Dean’s Community Connection Grant Program

Dean Goldberg has established the Community Connection Grant program to encourage small group discussion across differences, build facilitation skills, and/or model constructive disagreement. The aim of this program is to foster: activities that promote a well-informed, nuanced understanding of divisive legal and political issues; social events that build trust among members of groups with differing views, perspectives, or approaches; and experiences that help community members develop skills and methods for constructively engaging with one another on difficult topics, or in the wake of discord and distrust prompted by use of social media. Creative approaches to achieving these goals are welcome. The presumption is that initiatives will be completed within the 2025-2026 academic year.

Grant Information

Please review the categories below for more information on criteria and application requirements.

Eligibility

Individual students and student organizations are eligible to apply for funding. Preference will be given to proposals developed collaboratively by, and/or designed to bring together and foster meaningful interaction between, groups with differing backgrounds or perspectives.

We encourage a wide range of project sizes and scopes, including micro-projects. Grant amounts typically will not exceed $1,000; but may be up to $5,000 depending on the initiative.

Please contact DOS-CEEB for advice and support in preparing a proposal, and/or assistance with finding HLS faculty experts, collaborators, facilitators, and additional resources at Harvard (and beyond).

For general inquiries, please reach out to communityconnection@law.harvard.edu.

Information Session and Required Advising

DOS-CEEB will be conducting an information session about applying for a Community Connection Grant or the President’s Building Bridges Fund on Tuesday, October 21, from 12:30-1:00 pm, in WCC 5052.

Applicants must meet briefly with DOS-CEEB prior to submitting an application. Office hours for applicants will be held on Wednesday, October 22, from 2:00-4:00 pm and Thursday, October 23, from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Please contact DOS-CEEB in advance to schedule an appointment.

Application Process

We review applications in two cycles, fall and spring. Applications for the fall are due by October 30. Applications for the spring are due by February 11. Funding notifications will be issued approximately three weeks after each application deadline.

Applicants are asked to confirm that they have met with DOS-CEEB and provide:

  1. a brief proposal, including an explanation of the project’s goals and how it will further community connections at HLS; and
  2. additional details regarding the project’s co-sponsors (if applicable), budget and proposed timing, location, and any other relevant information.
Submit Your Application

Administration and Approval Process

DOS-CEEB will administer the application and grant funding, with decisions on grants to be rendered by a three-person Community Connection Grant Committee consisting of a student representative, an HLS faculty member, and a representative from the Dean’s office. 

Grant recipients will be asked to share photo(s) and complete a brief post event survey. 

The President’s Building Bridges Fund

The President’s Building Bridges Fund (“PBB Fund”) is a competitive program that provides grants of up to $5,000 for student-led initiatives that “enable the development of the skills necessary to respect, relate, and cooperate across lines of difference.” Applications for 2025-2026 are due by 5:00 pm EDT on Thursday, October 30, 2025; interested Harvard students may consult the PBB Fund website for information on the application process.

Both the PBB Fund and the HLS Community Connection Grant programs promote community and dialogue. The PBB Fund places an emphasis on “building meaningful relationships between affinity groups whose interests or perspectives on important issues may diverge; advancing intellectual excellence by listening deeply, navigating tension constructively, and fostering cooperation across differences to solve common problems; acting against discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate; and/or fostering dialogue and engagement across differences on campus about interfaith or intercultural issues, or a combination of both.” The HLS Community Connection Grants are smaller in scale than PBB Fund grants, and projects that contemplate collaboration across Harvard schools may be a better fit for PBB Fund grants. Students with proposals that meet the eligibility criteria for both programs may apply to either or both programs, provided that applicants who receive funding from both programs must disclose receipt, and their awards may be reduced to avoid duplicate funding.

FAQ

  • Does a member of each sponsoring group need to submit an application?

    No, applications must be sent jointly, with only one application being submitted per project.

  • Is an advising appointment required before submission of an application?

    Yes.

  • When will I hear back about the status of my application?

    Applicants should expect to receive a funding notification email approximately three weeks after application submission. It is not possible to expedite consideration of an application.

  • Do projects need to be completed in the same semester?

    No. Regardless of whether the project is selected for funding in the fall or spring application cycle, the presumption is that initiatives will be completed within the 2025-2026 academic year.

  • Can Community Connection Grant Program funding be used to purchase alcohol?

    No.