Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund - Eligibility & General Requirements

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The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund Grant Program promotes sustainability by providing grants to create and implement projects that positively impact environmental, social, health, and economic practices on our campus and in our community.

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The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund grant program is available to all current students, staff, and faculty members at Western Washington University. The SEJF provides grants for innovative student-focused proposals that fit within the mission and priorities of the SEJF program.

Grant applicants are not required to have prior grant writing experience. The SEJF program is designed to be a co-curricular opportunity. SEJF staff are available throughout every step of the grant process to help answer questions, brainstorm new ideas, and help develop skills in creating a successful proposal.

Grant applications used to fit into one of three tiers: small, medium, and large grants. As of the 2024-2025 academic year, grants are no longer delineated by size. All funding requests go through the same review and approval process, which can be found in the "How to Apply" section.

General requirements:

Please adhere to the following general requirements for all grant requests: 

  • Proposals must address an issue concerning at least three of the following four pillars of sustainability at Western:
    • Creating economic vitality
    • Promoting well-being
    • Protecting the environment
    • Upholding social justice
  • Proposals must have a visible educational benefit to Western’s student community.
  • Proposals must include student participation and involvement.
  • The SEJF shall only fund operational, maintenance, or ongoing costs for a limited trial period following the project’s implementation date. If there are ongoing costs beyond the trial period, consult with the SEJF Program Manager to determine a strategy for the ongoing costs. Designating a Project Owner who is willing to pay for the ongoing costs may be required. Please note that projects may not receive approval if there is no strategy for covering ongoing costs beyond the trial period.
  • Grant applications will not be accepted by individuals or teams that have unmet requirements from previous grant projects.
    • Ex. If you have previously been awarded SEJF grant funding and have completed your project, but have failed to submit a final report, you are not eligible to apply for new SEJF funding until you submit that final report.

Individuals/teams are required to meet with a program representative prior to starting the application to determine initial alignment with the SEJF mission.

Requirements after grant award:

Awarded project teams will be required to:

  • Be prepared to share project status with SEJF team members.
  • Present at the annual SEJF Showcase.
  • If you received a multi-year award, submit an annual report.
  • Submit a Final Report, including a final expense report.

Individuals/teams will not be allowed to apply to the SEJF for new and/or additional funding if they have not completed all requirements for previous projects, including final reports.

Funding Restrictions:

  • The SEJF cannot fund any proposals which were previously required by state or federal law, university policy, or contractual agreement.
  • The SEJF cannot fund operational, maintenance, or ongoing costs indefinitely.
  • The SEJF cannot fund travel requests.
  • The SEJF cannot be used to purchase gifts.
  • The SEJF cannot provide funding for permanent staff/student positions.
  • The SEJF cannot provide reimbursement for purchases or activities that have already been happened or been funded by another source.

The SEJF offers support for projects that would not otherwise be accomplished. If you have any questions regarding funding eligibility, please contact the SEJF Grant Program Manager, Zinta Lucans – lucansz@wwu.edu.