Communities of Impact Grants
Communities of Impact Grants support multi-institutional higher education teams and networks creating shared projects and practical resources to advance character education and strengthen institutional culture.
This grant was recently updated
You can now propose at least three measurable objectives without a stated five-objective cap, and eligibility explicitly includes leaders contracted to long-term faculty/staff positions; sustaining awards are specified as supporting an additional year. Review the added narrative-alignment and community-description/reporting expectations as you prepare your proposal. Dates and funding amounts are unchanged, but several eligibility, timing, and portal instructions have disappeared—confirm any relevant requirements with eci.coi@wfu.edu before relying on those omissions.
Funder: Wake Forest University – The Program for Leadership and Character
Due Dates: Rolling (Applications) | August 14, 2026 (Portal opened) | September 2026–June 2028 (Quarterly decisions)
Funding Amounts: Up to $75,000 for one year; eligible outstanding communities may apply for up to $75,000 in sustaining funds
Summary: Supports multi-institutional communities creating shared resources and advancing character education in higher education.
Key Information: All leaders and members must register with the ECI Community; generative or assistive AI is not approved for proposal composition.
Description
The Educating Character Initiative (ECI), part of Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character, supports intentional Communities of Impact organized around timely concerns, questions, or challenges in character education. Grants fund multi-institutional teams and cross-institutional networks collaborating on shared projects, practical resources, and approaches to character formation in higher education.
Priorities include empowering leaders, collaborative learning through publications and convenings, and producing adaptable, publicly shareable resources for faculty, staff, and administrators. Communities should analyze emerging challenges and research questions, mentor early-career practitioners and scholars, and contribute to a scholarly and organizational backbone for the wider character-education movement. Potential themes include college athletics, character assessment, faith-based institutions, student affairs, and community engagement.
