Gheens Mini Grant Program

In 2019, the Gheens Foundation announced a substantial two-million-dollar unrestricted gift to the University of Louisville, marking their second-largest donation and adding to the more than twelve million dollars they had contributed to the institution in over five decades. Mike Mountjoy, the Chair and CEO of the Foundation, noted that the university was critical to the city and that the Foundation felt it was time to step up their support. While the university allocated half a million dollars toward enhancing campus safety and security, the remaining 1.5 million dollars was directed toward strategic initiatives designed to improve the university as a place to learn and work. From this pool of strategic funding, the Gheens Mini-Grant Program for Community Engagement was established to foster stronger connections between UofL and the communities it serves.

The core purpose of the program was to advance the university’s anchor mission by leveraging institutional resources to strengthen communities and improve quality of life. Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, the initiative provided small, one time mini-grants to faculty, staff, and Resident Student Organizations to support projects focused on teaching, research, outreach, or direct service provision. A central goal was to offer students practical, community engaged learning experiences under the guidance of university mentors. By participating in these collaborative activities, students were able to develop valuable critical, analytical, and leadership skills, which research demonstrates for improving retention and graduation rates. Furthermore, the program supported true collaboration with partners, where participants were encourage to act as equal, active collaborators rather than passive recipients in projects designed to directly benefit the populations they serve.