CIC Awards National Venture Fund Grants to Support Colleges in Five States

Independent colleges in Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington will benefit from CIC-FIHE National Venture Fund (NVF) grants awarded in January to State Fund Members of CIC. The five grants, totaling $100,000 and requiring matching funds to be raised by the state consortia, will support collaborative programs to benefit member colleges and the students they serve.

The Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) grant will support an initiative to acquire and implement software that extends the effectiveness of campus career service counseling. All 22 of ACI’s member institutions will participate in the program, which includes training of campus career counselors to develop a valuable resource for students nearing graduation.

The grant to the Minnesota Private College Fund will fund the production of several television programs focused on financial education to help students and their families understand that attending a private college or university is, in fact, affordable. This collaborative project will be undertaken with Twin Cities Public Television, the Minnesota Channel, and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania’s (AICUP) grant will support a faculty-mentored undergraduate research program. The program will focus on innovations in sustainability on college and university campuses. Fifteen AICUP member institutions will be involved in the project, which will conclude with a symposium.

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges will use the grant award to help member colleges strengthen relationships with community colleges in the state and promote affordable, community-based options for students interested in attending these private colleges and universities.

The Independent Colleges of Washington will use the funding to administer a professional development opportunity for fundraising executives in the CIC State Fund Member network. A facilitated workshop will address the challenge of fundraising in the current economic climate, focusing specifically on the philanthropic priorities of corporations and foundations as well as budget constraints on the state and federal levels.