The Student Action Alliance Civic Empowerment Mini-Grant is an opportunity for Common Cause current and former interns to apply for $500 to host a Common Cause civic engagement event on their campus or in their community. Campuses where Common Cause currently hosts fellows, interns, or ambassadors may not be the site of a mini-grant event.

Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis throughout the school year. Applications will be reviewed on the 5th and 20th of each month, and funds will be disbursed on the 15th and last day of the month. This academic year we will award up to 14 mini-grants.

Grant rules:

-Applicant must be a current or former Common Cause fellow, intern, or ambassador.
-Applicant must agree to only spend funds on 501(C)3 activities. 501(c)(3) organizations may engage in activities to promote voter registration, encourage voter participation, and provide voter education, but they can’t engage in activities that favor or oppose any candidate for public office or legislation
-Applicant must submit a projected budget for use of the funds
-The event must be in alignment with the mission of Common Cause. For example you can host a debate watch party to monitor the mention of Common Cause core issue areas; you can hold a forum about the redistricting process, or you can have a panel discussion about the link between democracy reform and the student debt crisis.
-The event should occur in a community or on a campus where we have a state office but no campus fellows.
-The event must be in collaboration with the state chapter or national program team.
-Grant recipients must complete an evaluation of the event and use of funds.

The Student Action Alliance Mini-Grant program is sponsored by a 2-year grant from The Lumina Foundation focused on racial justice and equity amongst young civic leaders.