POSTSECONDARY LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ACTIVATION FUND

Recognizing that community colleges are uniquely positioned to increase student parent outcomes, especially for single mothers, and the pandemic’s impact on moving student parent efforts forward at these institutions, Ascend, with support from ECMC Foundation, is launching a new fund to accelerate institutional investment into expanding effective, equitable, and culturally-informed student parent supports at four community colleges and/or systems.

Building on the learnings and momentum of Ascend’s Postsecondary Leadership Circle, community colleges and/or systems that participated in that effort are eligible to apply. Additionally, community college and/or system leaders that Ascend has existing relationships with and whose institutions have pre-established student parent efforts and are primed for success in this project will be invited to apply. Community colleges and/or systems also must have an indicator in their student information systems that identifies which students are parents to be eligible.

During this 2-year effort, Fund partners will leverage a cross-campus or cross-system task force to identify, plan, and implement two strategies that align with their current efforts and will contribute to increasing student parent persistence and attainment with a special focus on single mothers. Selected Fund partners will receive $75,000 in grant funding, regular expert technical assistance, and opportunities to learn from a community of practice to support their work.

This video presentation introduces our team and provides further background into this Fund. Download the presentation HERE.

The application window is now open! Eligible community colleges and systems that are interested must review the Request for Proposal (RFP), attend a virtual proposal consultation, and submit their applications by 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, June 1, 2023.

submit a proposal

Interested applicants must meet with Ascend staff for a 15-minute virtual consultation before submitting a proposal. Consultations will be offered between April 27 and May 25, 2023, and scheduling must occur at least a week in advance. Schedule your consultation by completing this Doodle poll. Only one person per institution/system should complete the poll by adding their name and email address. Once an Outlook calendar invitation is sent, that individual can forward the invitation to other staff or faculty members who would like to join.

SCHEDULE YOUR consultation

PROJECT RESOURCES

Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund

Request for Proposal (RFP)

DOWNLOAD THE rfp

Proposal Budget Template

DOWNLOAD THE budget template

JOIN US FOR an informational webinar

Join us for an informational webinar and Q&A to learn more about the Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund, a new fund being launched by Ascend at the Aspen Institute with support from ECMC Foundation.

Webinar

Wednesday, April 26, 2023
1:00 – 2:00pm ET (10:00 – 11:00am PT)

Frequently Asked Questions

Which institutions are eligible to apply?

The following community colleges and systems are eligible to apply:
Alamo Colleges District, Amarillo College, Bunker Hill Community College, Central New Mexico Community College, City Colleges of Chicago, Colorado Mountain College, City University of New York, El Paso Community College, Howard Community College, Ivy Tech Community College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles Valley College, Montgomery College, Northern Virginia Community College, Portland Community College, Sitting Bull College, State College of Florida – Manatee-Sarasota, and Washington County Community College

What is the purpose of a capacity building fund?

What forms of technical assistance will be provided to Fund partners?

Technical assistance (TA) will be provided at no cost to selected Fund partners. Ascend will guide fund partners through developing action plans; implementing action plans; sustainability planning; and overall strategy and capacity building. Fund partners will meet with Ascend staff and peer grantees on a monthly basis.

Are there any funding limitations?

As a capacity building fund, this project aims to improve Fund partners’ ability to support student parents by strengthening institutional commitment and staff development and capacity. Grant funds should be allocated to staff time and other expenses needed for cross-campus or cross-system task forces to complete the project’s planning steps and begin strategy implementation. Allocation of grant funds will vary depending on the two strategies your institution or system intends to implement.

Only a limited amount of funding can be allocated toward the implementation of student services or resources such as providing on-campus childcare or developing a campus family resource center. The full cost of implementing these supports would need to be obtained through other sources. Seeking this additional funding and/or resources will be part of the planning process and a section of the action plan will be dedicated to fully implementing and sustaining efforts.

Besides staff salary and benefits, examples of allowable uses of grant funds include incentives/stipends for student parents to participate in elements of the project; consultant services if needed due to lack of internal capacity; staff and faculty professional development; and costs associated with convening relevant staff, faculty, students, and partners.

Can the lead applicant and project director be the same person?

Yes, a senior institutional leader can serve as both the lead applicant and project director.

How firm is the deadline?

Firm. Responses are due via this link by 11:59pm ET on Thursday, June 1, 2023. We cannot consider responses submitted after that time.

Who should I contact if I have technical difficulties with the submission or further questions?

Please send all questions to ascendpsp@aspeninstitute.org.

To whom should I address the commitment letter?

Please address your commitment letter to:

David Croom, Associate Director, Postsecondary Success for Parents
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
2300 N Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037

Building a ladder to intergenerational prosperity through education

LEARN ABOUT THE postsecondary success for parents initiative