Our Mission
The Grants Office supports AWC’s goals by assisting faculty and staff in seeking and securing grants for programs and projects that align with institution, division, and department objectives, in accordance with the strategic plan.
Grant Alert
Arizona Western College coordinates its decision making on grants through the President's Office. To obtain approval to seek a grant, please submit a request below.
Support includes:
- Assisting with developing concepts
- Identifying funding opportunities
- Facilitating internal and external stakeholders’ meetings
- Developing grant proposals and budgets
- Reviewing required documentation
- Submitting grant applications
- Notifying the board of awarded grants
Grant Process
The Director of Grants manages and facilitates the grant process at AWC.
- AWC’s president and cabinet devise an annual grant plan to support institution-wide initiatives with external funding. Our general grants emphases include: allied health and nursing, education and student success, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), technology infrastructure. Due to the recent economic climate, building renovation is at the forefront of current fundraising objectives, in support of the 2020 capital improvement plan.
- Grant writing is a collaborative effort that begins with a discussion with, and the approval of, the supervisor. Next, a grant alert is filed, which the Director of Grants will review to ensure that it includes research, follows all instructions, contains required documentation, and is complete. The Grant Director will then forward, with a Grants Office recommendation, to AWC’s President for final approval to proceed.
- If the President denies a grant alert, the prospective grant writer will be informed of the reason, and, if possible, be given assistance in addressing concerns.
- If the grant alert is approved, the grant’s authors will be notified that they may proceed. At that time, a timeline to coordinate efforts with the Grants Office must be provided to the Grant Director. The timeline will include a schedule of review of the final draft by: Personnel, Technology, Budget Office, Grants Office. The grant’s author will follow any instructions given to make any revisions as needed. Finally, the grant proposal is returned to the Director of Grants for final review, authorized signature, and submission.
- Upon notice of an award, the Director of Grants must be notified. The Director will be able to assist in contacting departments across the campus that must be notified and can help ensure the new initiative is successfully implemented.
Applying for a competitive grant is a dynamic process. The project’s proposal must address the needs of all relevant stakeholders, including students, the college, and the local community. Along with being practical and measurable, a successful proposal addresses the funders’ priorities and criteria.
Additionally, it provides solid evidence of the ability of faculty and staff to implement and manage the grant effectively. A winning grant program proposal includes how the goals of sustainability and institutionalization will be met at the end of the grant.
Grant Opportunities
MAVERIK CHARITABLE GIVING
MAVERIK Charitable Giving
The Maverik Charitable Giving program's areas of interest include education, including higher education, mentorship and preparation, and at-risk populations; local hunger, including local food banks, childhood hunger programs, and regional food bank networks; and, outdoor enrichment, including outdoor educational experiences for at-risk or minority groups, and conservation programs.
The program's areas of interest include:
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education, including higher education, mentorship and preparation, and at-risk populations;
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including local food banks, childhood hunger programs, and regional food bank networks; and,
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outdoor enrichment, including outdoor educational experiences, outdoor experiences for at-risk or minority groups, and conservation programs.
Note: Maverik also offers corporate sponsorships for non-501(c)(3) entities.
Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed quarterly.
Award: To Be Determined
Use this link to access information on how to apply:
Community - Maverik - Adventure's First Stop
American Academy of Dermatology
Purpose of Program: The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) offers grants of up to $8,000 to public schools and non-profit organizations for installing permanent shade structures in outdoor locations frequented by children and youth. These grants are designed to provide sun protection and are part of the AAD’s broader efforts to promote sun safety and skin cancer awareness.
Note: Non-Profit 501(c)(3) entities.
Application Deadline: December 15, 2025.
Award: $8,000.00
Use this link to access information on how to apply:
Shade Structure grants
Harol C. and Deborah L. Elliot Foundation
Purpose of Program: The Harold C. and Deborah L. Elliott Family Foundation's mission is to enhance the quality of human life, primarily in Phoenix and Yuma, AZ, and Folsom, CA.
Funding has traditionally gone to community healthcare projects, scholarships for higher education, housing the homeless, shelter services for women and children, environmental preservation and conservation, and services for disadvantaged seniors.
Note: Non-Profit 501(c)(3) entities.
Application Deadline: Mid-September
Award: $10,000.00 - $50,000.00
Use this link to access information on how to apply:
Elliott Foundation | California & Arizona Home Builder | Elliott Homes
Garcia Family Foundation
Purpose of Program: The Garcia Family Foundation primarily provides support to nonprofit organizations in Arizona and the Dallas, TX, metro area.
