State Councils Scholarship Challenge Grants

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) invites eligible State Councils to apply for a Scholarship Challenge Grant in the amount of $10,000–$25,000 to use as leverage for fundraising during the 2024–2025 fiscal year to generate additional scholarship aid for use during the 2025–2026 academic year by students of second-year status or higher at State Council-member four-year colleges and universities that offer liberal arts degree programs.

The Opportunity

Presidents of independent colleges and universities have made it clear that one of their highest priority needs is additional scholarship aid for deserving students. A second identified need is for scholarships that can improve student retention beyond the first year. CIC State Councils are in a prime position to help address these needs for their member colleges through fundraising challenge campaigns for student scholarships.

State Council Members have made it clear that a) in fundraising, new donor acquisition is one of the most pressing problems they face; b) challenge gifts provide an incentive to attract new donors and new gifts; and c) scholarships are an attractive “gift opportunity” to present to prospective donors. The CIC Scholarship Challenge Grant Program seeks to address these overlapping interests and needs.

CIC Scholarship Challenge Grants may be requested in the amount of $10,000–$25,000, which must be matched 1:1 through new cash gifts or grants raised specifically to meet the challenge. All matching funds must be received between notification of the award and September 30, 2025. Scholarship recipients must be enrolled at four-year colleges and universities that offer liberal arts degree programs as second-year students or higher and receive the scholarship for use during the 2025–2026 academic year.

The primary intent of this grant program is to provide a marketable matching gift incentive to raise current funds for financial aid. It is not to provide funds for endowed scholarships, capital projects, fundraising materials or other associated or indirect costs of fundraising, such as overhead or management fees.

Other objectives are to assist the State Councils in attracting new money and in broadening their donor base. To this end, campaign plans that focus on attracting money from new sources will receive preference, as will plans to engage a larger number of donors.

In keeping with the goal of benefiting the students and colleges affiliated with CIC State Councils, it is required that the distribution of all funds raised by a State Council in this program—the CIC Challenge Grant plus all gifts raised to meet the challenge—be directed to that State Council’s qualified member colleges only—and not to any institution or agency outside the CIC State Council’s list of member colleges and universities in good standing.

Grants will be awarded based on proposals that explain a) the need for challenge funds to enhance fundraising for student scholarships; b) the plan for and purpose of proposed activities to raise matching funds; and c) the ways in which this CIC State Councils Scholarship Challenge Grant would enhance the State Council’s ability to raise funds and expand its donor base after the grant period.

Eligibility and Funding Timeline

Proposals will be accepted only from CIC State Councils that are in good standing and have not agreed to refrain from applying due to conditions agreed upon in other CIC grant programs.

Grant proposals should be submitted as one PDF package online on or before September 6, 2024 using the link here. Decisions will be announced by September 23, 2024. Fundraising campaigns to raise all matching funds must occur between September 25, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Campaigns may end as early as February 28, 2025, but no later than September 30, 2025. CIC will distribute grant funds once all reporting requirements have been met.

Reporting / Grant Distribution

Each State Council selected for this grant is expected to provide to CIC within one month after the “end date” of the campaign a grant report with copies of checks and gift transmittal letters that clearly specify all gifts were made to match the CIC Scholarship Challenge Grant in support of student scholarships.

Grant reports should include a brief narrative of campaign operations, a tally of funds raised with an attached list of donors and amounts given, and a summary of benefits derived from the program.

The State Council will receive its Challenge Grant funds from CIC once CIC State Councils staff have reviewed and approved the grant report and gift documents.

Expectations of Grant Recipients

If awarded a CIC State Councils Scholarship Challenge Grant, the State Council will agree to:

• Submit a final written report to CIC no later than October 31, 2025, that describes the activities and the evaluation of initial outcomes;
• Distribute all scholarship funds raised—the challenge grant plus all gifts raised to meet the challenge—to students enrolled at the second year or higher for use during the 2025–2026 academic year. Students must be enrolled at State Council-member four-year institutions that offer liberal arts degree programs;
• Permit the inclusion of information about its Scholarship Challenge Grant campaign in CIC publications;
• Identify the funded activities as supported by CIC in all project materials and publicity; and
• Maintain membership in CIC throughout the grant period.

Application Guidelines

Proposals should be submitted online as a single package and consist of the following components:

1. A one- to two-page project narrative that provides:

• A brief overview of your current situation. Are you already active in seeking scholarship gifts or are you trying to move into this fundraising area? If the former, what strategies has your State Council been using and with what level of success? If the latter, what is prompting your interest?
• A description of your current fundraising program and how a challenge grant will help you improve your scholarship fundraising and attract new donors?
• A description of the Challenge Grant goal and the activities planned to solicit matching funds. Your fundraising goal must be at least $1-for-$1 to be considered for a CIC Scholarship Challenge Grant. Please be sure to indicate how much you are committing to raise to earn the CIC grant. Be sure to address how you plan to raise the match. Describe your proposed funding sources and your strategies, including plans for special events, marketing, volunteer assistance, etc. Highlight any innovative strategies.
• A statement of how member institutions will benefit from and award the student scholarships.
• A statement of the State Council’s willingness to share at future State Council gatherings what has been learned through the Scholarship Challenge Grant activities.

2. A one-page project timeline. The Scholarship Challenge Grant Program must support a campaign within the year beginning September 25, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025. Cite the proposed timeline for your fundraising campaign: preparation, announcement/kickoff, and gift deadline/end of campaign. (Campaigns may end as early as February 29, 2025, but no later than September 30, 2025.)

3. A letter of support from the chairperson of the State Council’s board of directors indicating the member colleges’ and universities’ need for this effort. The letter also should affirm the State Council’s commitment to continue CIC membership throughout the Scholarship Challenge campaign period and the year (2025–2026) the scholarships will be used by students.

Proposals should be submitted electronically with supporting materials as a single PDF packet here.

Applications for the Scholarship Challenge Grant are due on September 6, 2024.