Funder: Wake Forest University — The Program for Leadership and Character
Due Dates: November 16, 2026 (Impact LOI) | December 15, 2026 (Capacity-Building application) | March 15, 2027 (Impact full proposal, by invitation)
Funding Amounts: Institutional Impact: $100,000–$1,000,000 over three years | Capacity-Building: up to $50,000 for up to one year
Summary: Supports U.S. colleges and universities in integrating moral, civic, and intellectual character education into their institutional contexts.
Key Information: Project leaders must hold, or be contracted to, long-term faculty or staff positions at accredited U.S. colleges or universities.
Description
The Educating Character Initiative (ECI), part of Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character and supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., funds character-centered institutional and cultural transformation in U.S. higher education. It supports approaches to moral, civic, and intellectual character that reflect each institution’s history, culture, mission, and student population rather than a single prescribed model.
Institutional Impact Grants support substantial, sustained integration of character into undergraduate curricula and programming. Capacity-Building Grants support exploration, smaller pilots, and preparation for larger initiatives. Activities may include course development, faculty and staff development, co-curricular programming, assessment, and shareable educational resources. ECI prioritizes strong institutional support, meaningful institution-wide integration, preparation for life beyond campus, and contributions to collective learning. Grantees also receive context-specific support from Wake Forest staff and consultants.
