Political Engagement Fund (Fall 2025)

About the Political Engagement Fund

Wesleyan University has a long history of supporting student civic engagement and recognizes this moment’s unique opportunity for liberal learning through engagement with the public sphere. 

We are pleased to welcome applications for the Political Engagement Fund’s 2025 Fall Cycle through Wednesday November 19, 2025 (11:59pm).

Projects and Proposal

Wesleyan undergraduate students can apply to the Political Engagement Fund for project support in one of the following areas:

• Voter Registration
• Issues Advocacy
• Local or National Campaigns

See examples of previously funded projects at our Engage Blog and in the Wesleyan Connection (Summer 2025, Fall 2020)!

Budgeting and Expenses

Fall grants, which are capped at $500.00 per applicant, provide funding to help alleviate costs in the following areas:

• Lodging Expenses
• Food Expenses (related to engagement)
• Travel Expenses: Airfare, Train Tickets, Bus Fare/Tickets, Subway/Metro Fare, Mileage (70 cents per mile)
• Program Expenses: Tuition (non-Wesleyan), Conference Fees, Supplies (i.e. notebooks, books, pens)

Political Engagement Fund grants may not be used for any of the following:

• Payment to applicant
• Payment/wages to others
• Personal expenses deemed non-essential to the project
• Other discretionary expenses deemed unrelated to the proposed project
• Tuition at Wesleyan University
• Purchasing or leasing a vehicle
• Equipment that will be retained by student or host organization (i.e. cameras, lighting equipment, laptops, etc.)

All applicants are required to submit a budget sheet, detailing the funding request. All items included in your budget must be directly related to your proposal. Based on the information you provide and available funds, an amount may be awarded to you equal to or less than your request.

Additional Political Engagement Fund requirements

Award recipients are required to:

• Enroll in CSPL 494 (Elections Internship)
• Submit a final report 
• Share their experience at select Allbritton Center events

Additional Information

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information. 

If you need additional information or want to further workshop your ideas, please contact Sonya Hadley at shadley@wesleyan.edu.
 

How to access the Political Engagement Fund application

The application is hosted on Submittable, a social impact platform being used by Wesleyan's Gordon Career Center. Please follow the directions below to begin. 

• Create a free Submittable account or sign in (see below)
• You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the application at a later date.
• If anything changes with the information you submitted, please request to edit the submission. Edits can only be made prior to the deadline.
• We will follow-up with you about your submission by email. Please be sure to safelist notification emails from Submittable and check the email you used to sign up for your Submittable account regularly. Check out the Submitter Resource Center or reach out to Submittable's customer support team with any technical questions here.

Ready to Apply?

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You may save your progress by clicking "Save Draft" at the end of the application. Once you are ready to submit your application, please click "Submit Form." Decisions will be announced on a rolling basis. The final round of decisions will be announced by Monday, November 24. Failure to meet application or program requirements will result in your application being withdrawn. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For further information, please contact shadley@wesleyan.edu.