The Women & Philanthropy Network is pleased to announce that our proposal portal for 2025 is now OPEN. We are accepting proposals through July 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET at this link.
Applications that meet eligible criteria will be notified in late August and invited to present to the Leadership Council in September. The top 10 applicants will be notified if selected to present to the full W&P membership at the annual grant symposium in November.
Eligibility
The Women & Philanthropy Network welcomes proposals from all University of Kentucky (UK) degree-awarding colleges and academic units/programs that support services for enrolled UK undergraduate and graduate students. Each eligible college and academic unit/program may submit up to two proposals for consideration in the current grant cycle.
All grant proposals must request no more than $50,000 and include a detailed budget using the provided template. The Women & Philanthropy Network cannot support faculty salaries, furniture, or equipment purchases unless they are specifically classified as consumable materials or program instructional supplies. Additionally, W&P funds cannot be applied to endowment funds or used as contingency funds. For clarification on allowable expenses, please refer to the FAQ section.
Applicants selected for further consideration must be available to present their proposals in person, first to the Leadership Council and potentially to the full membership at the annual grant symposium. All grant recipients will be required to sign a contract agreeing to proper disbursement of funds and adherence to University of Kentucky policies and procedures. This contract ensures accountability and proper stewardship of the collective resources contributed by our members.
Selection Process
The UK Women & Philanthropy (W&P) Network members vote on which proposals to fund and historically have awarded between $215,000 to $250,000 annually which has supported up to 6 proposals that align with the University of Kentucky mission and/or strategic goals. Awards for selected projects/academic initiatives range up to $50,000.
The application process opens annually by April 1st and closes July 31st. The typical timeline proceeds as follows: In August, applicants are notified if selected to present to the W&P Leadership Council; in September, the top 10 applicants are notified if selected to present to the full W&P membership at the annual grant symposium in November. Funding becomes available in January and must be used by the following July 31st.
The W&P grant review process is designed to be rigorous, transparent, and fair. Each application must adhere to W&P grant and budget guidelines, which ensure that proposals are presented clearly and concisely with all necessary information included.
Applications are first reviewed by the W&P Steering Committee, which includes the co-chairs of the W&P Network, co-chairs of the W&P committees, and the immediate past W&P Network co-chair. The committee ensures each application meets eligibility criteria and may return applications for revision or eliminate those that don't meet guidelines.
During the W&P Leadership Council review, applicants present their proposals in person for up to 10 minutes, followed by up to 5 minutes of Q&A. This allows the Leadership Council to seek clarification and better understand each project's potential. Following these presentations, the Leadership Council ranks each proposal, with rankings compiled by mid-October.
The top ten applicants advance to the final round, where they deliver up to a 15 minute presentations with up to 5 minutes of Q&A to the full W&P membership. All W&P members receive materials to rank the proposals, and funding is awarded to the highest-ranked proposals until the year's funding is depleted.
Format
All applications must be completed and submitted via the W&P online funding request site. The application template includes the applicant's contact information, title, purpose and rationale of the project, how it relates to the W&P grant priorities/UK mission and strategic goals, project objectives, expected reach of impact (number of students engaged), how project will be measured for sustainability and proposed timeline. Budget template includes funding requested (up to $50,0000) and itemized revenues (other than W&P) and expenses.
The online funding request template has embedded instructions and an example budget is provided in the FAQ. Click here to access the application. Further questions or assistance with the proposal process or proposal format should be directed to Christina Yue at 859-323-7950 or Christina.Yue@uky.edu.
Post-Award Responsibilities
Grant recipients agree to return any unused funds to the Women & Philanthropy Network at the conclusion of their project. Recipients must also attend a grant recipient reception to provide updates on the progress and impact of their funded initiatives. This allows members to see firsthand how their collective contributions are making a difference at the University of Kentucky and provides valuable networking opportunities between donors and grant recipients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is new for the 2025 proposal submission cycle? Suggested word limit for application responses, revised application questions, a budget template, and a Revised FAQ.
Why W&P awards grants? In 2007, a group of women came together with a common vision—to build a better UK and Commonwealth. Each year membership fees are pooled to support the University, its students, research, and programs. Those funds are used to award grants. Since 2009, we have been able to award $3.3 million dollars in grant funds through this process.
How are colleges and programs notified about the W&P grant program? The Request for Proposals (RFP) is distributed each year by Christina Yue, the program coordinator. All university colleges and programs are contacted by email and letter.
When can grant proposals be submitted? Proposals may be submitted after April 1 but must be received in the W&P office by July 31. The application submission form is available online on the W&P website.
Is there a limit on the number of proposals that each college or program may submit? Yes. All University of Kentucky (UK) degree awarding colleges and academic units/programs that support student services for enrolled UK undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit up to two proposals per college and academic units/programs.
How does each college or program select its grant proposals for submission? Colleges and academic units/programs are asked to coordinate proposal requests with the dean of their college or the appropriate vice president or executive administrator to whom the program reports. Many colleges/programs may already have a system in place for vetting proposal ideas.
How do we determine what the total available funding is each year? The amount we award each year is based on the number of members that contribute for that calendar year. Each member pays an annual membership fee to join, and those fees are combined and maintained by the UK Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement and are awarded each year after members’ ranking forms are tabulated.
Is there a limit on the dollar amount that each college or program can request? Yes. Grant proposal requests cannot exceed $50,000.
Are all classifications of students eligible to receive support from W&P grant funding? Students must be enrolled at UK and be in good standing as defined by the university. Eligible students include undergraduate, graduate and professional degree students. Transfer and non-traditional students via traditional and alternative paths are eligible. High school students not enrolled at UK and non-UK postsecondary students are not eligible.
