“This project is the manifestation of a long-held dream to eliminate health and healthcare disparities, it will also serve as a guiding light and a compass to continue that work in the world. The example of Schweitzer fuels me every day to stick to those ideals that led me here and to not allow anyone to take them from me.”
BRITTANIE HEIGHT
2019-20 J. Bradley Wilson Schweitzer Fellow
Each year, NC Schweitzer Fellows from the state’s leading professional schools partner with community-based organizations to identify unmet health needs, design sustainable service projects with a demonstrable enduring impact on those needs, and bring the projects from idea to implementation and impact.
The purpose of the Sustainability Initiative is to support the health initiatives launched by Fellows so they continue to serve community members beyond the Fellowship year. The Sustainability Initiative helps sharpen the Fellows’ focus on the need to design and implement community service projects that deliver long-term impact while fostering accountability, creativity, long-range planning, and cost effectiveness and have resulted in a 91% sustainability rate.
Throughout the fellowship year, the Fellows are supported in their effort to develop a concrete plan for long term sustainability. Sometimes, this effort does not require funding. In the event funding is required, some Fellows access the $1,000 that the Fellowship designates for sustainability, while others secure outside funding, or employ a combination of the two.
To be eligible to apply for Schweitzer sustainability funding, Fellows, along with their academic and site mentors, work together to develop a formalized plan, with a detailed budget not to exceed $1,000, for continuing the project.
The organization or interest group which has a formal plan for sustaining the Schweitzer project may apply for up to $1,000 in funding. Prior to submitting the application, the Fellow(s) and the mentors should work together to develop the sustainability plan and submit it to the North Carolina Program Director for feedback. Please be specific regarding the commitment from the organization. Will an official leadership role be created in the organization with the responsibility to lead the project? Will a new leader be elected each year? Provide detailed information regarding the logistics of the sustainability plan. For example, “XYZ Group agrees to lead 1.5 hours weekly sessions for a total of 10 weeks for 15 participants in a workshop series. We will hold 3 workshops series over the course of the academic year.” Additionally, a detailed budget outlining the ways in which the funding will be used needs to be submitted as an attachment. Keep in mind, funds can only be used to support project sustainability. If the need is less than $1,000 to sustain the project, please only apply for the dollar amount you actually require.
Application deadline is April 1.
Plans for sustainability may include:
The written description of the plan does not need to be lengthy. Only enough information to convey how the project will be sustained along with the detailed budget is required.
If you have questions, please contact the Program Director.
Before the sustaining partner prepares the application, please complete the following steps:
If you have reviewed the eligibility criteria and completed the preliminary steps, you are ready to submit your application. If you have any questions about the application, please contact the Program Director.
All applications must contain a detailed budget allocating funds up to $1,000, if awarded. Keep in mind, funds can only be used to support project sustainability. If the need is less than $1,000 to sustain the project, please only apply for the dollar amount you actually require.
Please complete the following application for the Schweitzer Sustainability Initiative. Please note that you have unlimited space in the text fields to answer the questions.