Students collaborating around a table

Community Microgrants

The Community Microgrants is a one-year pilot program offering small-scale funding to empower individuals and community groups on campus. The goal of this program is to reduce financial barriers so that community-led ideas especially those rooted in equity, inclusion, and collective care can move from idea to action. 

  • Total available funding: $5,000 per term, up to $1,500 per project. 

  • Applications: Rolling submissions each term. 

  • Decisions: Communicated within two weeks after the start of each term for proposals received before term start (and on a rolling basis as funds allow). 

The Community Microgrants is designed to support the kinds of community projects that often struggle to find small, accessible funding such as cultural celebrations, workshops, peer support, community gatherings, and other initiatives led by those closest to the work. 

This funding aims to: 

  • Support community-led projects by providing accessible, flexible funding for initiatives that strengthen belonging, well-being, and connection. 

  • Empower individuals, collectives, and community groups to respond to their own community’s needs using approaches that are culturally grounded, responsive, and meaningful. 

  • Recognize and uplift the work already happening within communities, both on campus and across the Waterloo region. 

  • Enable creativity, collaboration, and experimentation, create space for new ideas that foster inclusion, dialogue, joy, and collective care. 

Program Details

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include: 

  • University of Waterloo students, staff, and faculty 

  • Employee resource groups, clubs, affinity groups or independent collectives 

  • Local community organizations where a Waterloo students, staff, or faculty play an active role 

Ineligible applicants include: 

  • Formal departments, administrative units, or teams with existing institutional/operational budgets 

  • Projects already funded through institutional grants, research funds, or operating budgets 

Project alignment

Proposals must show clear alignment with at least one of the following: 

  • Fostering inclusion, belonging, and community engagement 

  • Strengthening connections across cultures or communities 

  • Supporting underrepresented or marginalized voices 

  • Encouraging creativity, dialogue, healing, or well-being 

Example project ideas: 

  • A cultural celebration, showcase, or performance 

  • A peer support group or dialogue series 

  • A public workshop, teach-in, or panel 

  • A community well-being or mental health event 

  • A digital resource, zine, podcast, or media project 

Funding and scope

  • Microgrant amount per project: up to $1,500 

  • Term budget: $5,000 per term (Winter, Spring, Fall) 

  • Annual pilot budget: $15,000 total 

Eligible costs may include: 

  • Booking or room fees 

  • Materials and supplies 

  • Speaker fees or honoraria 

  • Food and refreshments  

  • Accessibility supports  

  • Promotion and outreach 

  • Digital tools or platforms needed to deliver the project 

Ineligible costs include: 

  • Salaries or long-term staffing 

  • Standing or ongoing operational costs 

  • Projects that clearly fall outside community support, equity, or inclusion 

How to apply

Complete the online application form with short form questions on:

  • Applicant information

  • Community details

  • Project information

  • Plan and budget

  • Budget and timeline 

Selection process
  • Applications are reviewed by a committee that may include members of the Offie of EDI-R staff, Student Ambassador Group and Program Area Leads.

  • Projects are assessed on: 

    • Connection to community and potential impact 

    • Feasibility, clarity of plan, and realistic budget 

    • Inclusion and centering of marginalized groups 

    • Creativity, sustainability, and opportunities for reflection/learning 

Deadlines

  • Applications can be submitted at any time during the term.

  • For proposals submitted by the first day of the term, decisions will be shared within two weeks after term start. 

  • Applications received later in the term will be reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to remaining funds. 

Reporting and knowledge sharing

At the end of each project, recipients will be asked to submit a short Impact Summary (1–2 pages or a multimedia reflection), including: 

  • What your project was

  • Who was involved or impacted

  • What you learned 

  • Any materials, photos, or outputs you’d like to share 

This helps show the collective impact of community-led work which will support future funding for this program. 

About the Pilot

The  Community Microgrants is a one-year pilot, running across three academic terms (Winter, Spring, Fall 2026). 

After the pilot year, the program will be reviewed for: 

  • Long-term integration into the Office of EDI-R’s operational budget 

  • Opportunities to scale the model across campus and the broader region 

  • Ways to deepen support through partnerships, storytelling, and additional funding 

Impact stories and evaluation data from the pilot will be used to advocate for continued institutional investment, demonstrating how small-scale, community-led funding can transform our collective environment.