“Accelerating youth-led, youth-driven service is essential because it cultivates a greater sense of agency, purpose and connectedness. Youth need to be involved in all aspects of service from research and governance of service-organizations to design and delivery of programs and funding decisions. This is a novel approach to philanthropic giving, and The Allstate Foundation is proud to be on the leading edge of this movement,” said Greg Weatherford II, Youth Empowerment Program Officer for The Allstate Foundation.

Info Session #1 Oct. 2nd | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Arrupe Center, 137 AMU

Info Session #2 Oct. 6th| 1:00-3:00 PM Lemonis Center 242A

Introduction

The purpose of the Social Responsibility Micro Grants program is to inspire and support youth-led (18-22 years old) involvement in service focusing on community service and sustainability initiatives. These grants will be awarded in amounts of $250-500 and are designed to stimulate grassroot involvement in creating a sustainably minded campus.

The Social Responsibility Mini grants Program is funded through the Allstate Foundation and Arrupe Center for Community Service and Social Responsibility at Marquette University. The Arrupe Center seeks to inspire students to reflect and engage with how they can be agents for the change they want to see and how they can Be the Difference, starting here on campus.

For the 2025-2026 mini grants, student organizations can submit projects that broadly fit under the following themes:

• Sustainability
• Community Service

Application procedure

The grant fund is made possible by the Allstate Foundation for the purpose of increasing youth involvement and is open to all students between 18-22 years of age.

Applicants should complete and submit a mini-grant proposal. The proposal should include detailed information about the need for the project, its goals, plan of action, and a budget. The proposal should be accompanied by letters of support and resumes of applicants. Use a copy of the attached mini-grant proposal form for each project submitted for approval. Should the proposal be reviewed favorably, a memorandum of agreement which provides clarification or more information about the proposed project may be requested.

Student organizations are highly encouraged to apply. If a student is not part of a student organization and would like to apply, they must have the approval of a staff or faculty member.

Winners are required to attend check-ins throughout the proposal process and present their project or proposal at the 2025 Justice in Action conference in March.

Review process and evaluation criteria

Submissions will be reviewed by designated representatives of the Arrupe Center. Applicants will be contacted if further information is needed.

The following rubric will be used to score proposals:

To view a PDF version of the application, please click here.
Applications are due October 31st at 11:59 PM.