National Venture Fund Grant Program

​Since the inception of the National Venture Fund program, $4.4 million has been distributed to fund over 100 grant programs. Reported matching funds total $11.5 million, far exceeding the 1:1 required match. This brings the total economic impact of these grant programs to more than $15.9 million. Additionally, ongoing local support for projects seeded by the program surpasses the total reported match.

​Only CIC State Fund Members are eligible to apply for funding from the National Venture Fund. If you work for a private college or university, please contact the State Fund Member in your state.

Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) – Liberal Arts in Business Initiative ($25,000)
Designed to complement the internship programs of ACI member colleges and universities, this new initiative will provide two important incentives to students to participate in business internships that can prepare and motivate them for future careers: 1) a new, online course that familiarizes them with corporate culture, procedures, and governance and enhances their prospects for a successful internship experience, and 2) a cash stipend that makes non-compensated internships practical, even for low- and middle-income students who might otherwise forego these opportunities because their financial circumstances compel them to take paid work, even if that work does not advance their career path.

Nebraska Independent College Foundation (NICF) – El Futuro Campaign ($19,000)
With the growing number of Hispanic students in Nebraska’s high schools (expected to represent 16% of Nebraska’s total high school graduates by 2020), it is critical that private colleges position themselves to more effectively recruit students from this demographic. The admissions offices of the eight member colleges and universities of the NICF have developed a plan to work collaboratively on a broad recruitment initiative aimed at increasing the Hispanic student population at our member colleges. The first step in the plan to address this niche market is to develop and provide the admissions offices with the tools to effectively connect with today’s Hispanic high school students, including developing Spanish-language material for use on the popular YouTube media connection.

Independent College Fund of New Jersey (ICFNJ) – Undergraduate Research Symposium ($35,000)
ICFNJ will offer an educational and professional development opportunity for STEM majors at New Jersey's independent colleges and universities by offering competitive undergraduate research opportunities culminating in an annual symposium where vision and theories, and results and research techniques are shared to advance learning, to maintain student interest in STEM fields, and to build a strong scientific network for the future. Students will engage in all aspects of the research process: concept development, project promotion, budgeting, evaluation, and reporting.

Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW) – The Case for Independent Colleges ($20,000)
The goal of this project is to demonstrate, through the development of (1) a pilot statewide undergraduate research conference serving students and faculty from seven ICW colleges/universities and (2) a recruiting video, that students at independent colleges and universities are more likely to be able to participate in faculty-mentored research projects than their peers at publically funded higher educations.

​Access the RFP and related material for the National Venture Fund grant program on the FIHE Community Site.