Clinic Campus Outreach Grant

• Applicant organizations must be accredited law school clinical programs based in California or New York.
• Project directors must be employees of the applicant organization.
• The applicant organization must be an accredited law school clinic and have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
• Applicants must be willing to speak publicly at AAUW events and allow AAUW to publicize support for the program internally and externally, including in the media, on the website, and in electronic and print communications.
• Clinical programs must seek to advance gender equity. Clinical programs that address violations of the Equal Pay Act, Title IX, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, or their state-level equivalents are good candidates.

The Legal Advocacy Fund Clinic Campus Outreach Grant Panel meets once a year to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the selection criteria outlined here. The panel’s recommendations are subject to final approval by the AAUW Director of Public Policy and Legal Advocacy. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year. To ensure a fair review process, AAUW does not comment on the deliberations of the awards panels. Thus, AAUW is unable to provide written or oral evaluations of applicants. No provisions exist for reconsideration of grant proposals after staff have acted on the panel’s recommendations.

The following criteria apply to the selection of Clinic Campus Outreach Grants:

• Relevance of the clinic’s case load to the mission of AAUW.
• Strength of the project rationale — the project meets a local need.
• Clarity and creativity of the project design — the project has (1) clear and specific outcomes and (2) is original and/or innovative in its approach to achieving those outcomes.
• Impact of the project — the project (1) reaches underserved audiences, and (2) has potential for long-term impact.
• Feasibility of the project — (1) proposed activities will logically lead to desired outcomes/achievement of goals, (2) the project time frame is realistic, (3) the budget is adequate and expenses are justified in the budget narrative, (4) the project director is qualified to direct the project and the clinic has the capacity to carry out the project.
• Strength of the evaluation plan — (1) specific evaluation methods are proposed to measure short-term, medium-term, and long-term results, (2) proposed evaluation methods are logical measures of projected outcomes, and (3) resources are adequate to support the proposed methods.
• Overall quality of the proposal — the proposal is clear and convincing.

Funds are available for, but not limited to, project-related expense categories, including:

• Postage, mailing, shipping.
• Photocopying, duplicating.
• Office or project supplies.
• Audiovisual expenses.
• Project-related telephone or videoconference costs.
• Professional fees or honoraria for speakers or special consultants.
• Equipment purchases.
• Meals, food, beverages, or lodging for related activities.
• Temporary, hourly clerical help.
• Advertising, publicity, graphic design.
• Travel expenses.
• Salaries or stipends for project directors or permanent positions.
• Overhead or general operating expenses for the applicant organization.

Funds are not available for the following:

• Tuition.
• Higher education scholarships for students and participants.
• Building funds, construction, or renovations.
• Travel expenses for activities not within the scope of the project.
• Personal expenses, shelter, or life, medical and health insurance.
• Previous expenditures, deficits or loans.
• Creating or providing grants to other organizations.
• Fundraising activities.

AAUW regards the acceptance of a grant as a contract requiring fulfillment of the following terms:

1. All grant recipients must sign a contract accepting the award. Retain these instructions, as they will become part of the grant contract if the applicant is awarded a grant.
2. Grant awards are distributed in two equal payments, the first at the beginning of the grant period and the second at the midpoint.
3. The Clinic Campus Outreach Grant project director must be in an active leadership role, controlling programmatic, fiscal, and editorial responsibility for the project.
4. AAUW is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity founded for educational purposes. Thus all proposed Legal Advocacy Fund Clinic Campus Outreach Grant activities must correspond to that mission. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or to the applicant’s tax adviser.
5. Grant projects may not favor a particular political candidate or party.
6. Grant projects must be nonsectarian and may not seek to promote a particular religion or denomination.

Start by clicking on the link to access the application and create an account through our vendor site. Complete all required components in the following areas.

• Eligibility. Applicants must pass the eligibility quiz to be reviewed by the selection panel.
• Project Director.
• Project.
• Uploads. Project Directors must submit proof of applicant organization’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (i.e., an IRS determination letter).
• Narratives.
  • Abstract: Briefly describe the proposed project. Identify the target audience, goal of the project, anticipated outcomes, and relevance of the project to the mission of AAUW. (150-word limit)
  • Project rationale: Provide evidence of need for the project. Describe the community served by the project, the problem being addressed, and the reason for initiating the project. (300-word limit)
  • Project description: Identify the goal and anticipated outcomes of the project. The outcomes should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely). Describe the methods you plan to use to achieve these outcomes. Explain how the proposed project will meet the needs of the target audience in an original and/or innovative way. (550-word limit)
  • Implementation plan: Outline the project time line and list planned activities or events according to the time line. Explain how the implementation plan will lead to desired outcomes. (300-word limit)
  • Evaluation plan: Explain how you plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Outline the specific strategies you have used and plan to use to determine if you have achieved the anticipated outcomes outlined in your proposal. Explain why the evaluation method you plan to use is appropriate for the project. (300-word limit)
  • Qualifications of the project director and staff: Identify the person responsible for the project and other relevant leadership staff. Briefly outline the experience, education, and skills that qualify them to direct the project. In addition, list other staff and individuals who will work on the project. Describe their roles and qualifications. (300-word limit)
  • Organizational capacity: Briefly describe the clinic’s capacity to carry out the project. What other projects have they planned and implemented that have prepared them to carry out this project? (300-word limit)

• Budget.
  • Project budget: An itemized budget for the project must be included. Project budgets should reflect the costs that will be incurred during the grant period.
  • Budget narrative: Applicants must justify and explain each listed expense and include in-kind support and other sources of funding. Be sure to describe the relationship of the expense to the desired outcome of the project. (300-word limit)