To: Wellesley College Community
From: Courtney Coile, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College; Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students; and Tara Murphy, Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs, and Global Engagement
Re: Announcing the 150th Celebration Community Fund
Date: November 13, 2024
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Wellesley College 150th Celebration Community Fund, which will support ideas and initiatives that recognize the history and impact of Wellesley during this milestone year. We want to draw upon your creativity, engagement, and enterprising spirit as part of the College’s 150th birthday celebration, which officially kicks off at reunion 2025 and will continue through the 2025–26 academic year.
The community fund will award a limited number of grants of up to $5,000 per project to academic and administrative departments, centers and institutes, student organizations, and groups of individuals across the College based on proposal submissions. Projects may include events, programs, initiatives, research projects, and any other creative celebration ideas. We invite all community members to consider applying.
Our 150th celebration is a chance to recognize the ongoing impact of women’s education as a force for progress and change in the world; to demonstrate Wellesley’s unique contributions to higher education, gender equity, and excellence across the liberal arts; and to connect and build pride within the Wellesley community.
Preference will be given to projects that benefit and/or are open to the whole Wellesley community. The College plans to offer two rounds of funding, one this fall and a second in spring 2025.
To participate in this first round, please submit your proposal by December 15, 2024. Notifications will be made in January. [See email for link to the form.]
An advisory committee that includes members of the Committee on Lectures and Community Events and of the 150th working group will review the proposals and recommend a slate for funding, with final approval from Senior Leadership.
If you have questions or would like further information, please contact Tara Murphy, vice president of communications, public affairs, and global engagement, at tara.murphy@wellesley.edu.
We look forward to seeing all the ideas and enthusiasm this remarkable community has to offer!
