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Home Student Philanthropy and Grants Opportunities Student Impact Grant

Student Impact Grant

Student Impact Grants provide funding for a variety of University of Iowa undergraduate and graduate student activities outside the classroom, such as research, travel, and service projects. The goal is to enable students to pursue opportunities that might not otherwise be possible without financial assistance.

The President's Office has generously allocated $7,000 per semester to help enhance the student experience through these grants. The designated funds come from generous philanthropic gifts made by alumni and friends who have chosen to provide unrestricted support to the university.

Grants are awarded twice a year. Applications are typically accepted for the summer/fall semester beginning in January and for the winter/spring semester beginning in September.

Read the stories of previous recipients.

The grants are made possible by a partnership between the Office of the President and Student Advancement Network (SAN).

GRANT GUIDELINES

Award Application Process

Applications will be considered for funding based on the timeline below. An online form will be available for students and student groups to use when the application period opens. A maximum of $7,000 in total grants will be awarded. Grant amounts will range from $100-$1,000 awards.

Winter 2025 and Spring 2026 Semester Award Grant Cycle

  • September 2: Application opens
  • September 26: Application deadline (5 p.m.)
  • November 20: Grant recipients will be notified about funding requests for winter or spring semester.
  • December 3: Summer/Fall 2025 grant recipient presentations detailing how the funds were used and how the grant enhanced the recipient’s Iowa experience. This event is open to the public.
  • December 4: Signed recipient agreement form due
  • December 22: Award transfers/payments for summer projects
  • January 20: Award transfers/payments for fall projects
  • April 28: Winter 2025/Spring 2026 grant recipient presentations detailing how the funds were used and how the grant enhanced the recipient's Iowa experience. This event is open to the public.

Student Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must be enrolled full time as a University of Iowa undergraduate or graduate student for the fall 2025 semester and be in good standing as defined in the University of Iowa Code of Student Life.
  • Student groups or organizations must be recognized by the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership or by a University of Iowa department.
  • If your program is funded in full by other programs or funding methods your program is not eligible.
  • Program/experience must abide by all university guidelines. Grant funding does not permit activities that conflict with these guidelines.
  • Program/experience must abide by all university research guidelines. Grant funding does not permit activities that conflict with Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines. Funding does not provide IRB permission for the project.
  • Funding requests must be shown to improve or enhance the student experience and may not be used to reimburse research subjects. Recipients will share about this outcome during a biannual Student Impact Grant Presentation event.
  • Once a student receives a grant, they are not eligible for another University of Iowa Center for Advancement student grant within the next three years.
  • Grants are not renewable.
  • Recipients must present during the Winter/Spring grant recipient presentation detailing how the funds were used and how your Iowa experience was enhanced because of this award. Presentations will be held on April 28, 2026.
Apply Now

Review Process

Members of the University of Iowa Student Advancement Network will review all submissions and make a recommendation. A University of Iowa Center for Advancement employee will oversee the scoring and review process. After review, recommendations will be sent to the Office of the President, which will make the final decision on all grant awards.

Awardees will then be notified of their selection to receive a grant, and payment will be provided by the Office of the President through a transfer to the student's U-Bill or student organization's account. The University of Iowa Office of Student Financial Aid will be consulted to ensure that funding does not affect other financial aid that a student may receive.

If you have questions, please contact Hannah McClintock at hannah.mcclintock@foriowa.org.

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Channeling Her Support: Media Industry Innovator Empowers Female Business Leaders

As a child, Kathy Dore (72BA, 84MBA) spent many Saturday mornings alongside her father at Owens Brush Company in Iowa City?watching the diligence behind his work as president of the toothbrush and hairbrush manufacturer. The quality father-daughter time?suggested by Dore?s mother?sparked her interest in business and laid the groundwork for her future career as a media industry leader. ?It taught me a real work ethic and exposed me to a business environment,? says Dore. ?My mother very subtly supported an expansive view of what a woman could be and do.? Dore merged her interests in business and the arts through her studies at the University of Iowa and matched her parents? determination and creativity to become one of cable television?s top executives. The Regina High School grad rose through the ranks at Rainbow Media, where she served as president of entertainment services for cable networks AMC (American Movie Classics), IFC (Independent Film Channel), WE (Women?s Entertainment), and Bravo. Among Hollywood Reporter?s annual list of ?100 Most Powerful Women,? Dore increased Bravo?s subscriber base from less than 500,000 households to more than 68 million and later served as president of CanWest Media, one of Canada?s premier media companies. Today, she lends her leadership knowledge as senior advisor of vision and strategy for consulting firm Proteus Inc. to help businesses achieve success. Dore returned to the UI to give a ?Life with Phil? talk on Nov. 8 at the Black Box Theater in the Iowa Memorial Union. The annual fall lecture, hosted by the UI Center for Advancement, highlighted the many ways students are affected?and can influence others?through philanthropy. Dore first envisioned herself a Hawkeye during recess at St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School?across the street from what is now the Pappajohn Business Building. Standing on the playground, she peered through the fence at the college students walking to class and dreamed of being one of them. After school, Dore crossed the Hancher footbridge and UI Theatre Building on her walk home, occasionally stopping at Burge Hall for a Cherry Coke. Says Dore: ?Iowa permeated my being from a very early age.? Though Dore started college at the University of Missouri, she transferred to Iowa as a junior and graduated with a bachelor?s degree in communication and theatre arts. She attained an MBA 12 years later after stints in Washington, D.C., and at ACT and the UI Alumni Association. Dore worked at Merrill Lynch while completing the MBA but found her path as an affiliate marketing manager with Rainbow Media?s parent company, Cablevision Systems Corporation. Dore maintained her connection to the UI throughout her rise in cable television and continues to support fellow Hawkeyes. During her 44 years of continuous financial support, Dore started a communication studies fund to support students? academic and professional conference expenses. In 2015, she established the Kathleen Dore-Henry B. Tippie Women?s Leadership Program, which includes training, mentorship, and scholarships to support female MBA students. A longtime champion of women?s empowerment in the workplace, Dore has strived for gender-balanced teams that she says lead to deeper discussion, better listening, and stronger performance. ?My goal is to see more women take leadership roles,? says Dore. ?Let?s ensure that women have the tools and the level of experience and talent to be equal participants in whatever group, team, or company they join.? Dore says Iowa gave her a sense of perspective that made her a more thoughtful and strategic leader. It taught her resilience and pragmatism?and affirmed the importance of valuing individuals within a larger organization. She says: ?[Iowa] is all about people and though it?s a huge institution, there?s a real focus on how it impacts individuals.? Although Dore admits she wasn?t aware of all the ways philanthropy affected her as a UI student?including through providing quality instructors, facilities, and opportunities outside the classroom?she now fully understands how the contributions of many helped her throughout her UI education and career. ?It?s impossible to achieve success without the involvement, engagement, and support of other people every step of the way,? says Dore. ?Iowa teaches you to have high expectations of yourself and deliver on those in an independent and open-minded manner.? You can watch previous speakers online. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Jessica Mattes in advance at 319-467-3533.

Travel Opportunities

Iowa Voyagers offers a number of travel services to alumni and friends.

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NOTICE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity that works to advance the University of Iowa. Please review its full disclosure statement.

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