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The Good Neighbors Committee

Mission

The Frances D. Fergusson Good Neighbors Partnerships Committee at Vassar College aims to fund projects that create and/or support ongoing relationships between the Poughkeepsie and Vassar College communities. The goal of these funded projects are to support mutually-beneficial partnerships that benefit both the Vassar and Poughkeepsie communities.

Good Neighbors Partnerships is directed by a committee of students, faculty, and administrators, and is chaired by the Office of Community-Engaged Learning. The Office of Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) aims to build long-term, asset-based partnerships with community organizations based in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and the greater Hudson Valley. In addition to grant-funding activities, the Good Neighbors Partnerships Committee works to link community partner projects to faculty, students, administrators, and staff who can provide support. Our main goal is to establish meaningful partnerships that can continue beyond the one to three-year funding period.

Types of Grants Available

Any student, staff, administration, or faculty member at Vassar, in collaboration with an existing or newly forming community partner organization, may submit a proposal. The proposal need not be jointly written, but it does need to be agreed upon by the community partner. While these are not large grants, we believe the commitment to partnership behind them can have a significant social justice impact within both our campus and neighborhood communities. There are three different types of proposals that can be funded.

  • Major Grant (3-year): up to $5,000 annually for three years to support long-lasting and expansive community partnerships
  • Minor Grant (Staff and Faculty): up to $1,000 to support faculty, administration, and staff community partnerships
  • Minor Grant (Student): up to $500 to support student community partnerships

Contact
For more information, please visit the Office of Community Engaged Learning’s Website. If you have any questions or ideas, please send an email to vassargoodneighbors@gmail.com.