FIHE Awards Three UPS Venture Fund Grants

The grant program’s purpose is to support innovative statewide collaborative programs designed to enhance the teaching-learning programs of the colleges or to increase student access to the private colleges. Support for these programs is provided by the FIHE/UPS Educational Endowment Fund and the UPS Foundation. 

The three grant recipients are The Independent College Fund of New Jersey (ICFNJ) was awarded $25,000 to develop their Veterans Education Website.  This collaboration among fourteen private colleges and universities affiliated with ICFNJ is designed to help our nation’s veterans meet their educational needs.  The project will educate veterans on the accessibility of private higher education in New Jersey and enhance existing support services to focus on helping veterans navigate the college search and application process. The initiative will be supplemented with a veterans’ scholarship fund.

FIHE awarded $50,000 to the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities to begin an Ethics Bowl competition, highlighting applied ethics as a trademark of the student experience at private colleges and universities in the state.  Engaging students in complex ethical dilemmas, the Ethics Bowl will test the critical thinking skills students have developed by matching student teams in debates of applied ethics, using contemporary, real-world dilemmas.

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) will receive $22,500 in support of an Undergraduate Research Symposium to showcase the multidisciplinary talents of undergraduate student researchers and support the economic development of Ohio.  The program will provide these students, who have demonstrated an aptitude and propensity for research, with an opportunity to publicly present their findings to Ohio legislators, industry representatives, educators, and high school students.  This will bring attention to the high quality educational experiences that OFIC member institutions provide to a diverse range of students, which will encourage high public regard and increase support and enrollment at each institution.

Since the inception of these grant programs in 2000, FIHE has distributed over $5 million in grants to its network partners.  The program requires a 1:1 financial match from a private donor that is often exceeded.   In fact, the matching funds obtained to date exceed $12 million for a total economic impact that surpasses $17 million in support of students at institutions of independent higher education across the country.  Commenting on the significance of the grants, Myrvin Christopherson, FIHE president, said, “The beautiful thing about these grants is that FIHE, in partnership with UPS, has been able to encourage collaboration among colleges to address needs and issues that might otherwise be lost, owing to lack of funding.  Many needs are better addressed by colleges and corporate supporters working together rather than working alone or in competition.”

Recipients of Venture Fund grants are selected through a competitive process from applicants within the FIHE network, which consists of 32 state partner associations representing nearly 600 private colleges and universities.  Selections are made by the FIHE National Venture Fund Committee, which is comprised of leaders in higher education and corporate executives.  For application materials and further information, please visit www.fihe.org or call (202) 367-0333.

About the UPS Foundation
Founded in 1951 and based in Atlanta, GA., The UPS Foundation’s major areas of focus include community safety, nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, environmental sustainability, and diversity.  The UPS Foundation pursues these initiatives by identifying specific projects where its support can help produce a measurable social impact.  In 2009, The UPS Foundation directed more than $98 million in philanthropy to charitable organizations worldwide.  Visit community.ups.com for more information about UPS’s community involvement.

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