Women's Giving Circle

Request for 2025-2026 Proposals

 

The OSU Women’s Giving Circle is inviting you to submit a proposal for grants that will be awarded in June 2025. The Women's Giving Circle was founded in spring 2003 by a group of OSU alumni and friends who pooled their gifts to create a fund to support Oregon State University programs.

 

Applications are now open! Click here to apply.

 

Grant Criteria

The Women's Giving Circle will consider proposals that meet all of the following criteria. We are looking for programs and projects that:

• Enhance the OSU undergraduate student experience and improve student retention.
• Directly impact as many OSU students as possible.

In addition, more serious consideration will be given to proposals that:

• Are relevant but not exclusive to women.
• Involve undergraduate students in the implementation of the project or program.
• Have few sources of support and realize a significant impact from the Giving Circle’s grant.

The average grant amount awarded is $5,000-$10,000. For recent examples, please refer to the grant recipient web page. Proposals that receive funding may apply again in the two following years but are not given special priority during the grant process. The number of grants awarded will depend on the size of the pooled fund and the number of compelling proposals submitted.

Non-Eligible Criteria

• Proposals that directly benefit individual research projects will not be considered.
• Travel expenses (hotel, meals, gas, car rentals, train, bus or airfare) should be excluded entirely from application.
• Food and beverage budgets should be excluded entirely from application.
• Proposals to fund professor stipends will not be considered.

 

Submittal Requirements

Applications are reviewed by donors to the Women’s Giving Circle fund. 

Selection Process

In March, finalists will be selected for site visits. In addition to the previous criteria, the site visit team will also ask questions about the proposals that were asked during Women's Giving Circle evaluation and will explore:

• What difference or impact will the grant make for OSU students?
• Is the proposal viable?
• What makes the proposal compelling?
• Is the grant amount appropriate? Should it be increased or decreased?

The information Women’s Giving Circle members will be given for voting includes

1. The grant application and budget
2. The site reviewer’s comments
3. Questions asked by members during the proposal review including either recommending the amount proposed by the applicant, or a lesser amount.

If a greater number of proposals are submitted than funding is available, some of the proposals will be eliminated. In the spring of 2025, Women's Giving Circle members will vote to make the final grant selections and funds will be available after they are selected. Grant funding must be used in entirety by June 2026.

 

Grant Recipient Requirements

• A report answering questions regarding your project progress will be required at the mid-point and end of the funding year. The report will be shared with the Women’s Giving Circle members.
• Throughout the year, recipients should expect to present their grant and an overview of their program during a Grant Impact Session or Spring Celebration.
• Save the date to attend the spring celebration event to discuss their funded project/program with Women’s Giving Circle members.

 

Timeline Overview

• Grant Application Opens: October 2024
• Grant Applicant Open House: November 12, 2024
• Grant Applications Due: January 14, 2025
• Grant Proposal Review by Women's Giving Circle Steering Committee: February 2025
• Mid-year Reports from Current Grantees Due: March 2025
• Grant Proposal Site Visits: March 2025
• Grant Voting by Women's Giving Circle Members: April 2025
• Notice of Grant Award: April 2025
• Acceptance of Grant Award Due: May 2025
• Grant Awardees Formally Announced and Invited to Spring Celebration: May 2025
• Final Reports from Current Grantees Due: July 2025