Mary Gates Community Investment Scholarship

Source: https://expd.uw.edu/mge/apply/communityinvestment/ Parent: https://expd.uw.edu/mge/

The NEW Mary Gates Endowment Community Investment (CI) Scholarships support community-engaged UW undergraduates and recent graduates with up to $10,000 to propose and execute ambitious community-based projects that meet community-identified needs over a 3-8 month period.

Community Investment Scholars can be in any discipline (see complete eligibility details below), and projects can include a wide range of interests including public service projects, community-based research and/or arts projects, small community-based social impact businesses, and any other innovative and creative idea with a clear and rigorous goal of working with communities to address a community-defined need. Please read the FAQs for more details.

• Community-identified needs are the priorities and challenges identified by a community based on its own experiences, values, and context. Community needs are determined through local input and participation, ensuring that solutions are culturally relevant and responsive to the community’s realities. In other words, the need and project are endorsed by community members.

UW’S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE HUB

Please use the resources, tools, definitions, training resources, and more to prepare for and inform your community work and proposal for the Community Investment Scholarship.

2026 Application Cycle

Purpose

Mary Gates Community Investment Scholarships provide up to $10,000 to UW undergraduate students and recent alumni to pursue ambitious community-based projects.

The scholarship encourages and funds innovative and creative student projects that partner with communities to address important community-identified needs.

We anticipate that Community Investment Scholars will become the next generation of community leaders building on Mary Gates’ public legacy and leveraging their UW experience to benefit communities before and after graduation.

Students from all backgrounds and fields are eligible to apply for Community Investment Scholarships (see eligibility requirements below) to pursue projects that will make long-lasting positive contributions to identified communities or populations.

2026 is the inaugural year of the Community Investment Scholarship program, which was re-envisioned from the former Mary Gates Endowment Venture Scholarship program. Applications will be accepted once per year starting in 2026 with an anticipated two awardees in the first year.

Community Investment Scholarships will fund students who care about the connections they’ve built between themselves, their communities, the Mary Gates Endowment, and UW. Projects supported are novel and entrepreneurial and funds are intended to inspire scholars to take on original ideas that meet community-defined needs.

2026 Eligibility Requirements

For the 2026 application cycle (year one of the program), applications will be accepted only from students/recent graduates who are either: 

• MGE Leadership Scholarship awardees (past or present)
• Community Engagement & Leadership Education Center program participants, currently or before graduation (for alumni)
• Enrolled in UW’s Leadership Minor, or graduated with a minor in Leadership

Additional eligibility requirements:

• Applicants for the current winter/spring 2026 application cycle must be current matriculated UW undergraduate students (2025-2026) or alumni who have earned their bachelor’s degree within the previous academic year (2024-2025). Note: UW alum who are currently enrolled in a graduate school program are not eligible.
• Individuals or small teams are eligible to apply. However, only one primary applicant representative will apply for the scholarship and funding. Please see FAQs for more details about teams.
• Applicants must have at least one collaborator(s) within the community in which their project is centered (even if not physically located). Community partners should be external to UW, though you are also encouraged to leverage UW resources to support your project and yourself.
• Applicants must have at least one mentor who is able to agree to meeting regularly with you to support your learning and project efforts.
• Proposed projects must be at least three-eight months in duration and include a clear plan for working within and among communities to meet community-defined needs and for continuation of the impact beyond the award period.

If you are a current student and receive need-based financial aid,learn more about how receiving a Mary Gates scholarship may affect your financial aid package.

How to Apply

To apply for a Mary Gates Community Investment Scholarship, please begin by carefully reviewing all the materials on the website pertaining to the Community Investment Scholarship, particularly the selection criteria. 

Due to the unique and ambitious nature of Community Investment Scholarships, the application process consists of two phases:

Phase 1: Pre-application advising with Mary Gates Endowment Staff. Develop a short draft project proposal and contact the Mary Gates Endowment at mgates@uw.edu to schedule an appointment to review and discuss your project plan.

• At this stage, our goal is to help you consider options for the type of project you have in mind. Does it align with the Community Investment Scholarship, or would it be a stronger Mary Gates Leadership application? We’ll talk through options, questions, things to think about and work on to continue developing your project.

Phase 2: After you have met with Mary Gates Endowment staff and are ready to prepare your application, review again the Application Guidelines and Selection Criteria, continuing to reference those as you develop your application materials. Submit your application through our online portal.

Review Process

• All complete applications are reviewed by a selection committee of staff, students, community partners, and Mary Gates Scholar alumni.
• A small number of candidates will be invited to interview with the selection committee.
• Final award decisions will be made after interviews.

Please see the Selection Criteria page for more information.

Applicants may stay updated on their application status by checking their application online. We will notify you via email whether or not you are awarded the Community Investment Scholarship.

The review and selection process takes approximately 12 weeks.

Community Investment Scholar Requirements

During the award period, Community Investment Scholars must:

• Have at least one community partner external to UW and work as a team with the community partner(s).
• Continue to be actively engaged with your community investment project and mentor. Meet with your mentor regularly, at least once per month.
• Check in with a Mary Gates Endowment Staff Advisor at least once per month.
• Participate in at least two leadership development sessions during the award period offered by the CELE Center or Mary Gates Endowment for Students to support growth of leadership skills and/or professional development.
• Present your project work at a Mary Gates Endowment or CELE Center event, either the Spring CELEbration, the Mary Gates Endowment Annual Reception, or a Mary Gates Scholars quarterly meeting.
• Complete brief surveys after the award period to help the Mary Gates Endowment team understand the impact of the project, the experience, and the scholarship, and to improve the program for future participants.
• Community Investment Scholars must also commit to being a program ambassador for at least one year from the end of the award period. As an ambassador, you will have opportunities to share scholarship experiences, network, and/or share information with future applicants and/or awardees. Ambassadors are expected to be engaged with the Community Investment Scholarship community and to attend community engagement events.

APPLY for a Community Investment Scholarship HERE!