Alumni Federation

Grant Program

The Cornell Alumni Federation, in order to promote alumni involvement with Cornell, awards grants to its constituent member organizations for innovative projects that build organization membership, develop leadership, promote the standing of Cornell in the community, attract prospective students and benefit the interests of both alumni and the University. (Groups eligible to apply.)

Awards are made twice each year in mid January and mid July, with applications due on December 1st and June 1st, respectively.

Funds can be used for planning phases, marketing initiatives for alumni, or for current and prospective students, and logistics. New projects, which act as pilots and have the prospect of being continued, will be favorably considered because of implications for organizational growth. Creative use of the funds awarded is also important to members of the Grant Committee, as is leveraging the funds with other financial resources.

Please note that, in general, a grant award will not be made to support a program that has already taken place. Nor will grants be made to help an organization raise money or pay fees for outside services unless there is an excellent return on investment (monetary or otherwise), e.g. $5,000 grant to raise $25,000 or more, or $500 for outside fees for an event that will benefit 100 or more alumni. In general, funds may not be used for officer expenses, equipment that does not have a permanent home at a University office, or salaries.

• Grant Application
• Grant Guidelines
• What are Committee Members Looking For?
  

Alumni Groups Eligible to Apply for a CAF Grant

• College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Alumni Association
• College of Architecture, Art, & Planning Advisory Council
• College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council
• College of Human Ecology Alumni Association
• College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association
• Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network
• Cornell Asian Alumni Association
• Cornell Association of Class Officers (including each undergraduate alumni class)
• Cornell Black Alumni Association
• Cornell Clubs/Alumni Associations
• Cornell Fund
• Cornell University Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association
• Cornell Latino Alumni Association
• Cornell Law Association
• Cornell Medical College Alumni Association
• School of Industrial & Labor Relations Alumni Association
• Cornell School of Nursing Alumni Association
• College of Engineering Alumni Association
• Cornell Hotel Society
• Johnson Graduate School of Management Alumni Association
• President's Council of Cornell Women
• Board of Trustees' Alumni Affairs Steering Committee
• University Council

Grant Application

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Mailed applications can be sent to Cornell Alumni Federation Grant Committee, Alumni House, 626 Thurston Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850-2490.

Guidelines for Grant Requests

The following guidelines have been developed to help alumni groups complete the process of grant application. While the application may seem long, the intention is to help your organization think through the project thoroughly and understand the elements necessary for a successful initiative. The information you will provide the grants committee will help insure that its allocations will result in effective use of available funds.

1. Grant requests must be made on the form provided and must be complete. Please do not leave any portion of the form blank. We cannot consider a grant submission without a detailed budget. Please type the form or duplicate it on your computer. An electronic version may be obtained via the Federation’s web site
2. Proposals received after the deadline will be considered in the next cycle. Grants will be awarded of up to $5,000 each. Be as specific as possible in describing your project and the reasons for the request. For instance, instead of saying "it will build membership numbers," you might say "it will attract new members especially young alumni who need to maximize their gain for the time and effort they contribute." Or, "this project is important because there is no forum for continuing education in our area and this is a pressing need among alumni." This kind of information will better inform the committee who will consider your application.
3. Terms of the grant: 85% of the funds awarded will be paid approximately one month after notification. 15% of the awarded funds will be paid upon receipt of the final report. The final report should include the following: what you have learned; the successes and challenges of implementing your project, including future directions; and a completed financial report for the project. Excerpts from the final report, as well as this application, may be shared with other alumni groups or used in the Cornell Alumni Magazine and other publications to generate support and enthusiasm for the project.

If you have questions about the grant process, please call Donna Carl in the Office of Alumni Affairs at 607-255-3517.

Grant authors will be notified by mail of the committee’s decision in late January or late July.

What Are Grant Committee Members Looking For?

• New and innovative projects or programs that will build membership, develop leadership, promote Cornell in the community, attract prospective students or benefit the interests of both alumni and the University
• Projects which act as pilots and have the prospect of being continued
• Collaborative efforts between alumni groups
• Projects that support University and/or Cornell Alumni Federation priorities
• Clear evidence that CAF grant money would make a difference
• Commitment of funds from the organization applying for the grant
• Sense that the organization can sustain the project after the grant money is expended
• One-time funding requests for on-going projects
• Clearly stated goals
• Evidence that the goals of the proposed project are in line with the University's goals
• Detailed budget
• Sense that the project will serve a real need
• Evidence that the organization is functioning in a healthy way
• Sense that the project is realistic