inclusion purpose or focus.
Please note that Mini-Grants applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Student organizations must submit their Mini-Grants applications at least one month prior to their proposed event to be considered for funding.
If you have additional questions about the IDEA Fund Mini-Grants process, please email the IDEA Fund Mini-Grants Co-Chairs, Monica Nixon (drmonicanixon@gmail.com) and Sophie Dougadir (sophie.dougadir@gmail.com).
University of Virginia IDEA Fund Mini-Grant Application Form
HooRaas Dance Team, 2017 Mini Grant Awardee
We cannot express enough gratitude for your sponsorship, and congratulate you as well on making UVA history. With your continued support, this event can become a new tradition here at UVa. For many of us, this powwow was, as dancer Galí Sanchez said to us, “the best medicine possible.”
The Native American Student Union at UVA, 2015, on the First Annual UVA Powwow, supported by a Mini Grant.