Dominion Higher Educational Partnership

Program Details

Award Categories

Successful grant proposals should represent innovative and promising ideas, involve programs with practical applications and near-term results, reach a significant number of students and demonstrate broad-based community support. Proposals must align with one of the following target areas:

• Business:  Business practices, accounting, finance, or economics
• Craft:  Welding trades, power line or pipeline construction/maintenance
• Engineering:  Chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, petroleum and natural gas, or nuclear engineering
• Environment:  Environmental sciences and study of the environment
• Energy:  Exploration of alternative energies or student-led conservation projects
• Technical:  Information systems, electronics, control trades, power plant operations, and electrical technicians
  

Guidelines & Geographic Eligibility

The Dominion Foundation will award approximately $1 million in higher educational partnership grants throughout Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia and in targeted localities in New England, Maryland and North Carolina.

Accredited institutions of higher education — colleges and universities, community colleges, and vocational, technical, or trade schools — and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations are invited to apply.

For-profit colleges are not eligible. Multi-year capital campaigns, endowment funds, long-term research projects, and scholarships at individual schools also are not eligible.

Dominion will not fund more than one grant per college or university, so it is important that the applicant coordinate with the school’s advancement office before applying.

Geographic Eligibility

• Connecticut:  Groton, New London, Norwich
• Maryland:  Counties of Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s
• Massachusetts:  Fall River, Salem
• New York:  Allegany, St. Lawrence, Oneida
• North Carolina:  Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Guilford, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell, Warren and Washington, and the cities of Roanoke Rapids and Weldon
• Ohio:  All localities invited to apply
• Pennsylvania:  All localities invited to apply
• Rhode Island:  Bristol, Kingston, Providence
• West Virginia:  All localities invited to apply
• Virginia:  All localities invited to apply

Expectation of Grant Recipients

Grant recipients will be asked to:

• Meet with Dominion representatives in August or September to review their proposal, discuss project parameters and receive the grant check.
• Complete a detailed final report in June.
  

Project Description

The project description should total no more than five pages and should include items listed below. Applications are only accepted online. Applicants should make the strongest case possible for support. It is recommended that grant applicants type the proposal using word processing software, then copy and paste:

• an explanation of the project and specific learning activities
• expected outcomes
• effective evaluation methods to measure achievement
• plans to sustain the program and include a broad community of students
  

Budget Items and Restrictions

Dominion will consider full funding of amounts requested in each proposal but reserves the right to fund some proposals partially.  Budget items may include but are not limited to:

• Instructional materials and supplies
• Equipment specifically related to the proposed grant
• Laboratory or classroom improvements specifically related to the proposed grant
• Faculty and staff development specifically related to the proposed grant
• Transportation costs for student activities, admission fees, and guest speaker costs

Internal Revenue Service regulations do not allow Dominion to accept any tangible benefits in return for Dominion Foundation grants. This includes, for example, research that has a potential business application at Dominion.

Project funding excludes:

• Multiyear grants
• Capital campaigns, endowment funds and scholarships
• Long-term research projects
• Costs associated with presenting at conferences

Dominion will not fund more than one grant per college or university, so it is important that the applicant coordinate with the school’s advancement office before applying.

Proposal Evaluation

A committee of Dominion representatives that include Foundation staff, Human Resources strategic staffing team, as well as "subject matter experts" will review the applications. In addition to the criteria noted earlier, the review committee will also consider whether the project:

• Represents innovative and promising ideas to teach skills or processes to a diverse group of students;
• Demonstrates careful planning and strong likelihood of success, including plans to sustain the project;
• Includes plans to evaluate effectiveness of the program;
• Provides practical application with strong student participation beyond the classroom; and, 
• Ensures near-term benefit to students, the campus or the larger community.

The maximum grant award is $50,000. If the project narrative and budget do not adequately support the requested funding amount, lesser amounts may be awarded. (In 2011, the average grant was approximately $30,000.)

Sample Proposals

View a sample proposal that can serve as a guide for developing your proposal.

• Business:  Business practices, accounting, finance, or economics 
• Craft:  Welding trades, power line or pipeline construction/maintenance 
• Engineering:  Chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, petroleum and natural gas, or nuclear engineering 
• Environment:  Environmental sciences and study of the environment 
• Energy:  Exploration of alternative energies or student-led conservation projects 
• Technical:  Information systems, electronics, control trades, power plant operations, and electrical technicians

Before You Apply

• Review recent awards and samples of previously-funded grants.
• Develop modest and well-defined budget (Note: The average grant awarded in 2011 was approximately $30,000).
• Communicate with your school’s advancement office. (Dominion will not fund more than one grant per college.)
• Confirm exact name of your organization and tax identification number. You will need this when you begin the application.

Recent Awards

View the most recent higher educational awards provided by The Dominion Foundation.