Impact Grant Program Boosts Positive Change Across Campus and Community
University of Mary Washington junior Journey Mason understands the challenges often faced by the unhoused children she tutors through Loisann’s Hope House.
“From day one, College of Education professors hammer into us building the foundation of a learning space,” said Mason, an elementary education and English literature double major. “Resources and organization are literally the cornerstones of learning.”
She and her fellow volunteers in UMW’s Community Outreach and Resources program (COAR) can now purchase educational and organizational tools to build a space at Hope House to help their K-12 students succeed, thanks to a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant. “This will have a lasting impact on their lives and open a world of opportunities and access,” she said.
Last month, UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD) and Young Alumni Council (YAC) awarded $25,000 in donor-funded grants to eight projects and initiatives proposed by students, faculty and staff on behalf of recognized campus organizations.
The brainchild of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, the program has given funding to 25 different ventures across campus over the past three years. These include an initiative to teach critical college success skills to incoming students, a public-facing printmaking event and introducing technology upgrades to the Hurley Convergence Center’s Charnoff Production Studio.
Among those who received funding this spring were historic preservation majors to purchase historically accurate costumes for the Living History Club, the Center for Career and Professional Development to bring future job-seekers on site visits to meet regional employers and make connections with alumni and the UMW Student Alumni Ambassadors to fund a professional development conference for the organization and similar groups at other Virginia colleges and universities.
Each applicant was required to submit a slide deck outlining their proposed project’s measurable objectives, budget, sustainability plan and targeted audience, along with a short pitch video. Members of the AABOD and YAC evaluated the presentations, also considering how closely projects aligned with UMW’s ASPIRE values.
Learn more about the 2026 Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant Awards
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