Volunteer Initiative Program (VIP)

Raise money for a cause you care about!

Grinnell College created the Volunteer Initiative Program in 1999 as a way to formally recognize the important role that faculty and staff of the College play in supporting quality of life initiatives that enrich the local community. The program allows employees to earn donations for non-profit organizations by contributing a significant amount of volunteer time to an organization of their choosing. The College appreciates that students also play a role in the well-being of our community and wants to acknowledge their valuable work by expanding the Volunteer Initiative Program to include student volunteers.

Guidelines for $100 Recognition

•    Qualified Activity: Program participants must volunteer at least fifteen hours over the course of one semester. All organizations will be required to verify student participation. Eligible hours must take place during the fall or spring academic semester. The deadline to apply for funding each semester will be 5pm on the Friday of the last week of normal classes.
•    Qualified Organizations: The local community is not limited to Grinnell but includes the surrounding area, Des Moines and Iowa City. Generally, we do not support: Individuals; business ventures; organizations without IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status that are not governments; Grinnell College programs without 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status; high school athletic programs; organizations that limit membership and services based on race, religion, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age or national origin; requests for loans or debt retirements; political organizations; and projects or organizations that might in any way pose a conflict with the mission, goals or programs of Grinnell College.

•    Funding Limits: Each student will be eligible to apply for one $100 donation per semester. No organization may receive more than $1,000 in total contributions through the Volunteer Initiative Program in a given fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Funds are limited and will be released in the order in which qualified applications are received.

For more information, forms and applications go to:

http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/communityenhance/student-engagement/vip-students