Community Engagement Collaboration Fund launches to advance Vanderbilt partnerships with local organizations

The Division of Government and Community Relations is launching a funding opportunity for faculty and staff who are partnering with local organizations. The Community Engagement Collaboration Fund aims to help Vanderbilt and the greater Nashville community work better together. 

The fund is open to all full-time staff and faculty partnering with campus partners and community-based groups and organizations. Project proposals should think big-picture about complex problems and outline how Vanderbilt can be a trusted partner in collaborating on the solutions. A partnership of least two campus units and one outside organization is required. Proposals should describe the partner organization’s need and show evidence of that organization’s participation in developing the plan to address it.   

“The purpose of the fund is to deepen local collaborations that bring the university’s talents and resources together to address pressing community needs,” said Kathleen Fuchs Hritz, senior director of community relations. “We look forward to learning from this new fund’s launch and to seeing how collaborative initiatives, both new and ongoing, can have meaningful and enduring impact for the good of our Nashville community.” 

Applicants are encouraged to refer to the community engagement guiding principles when working with area partners. The principles were established by the Vanderbilt Community Engagement Collaborative, a forum of cross-disciplinary faculty and staff who are dedicated to sharing knowledge, processes and guidelines to help Vanderbilt work productively and respectfully with Middle Tennessee communities. The Division of Government and Community Relations convenes the collaborative quarterly.  

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of Vanderbilt community engagement practitioners. All full-time faculty and staff across all colleges and disciplines are eligible to apply. Funds must be spent in the 2024 fiscal year. Interested applicants should apply online through InfoReady by Feb. 12, 2024. Additional details and requirements are available in the application.  

Apply now. 

About Vanderbilt Community Relations

The Vanderbilt Community Relations team serves as a facilitator, connector and convener for local external partners and Vanderbilt University students, staff, faculty and resources. Community Relations supports nonprofit organizations financially and in partnership through the Community Impact Fund, convenes campus partners through the Vanderbilt University Community Engagement Collaborative and facilitates collaborative programming with nonprofit and neighborhood partners.