Chapter Programming Grants


Alpha Chi offers grants of up to $500 a year per active chapter to help finance a variety of programming and activities on campus. With three program categories, we hope your chapter will find one to suit your local student body and the spirit of your chapter. With a fund of $3,500 for the fall and $3,500 for the spring, Alpha Chi invites applications for activities to be held during the 2024-25 academic year. Please allow at least two weeks between your application date and the proposed event date. When possible, apply early in the semester of your planned activity. The competition remains open until each semester's funds are expended, which rarely happens, so please apply. If you have ideas and want to make sure they are in line with our grants program, please contact Executive Director Noah at lnoah@alphachihonor.org.


Purpose

In order to facilitate scholarly pursuits, member development, and chapter experiences of Alpha Chi members and chapters, this competition provides funds to Alpha Chi chapters to host student-organized activities aligning with Alpha Chi’s emphasis on Truth and Character and its mission of making scholarship effective for good.

Applications will be evaluated with the guidance of the Executive Director. If there are areas of the application that need clarification or could be improved, guidance will be provided to the applicant within one week so that the application may be reconsidered. Funding will be granted based on the extent to which a planned activity:

  • Encourages student scholarship and creativity
  • Promotes the visibility of Alpha Chi among your student body and/or local community
  • Promotes the importance of engaging in civil discourse on humanitarian issues, educational topics, and real-world problems
  • Gets Alpha Chi members involved in hands-on community service

Applications may be completed by a chapter advisor; however, an added benefit is the experience of student members preparing the application. It is highly encouraged (not required) that a student officer or other lead member be the chapter representative for purposes of this application. This will provide your students with an opportunity to engage in collaborative planning with staff and peers and practice writing a grant proposal.

 

Grant Categories

Academic

For example, creative writing contests, debates, journals, speakers, colloquia, panel discussions, student presentation events, poster forums, grad school or resume-building workshops, academic networking, etc. Highlight Alpha Chi's unique multidisciplinary nature whenever possible.

Service

Non-academic projects that benefit the campus, local school outreach, under-served communities, or organizations among the broader local community. Service proposals must involve hands-on service opportunities for chapter members. Highly visible campus publicity is required if the activity will be held-off campus.

Social Justice and Equity

For example, an event or activity designed to focus on societal justice issues such as hurdles to accessibility, healthcare disparities, systemic power inequities, racial injustice, economic/geographic injustice, information reliability/diversity, food insecurity, gender inequality, housing and education disparities, anti-discrimination, etc.

 

Eligibility

  • Only active chapters may apply. An Active Chapter is defined as one that initiated new members during the previous academic year or has already sent invitations in the current academic year.
  • A chapter may only seek funding for ONE activity per academic year.
  • Chapters that haven't yet submitted a detailed report on the expenditure of an earlier grant are not eligible to receive a grant until any previous report has been submitted to the national office.
  • In back-to-back years, a chapter must apply for a grant from a different category than the one received in the immediately previous year. Ongoing or identical projects will not receive grant funding within a two-year period.
  • Chapters may seek additional or matching funding from other sources, but the event should remain primarily an Alpha Chi-sponsored event.

 

Guidelines

  1. Good proposals will clearly describe the exact nature and scope of the proposed activity and will be concisely written with no unnecessary verbiage or other information. It will have a comprehensive and realistic budget. And finally, the proposed activity will be worthwhile, feasible, and compatible with the purposes of Alpha Chi.
  2. Chapters should seek university support for their projects in the form of meeting space, expect local faculty to participate without payment, and make use of campus publications to advertise their projects.
  3. Proposals received by any other means than this online form will not be considered.
  4. Chapters are encouraged to invite nearby Alpha Chi chapters to participate.
  5. Alpha Chi auditors require that a written report on the project, including an accounting of expenditures, be submitted to the National Office by the end of the semester in which the event occurs but no later than the end of the academic year. A reporting form will be provided with approval of a grant.
  6. At least three action photos of the event must be submitted in the post-event report.
  7. Any remaining funds should be returned to the National Office. Or, alternatively, a detailed plan for the remaining funds can be submitted to the National Office for approval.

 

Items ineligible for funding include but are not limited to:

  • Standard chapter business (e.g., induction expenses, officer meetings, graduation-related events, convention attendance)
  • Rental of campus meeting rooms, campus publicity, honoraria, or any other payments to your own faculty or to Alpha Chi officers, Council members, or other persons affiliated with your chapter’s institution
  • Off-campus trips or excursions
  • Programs that center on direct payments to students
  • Excessive travel costs for outside speakers
  • The purchase of Alpha Chi memberships
  • Any activity that presents obvious danger to students or to others
  • Activities which benefit or promote any one political candidate or party over other competing candidates or parties

 

2024-25 Grant Application Form

The Florida Lambda chapter at Southeastern University used their $400 activity grant to host a Research & Creativity Fair where Alpha Chi students showcased their work and competed for a chance to attend the national convention.

Freed-Hardeman University hosted a Remote Area Medical dental clinic for 101 locals, and the Tennessee Iota chapter used their $500 grant to provide lunch to volunteers over the course of two days.

The Missouri Pi chapter at Lindenwood University hosted a career readiness workshop for students using their $400 activity grant. Students learned about successful resumes and interview strategies while enjoying snacks provided by campus catering.