Each year, the Parents Council Grant Awards Program provides funding to UNC student organizations and university offices to support new and innovative programs/events that benefit undergraduate students. Parents Council families are asked to make a minimum annual gift of $1,250 to support this initiative. Since its inception in 1985, the program has provided around $2 million in grant funding to enhance the quality of undergraduate student life and learning at Carolina.
Deadline: December 9, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
Timeline
- November 8, 2024: Applications will open and be made available for submissions.
- Apply at go.unc.edu/pcgapp
- View a preview of the application at go.unc.edu/preview
- December 9, 2024: Applications are due by 11:59 pm ET. The Parents Council will review applications in December and January. They will decide which applicants will move forward for an interview.
- There is no guarantee that your application will move forward to the interview round. You will receive a notification if you did or did not receive an interview by February 3, 2025.
- February 3, 2025: Finalists are notified to prepare presentations for the Parents Council Executive Committee Grant Award Interview Day.
- February 14, 2025: Applicant presentation materials are due to NSFP (families@unc.edu) (if you would like it pre-loaded for the day of the interviews).
- February 21, 2025: The Parents Council Executive Committee meets to interview applicants and prepare recommended funding allocations.
- The Parents Council Spring Meeting (March 28, 2025): The Parents Council will review and confirm grant awards at their Spring Meeting. Afterward, award letters and guidance will be sent to applicants notifying them of their final award status.
- ~July 14, 2025: Funding becomes available for you to use (no expenses will be reimbursed until award winners participate in mandatory grant award meetings at NSFP – to be scheduled).
- May 1, 2026: Funding must be spent as stipulated in the funding award letter. Final evaluations are due 30 days after the program concludes or on this date (whichever comes first).
Valued Initiatives and Application Content
The Carolina Parents Council values initiatives that:
- Offer positive impact to Carolina’s students
- Support student safety
- Create opportunities for social engagement and building community
- Led by students or student organizations
- Support community wellness and well-being
The Carolina Parents Council values initatives and applications that express:
- Sustainability: show that the initiative can be sustained and repeated for the future. Can the pilot/start-up initiative continue for the future?
- Broad Reach: show an ability to impact many students
- Diverse Reach: show an ability to reach diverse groups of students
- Scalability: show that it is possible to scale the initiative up and grow it over time
- Alignment with values: show that the initiative supports the University’s mission
Application Examples
- CLICK HERE for an example of a Grant Award Application
- CLICK HERE for an example of a Grant Award Presentation/Interview Day slide deck.
- The Parents Council will allocate up to $50,000 in grant awards to eligible and successful applicants for the 2025-2026 academic (or fiscal) year.
- Recent award amounts have ranged from $500 to $6000 (18 recipients), with the average grant award being just over $2350.
- The group typically receives 25-40 applications each year.
Information Session & Coaching
Coaching:
Parents Council members are volunteering to answer questions and provide coaching to students/student organziations who are preparing their application and/or creating their Interview Day pitch. If you would like to use this resource, then email families@unc.edu to be matched.
Things That Can Be Funded
- Typical costs associated with initiatives, including but not limited to supplies/materials, printing, and travel costs.
- Food purchases, but only with speccific parameters or spending limits decided on in the interview process by the Parents Council.
- Venue costs or space rental costs that contribute to hosting the initiative.
Things That Will NOT Get Funded
- tangible giveaways with no educational purpose
- capital expenses
- funding flow-through for other non-profit organizations
- salaries or stipends
Questions?
Should you have any questions about the application and the process, then contact families@unc.edu or call 919-962-8304 to speak with Director, Justin Inscoe.
