Small Change, Better World

Millennials and post-millennials want to be involved in service and philanthropy, but there aren’t many mechanisms designed to support young people—even though they have an abundance of skills, energy and passion.

Students who have completed our online course on Global Poverty and Inequality, an immersive field study experience, or our Global Scholars Program are often inspired and enthusiastic about taking further action, but lack the capital to tackle concrete, outcome-focused projects. As a result, the Blum Center has decided to introduce a new model for harnessing student passion and capacity to achieving measurable gains along clear trajectories.

The SCBW model was conceived a decade ago by three humanitarian workers—Michael Beevers, Richard Matthew and Renard Sexton—working in Sierra Leone. After visiting many villages impacted by a decade of civil war, they realized that most existing programming cannot undertake very small projects, even when these are important to the community and require some external support. From replacing lost musical instruments to finding the parts to a piece of heavy equipment donated from abroad, opportunities exist for small changes to create a better world.

SCBW seed grants give students an opportunity to meet tangible needs in their own communities or in places they have visited and worked in. We hope that the experience gained through these projects will inspire students to continue to take actions to address 21st century challenges in ways that are effective, fair, and appropriate.

Read about some of the inaugural recipients on our Medium, or view a map of projects.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students at UC Irvine. Applicants who receive funding must be in good academic standing and remain students through the duration of their project.

Specifically, Small Change, Better World grants:

• Address a finite, one-time need
• Address a gap in support rather than a travel expense or programmatic activity that the partner institution already has the jurisdiction and/or capability to support
• Have a clear vision for impact and social change in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Proposals are accepted twice per year. 

1. December 15th, 2023  11:59pm PT
2. Check back soon!

Components of the proposal include:

• • • A description of your proposed project and what problem this project addresses
    • Budget narrative
    • Who do you plan to work with (e.g. organization or community leaders) to implement this project?
    • What category does this project fall under (e.g. Education, Food Systems, Health)?
    • Do you have any other funding sources for this project (e.g. GoFundMe)?
    • Will the proposed project be completed within 10-15 weeks of receiving the award?
    • Completion of the SCBW pre-survey
    • Student Bio (name, GPA, major) with photo

For the Spring 2021 round of proposals, all proposals are welcome. We particularly encourage projects that address needs associated with COVID-19 and/or support communities of color.

For the Spring 2021 round of proposals, all proposals are welcome. We particularly encourage projects that address needs associated with COVID-19 and/or support communities of color.

Applications are accepted twice per year. Check back soon for this year’s submission deadlines.

Students are expected to complete their project within one quarter of receiving funding, and must remain a UCI student through the duration the quarter in which they implement their project.

For example, a student who applies for the May 25 deadline can expect to hear results by early June. Students being offered funding will receive an offer letter; if the offer is accepted, the disbursement of funds is initiated by mid-June. The recipient will then be expected to complete their project over the Summer quarter, and submit a post-project survey by November 25.

We’re looking to fund projects that cost under $3,000. You will need to provide an itemized cost estimate to justify the total amount requested.

Your itemized budget will be unique to the goals of your project. Budget should include reasonable estimated costs for any necessary materials, supplies, equipment, taxes, transportation, shipping, delivery, etc.

The Blum Center is committed to providing effective programs that make a difference for UCI students and the communities we serve. To help us assess the program, all applicants are required to complete a survey as part of the application process.

The purpose of the survey is to allow Blum Center staff to assess the effectiveness of the program as a whole. We do not use the survey to evaluate individuals, and your survey responses have absolutely no impact on how we review your application. In fact, we won’t even look at your survey responses until after grants have been awarded.

There are many resources at UCI and beyond for funding and support. Depending on the type of project you have in mind, you may want to consider:

You may be able to utilize Zotfunder, a UCI fundraising platform. Contact the Blum Center staff at blumcenter@uci.edu to discuss whether Zotfunder is the right fit for your project.