Are you a Wesleyan student? Do you care about social justice, human rights, environmental sustainability, education, healthcare, international development, poverty alleviation, or another local or global problem?

If so, you should consider applying for a Davis Projects for Peace grant or a Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship Seed Grant.

What kinds of projects are eligible?

The Davis grant funds projects that will be implemented during Summer 2016. The Seed Grant funds projects or ventures that are already underway or expect to launch by December 2016 and continue indefinitely. Both value strong leadership and careful planning. Both can be independent (entrepreneurship) or housed within an existing organization (intrapreneurship).  

Why apply?

From Kwaku Akoi ’14, a 2014 grantee and founder of JooMah: “Applying for the seed grant was the first outside validation I received for my idea. It was the first opportunity to pitch in front of a real audience. The questions and feedback from the judges was very helpful in assessing the strength of my startup and helping me narrow in on what matters most. To date, some of my biggest supporters were judges from the seed grant competition. Plus, winning the grant brought much needed funds for getting things moving off the ground.” 

From Jennifer Roach ’14: “When I came to Wesleyan as a transfer junior, I had been developing a small urban agriculture nonprofit called Summer of Solutions Hartford. I didn’t know if my program would be a good fit for the Davis Project for Peace grant, but I decided to apply anyway. I was pleasantly surprised when I got called in for an interview and thrilled when I won $10,000 which allowed us to pay and house 5 interns during the summer of 2013. That was a pivotal moment of growth for Summer of Solutions, which just finished its fifth growing season and has expanded to a 7-month Urban Farming Internship program. The grant was obviously impactful because we had immediate financial support for our work, but it also introduced me to an extended network of Wesleyan alumni working in philanthropy, nonprofits, and public service.” 

How can you learn more? 

Read all the specs and learn about past grantees here.
Stop by one of the information sessions this month: Tuesday 12/15, Wednesday 12/16, or Thursday 12/17 at noon in Allbritton 022.
Or, schedule a meeting with Makaela or Jennifer using this link.