Grants and Awards

The purpose of the Empowerment Grant is to provide LMU students with seed money which is to be used for special events, activities & programs with service and social justice elements. Special consideration will be granted to those groups and individuals collaborating with CSA's Community Partners.

Application 

LMU students (group/club/organization/individuals) may apply for a grant of up to $375 for a service project or activity with the objective of making a positive impact on the LMU or Los Angeles community and/or increasing awareness of a social justice topic. Please take the time to read the following information to familiarize yourself with the application/post-event process.

Application Review

Applications will be reviewed on the first of the month and you will receive a response from the EG coordinator within 5 working days. Upon completion of your project and event, you are required to submit your receipts. Please note that you must complete and submit the Empowerment Grant Post-Event Progress Report (on LEO) and any/all original receipts so that reimbursements may be processed.

Applications are due the first business day of the month. If your event is the first week of the month, you must apply in the preceding month's deadline to ensure ample time to review applications. See chart below for clarification if you are unsure of which deadline is appropriate for your event.

Conditions and Requirements

• The Empowerment Grant functions on a reimbursement basis. Approved individuals, groups, or organizations will need access to funds necessary for the project prior to the event. Reimbursement funds will be available after the completion of the event. In order to be reimbursed, applicants must turn in original receipts, event/project photos, and a detailed progress report to the EF coordinator.
• Any significant changes to the project or budget must be approved by the EG Coordinator before the event date.
• Approved applicants must complete the Post-Event Progress Report on the CSA portal on LEO and contact the EG coordinator to schedule a Post-Event Reflection Interview and present all original receipts 2 weeks after the event date in order to be reimbursed.
• All proposals must have a service or social justice focus that will benefit the LMU community and/or any community partners or organizations.
• All events, activities, or programs must collaborate with a community partner, 501(c)(3) determined by the Internal Revenue Service.
• All proposals must include project dates that occur in the same semester as the application in which the proposal is submitted.
• Requests cannot exceed $375 per project.
• Funds may not be used for personal expenses, which include but are not limited to: applicant accessory, clothing, living, medical, or school expenses and supplies not listed on application form.
• Funds may be used for the following: project supplies particular to the event (for example: a cleanup of a local youth center that requires paint, brushes, brooms, dust pans, ect.), publicity, food, and transportation costs. Funding outside of the above parameters must be approved by CSA.
• Projected expense summaries must be included with the application, detailed, and typed onto an Excel spreadsheet. For example, Home Depot-Paint $50, brushes $30, brooms $20, Total = $100.
• Requests may not duplicate Student Activity Fee Allocation Board (SAFAB) requests. SAFAB award notification may be requested by CSA for verification purposes.
• Individual/Groups/Organizations will not be funded more than once per semester.