Is it true that only female UK students are eligible to receive funding? No. There is no gender preference.
Are colleges and programs required to present a budget that explains their funding request? Yes. Proposals without W&P template budgets will not be considered. Click here for the preferred sample budget and template.
Can funds be used to pay faculty salaries? No. Funds do not support faculty salaries, nor do they support purchasing furniture or general-purpose equipment; however, consumable materials for instruction or programming required for the proposal are allowable expenses. The amount requested should be supported by listing items and estimates of their costs.
If the grant is for scholarships, what does that cover? Proposals to provide scholarships may have the funds cover tuition and mandatory fees; room and board; books, cultural and international experiences; travel; health insurance; childcare; and internships.
Does the grant pay fees for outside speakers? Yes
Does the grant allow for food? Yes. Funds can be used for reasonable and necessary amounts of food and beverages based on the submitted proposal.
What makes a proposal competitive? One that demonstrates the most potential to have the highest impact/reach to optimize the UK mission and/or W&P priorities through student learning experiences whether through innovative academic programs or creative student-based research initiatives or need-based student scholarships.
Are colleges or programs encouraged to submit supporting documents, pamphlets, or other brochures? No, because they cannot be replicated for distribution to the entire membership.
How technical should my proposal and presentation be? The proposal and presentation verbiage should not be so technical that it cannot be understood by the public. There are suggested word limits for each question that range from 50 words to 350 words. A separate, W&P template budget must accompany the request.
Is the person who presents the initial proposal also expected to present if their college or program is selected as one of ten finalists? That is the committee’s preference, but it is not mandatory. We do expect the person presenting to do so with a full understanding of the proposal and with enthusiasm.
Who is responsible for reviewing the proposals to make sure they have followed the guidelines? Christina Yue and the W&P Steering Committee members do the initial review of the grant proposals. Once reviewed, they are compiled by Christina and prepared for the semi-final round.
How and when are the semi-final grant proposal presentations made? Semi-final grant proposals are made in September in person to the W&P Leadership Council, which consists of forty members. Presentations are limited to 10 minutes and 5 minutes of Q&A and may include a PowerPoint presentation.
May I have a co-presenter? You may decide how many faculty or staff join you in your presentation. Your students are also allowed to co-present.
How are the top ten proposals selected? At the September meeting, the Leadership Council members will rank their favorite proposals in preferred order. (1 highest to 10 lowest). Presentations are also recorded so members not in attendance can watch them and rank them. Those results will then be compiled by Christina Yue by the October 1 deadline. Those with the 10 highest rankings move forward for consideration by the full membership.
How and when are the top 10 presentations presented to the full membership? Once the top 10 presentations are selected, the college or program is notified and asked to present in person at the November meeting to the full membership. Presentation times are limited to 15 minutes and 5 minutes of Q&A and may include a PowerPoint presentation.
If selected for the final presentation, can I change my presentation? Slight adjustments may be necessary based on questions/comments from the W&P Leadership Council. If adjustments are needed, Christina Yue will contact you.
How are the final proposals that receive funding selected? The final proposals are selected by the full membership at the November meeting. After all presentations are made, each member ranks them in their preferred order. (1 highest to 10 lowest). Presentations are recorded so members not in attendance can watch them and rank them. Christina Yue will then compile those results. The highest-ranking proposals will be funded in full, in order, until the available funds are depleted. It is likely that one proposal will receive partial funding. If an emergency prevents the full intended use of the awarded funds during the grant period, a grantee may amend the proposal during the term allowed for expenditures or may request an extension of time, subject to the approval of the Christina Yue and the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement.
How long do you have to use the grant funding? Funding awarded in November is available beginning in January of the next year and must be spent by August of the following year (for example, funds awarded November 2025 are available in January 2026 and must be spent by August 1, 2027).
Where can I read about the most recent programs funded by W&P? Those funded are listed on the W&P webpage.
Have any of the funded programs been able to gain grants for long-term support? Yes. We awarded the first grant to Dr. Allan Allday in the College of Education for an applied behavior analysis (ABA) program and Center for Applied Behavioral Supports (CABS) in 2015 and again in 2017. Students working on master’s degrees complete much of their required fieldwork and experience at CABS. Funding from W&P has helped more than 35 students through tuition assistance and stipends. This program has benefited students, children, and families over the years. The W&P grants laid the foundation for COE to apply for a U.S. Department of Education grant. They were awarded $1,250,000 in funding to provide tuition support to students pursuing interdisciplinary training in applied behavior analysis and early childhood education master’s degree programs.
We also awarded grants in 2015, 2018 and in 2024 to Professor Brent Seales, chair of the Department of Computer Science in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering to take ancient manuscripts that are too broken or damaged to read by hand and apply their custom software pipeline (Digital Restoration Initiative) to virtually unwrap the documents revealing the text inside that has been hidden for ages. Seales gave this research opportunity to numerous students. These ancient documents include Homer’s “Iliad” and the Dead Sea Scrolls. And through innovative use of AI technology and Particle physics, his team has successfully revealed over 2,000 characters of text from these precious historical artifacts. Seales and his team of experts were awarded a National Science Foundation Grant for $14 million to construct a world-class cultural heritage lab (EduceLab) at the University of Kentucky. Both Professor Allday and Professor Seales credit Women in Philanthropy for making these outside grants possible.
Questions? Contact Christina Yue at cyue2@uky.edu or 859-323-7950.