The Foundation's areas of interest include:
- post-secondary education;
- homelessness, from prevention to housing;
- child welfare, primarily systems work; and,
- data and technology in human services.
Types of support include scholarships, general operating, and project support.
Note: Non-Profit 501(c)(3) entities.
Application Deadline: October 1, no later than March 1 annually
Award: TBD (Range $5,000.00 - $100,000.00+)
Application information can be directed to:
1720 West Rio Salado Parkway
Suite A , Tempe, AZ 85281
HUMANITIES-CORNERSTONE LEARNING FOR LIVING
The Teagle Foundation
Purpose of Program: The Cornerstone: Learning for Living aims to reinvigorate the role of the humanities in general education, and in doing so, expose a broad array of students to the power of the humanities; help students of all backgrounds build a sense of belonging and community; strengthen the coherence and cohesiveness of general education; and increase teaching opportunities for humanities faculty. Institutions will be selected based on the design and scale of their proposed programs.
Selection criteria include:
- A faculty-led and faculty-owned initiative
- A common intellectual experience anchored in transformative texts for incoming students
- Coherent pathways through general education
- Student reach, particularly for STEM and other pre-professional majors
- Sustainability
- Assessment
- Dissemination
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025.
Award: Up to $300,000 for 24 months
Use this link to access information on how to apply:
The Teagle Foundation - Cornerstone: Learning for Living
PANERA BREAD FOUNDATION
Panera Bread Foundation
The Panera Bread Foundation awards grants to non-profit organizations that are supporting underserved, at-risk, and historically underrepresented children and youth in the following areas of interest: leadership development; mentorship; skill-building; workforce development; and college readiness. Support is provided for new programs and to expand and continue existing programs.
Application Deadline: Application date released Fall 2025
Award: $25,000 - $100,000
Link: Panera Bread Foundation Announces 2025 Grant open Application Period | Panera Bread
National Science Foundation
Hispanic Serving Institutions: Enriching Learning, Programs, and Student Experiences
Eligible Applicants: Public and State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
Purpose of Program: The goals of the NSF HSI Program are to:
- Enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at HSIs.
- Increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM at HSIs.
Description: Institutions are encouraged to consider how their mission and designation as an HSI could reimagine and/or strengthen courses, degree programs, departments, or divisions. The HSI:ELPSE solicitation supports projects that are purposefully designed to meet students where they are, accounting for both their assets and the challenges they may face. Institutions are expected to use institutional data to identify equity gaps, identify areas of need, and unpack the factors that shape students’ individual realities and shared experiences. Perspectives gained from these data should be central to the design of the project.
Application Deadline: February 11, 2026
Award Ceiling: Up to $1,000,000 for 5 years
Sony Social Responsibility
Sony Social Responsibility
Eligible Applicants: Non-Profit 501(c)(3)
Purpose of Program: Within the U.S., Sony focuses the majority of its charitable giving on art, culture, technology and the environment, with a particular emphasis on education in each of those areas. While support in other areas may also be considered, the Company seeks to apply its financial, technological, and human resources to the encouragement of the creative, artistic, technical, and scientific skills required of tomorrow's workforce.
Description: The company welcomes requests for support throughout the year within the guidelines set below. To apply online, please visit the YourCause GrantsConnect online portal.
Requests must include the following information:
- A brief, written description of the organization, including its legal name, history, activities, purpose, and proof of registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit status.
- History of previous support from Sony, if applicable.
- The amount being requested, if applicable.
- A description of the purpose for which the grant is requested.
Application Deadline: Applications are welcome throughout the year through an online portal on their website.
Award Ceiling: TBD
Link: Social Responsibility - Giving Guidelines | Sony Corporation of America
National Science Foundation
IUSE: Innovation in Two-year College STEM Education
Eligible Applicants: Public and State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
Purpose of Program: The goals of the Innovation in Two-Year College STEM education program (ITYC) are to:
- Center students in the effort to advance innovation and promote success in STEM education at two-year colleges, and
- Enhance the capacity of two-year colleges to harness the talent and potential of their student and faculty populations through innovative disciplinary, multi-department, and college-wide efforts.
Description: Aligned with the goals above, the ITYC program features two tracks: (1) A Focus on the Academic Experiences of Two-Year College Students and (2) Leveraging Two-Year College Strengths and Innovation. The ITYC program is aligned with NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) framework, which is a comprehensive effort to accelerate improvements in the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate education in STEM fields.
Application Deadline: December 10, 2025
Award Ceiling: Up to $500,000 for 3 years