The Parents Council Grant Awards Program

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.

APPLY HERE - GO.UNC.EDU/PCGAPP

Deadline: December 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET

Timeline

  • October 6, 2023: Applications will open and be made available for submissions.
  • December 1, 2023: 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.
  • February 1, 2024: Finalists are notified to prepare presentations for the Parents Council Executive Committee Grant Award Interview Day.
  • February 16, 2024: Applicant presentation materials are due to NSFP (families@unc.edu) (if you would like it pre-loaded for the day of the interviews).
  • February 23, 2024: The Parents Council Executive Committee meets to interview applicants and prepare recommended funding allocations.
  • The Parents Council Spring Meeting (April 12, 2024): 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 17, 2024: 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, 2025: 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).

Examples

  • Need an example of a Grant Award Application? CLICK HERE.
  • Need an example of a Grant Award Presentation Slide Desk? CLICK HERE.
  • The Parents Council will allocate up to $50,000 in grant awards to eligible and successful applicants.
  • For recent award recipients, awards ranged from $500 to $6000 (18 recipients), with the average grant award being just over $2350.
  • In the past few years, there have typically been 25-40 applications each year.
  • When thinking of your programming and funding needs, consider what is possible given the information above. This does not mean that awards may not exceed last year's maximum gift amount, but it does mean no one will receive more than the maximum available for funding.

Information Sessions

  • Attend an Information Session to learn about the program and/or to get feedback on your proposal.
  • CLICK HERE for the slide deck.
  • All sessions are via Zoom, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET.
Register for October 11 - Information Session
Register for October 25 - Information Session
Register for November 15 - Feedback Focused Session
Register for November 29 - Feedback Focused Session

Parameters

  • Funding is NOT provided
    • to non-profit organizations
    • to be used as salaries or stipends
  • Funding is typically NOT granted (but flexibility may exist) for
    • individual speakers
    • giveaways or prizes
    • food
  • 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 1, 2024.
  • You are encouraged to submit a focused and strategic application, especially when there may be multiple programs or initiatives within your organization. You are encouraged to be intentional and strategic with what you choose to apply for. Please speak with your department/unit director or peers in your student organization to become aware of what applications are being considered for submission.
    • Example 1: Instead of the First Year Experience (within Carolina Housing) program submitting three applications for mini-grant awards, it would be advantageous to roll those into one application for First Year Experience Initiatives.
    • Example 2: Individual programs within a unit may submit an application (First-Year Experience and Discover More may each submit an application). An individual program within a unit should not submit multiple applications (Discover More should only submit one focused application).
  • Parents Council Grant Awards are not a flow-through for other non-profit organizations. The goal is to impact student learning and the student experience, not fundraise for other philanthropies.
  • Prioritization is given to new projects to provide seed money. Funding is not prioritized for continuing initiatives unless there is a significant new component or a compelling reason to consider sustaining funding beyond the first year
  • Please read the Grant Awards Application Instructions carefully as there are other parameters to consider when requesting funding.

Need Support?

Should you have any questions about the application and the process, then contact families@unc.edu or call 919-962-8304 to speak with Interim Director, Justin Inscoe.

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