Wellness Grants

Current BeWell Champions can apply for a grant, ranging from $200 to $1,000, to fund a workgroup/department level wellness activity.

2023 submission deadlines are as follows:

• March 1 to March 15. Applicants will be notified by April 15.
• September 1 to September 15. Applicants will be notified by October 15.

General parameters of the grant application are listed below:

• Applications must be submitted by a BeWell Champion. Become a Champion today.
• Grant proposals must be developed in conjunction with your supervisor. The proposed activity should be supported by colleagues, as well as department leadership.
• If your proposal involves changes to facilities (e.g., bringing in equipment or modifying the built environment), get approval for these changes prior to submitting your application.
• Because of limited funding, the majority of individuals benefiting from the proposed activity must be benefits-eligible University employees.
• Describe the wellness outcome you wish to achieve.
• Use the SMART format to describe your proposed wellness activity:
  • Specific: Make sure you propose specific activities.
  • Measurable: How will you measure the outcome of your proposed activity or activities?
  • Achievable: Ensure that your proposed activities are achievable.
  • Realistic: Are your proposed activities and budget realistic? Please demonstrate why.
  • Time-bound: What is the time-frame for your goals? Can you achieve your outcomes through your proposed activities and timeline?
• Demonstrate how this new wellness practice in your workgroup will be sustained after the grant period is over. 
• Describe how this activity will promote a culture of care in your workgroup.
• Let us know which wellness practices your department has already implemented.
• Propose an itemized budget. Your goals and activities must align with your fund request; the funds must be necessary to support the proposed activity. Please research all costs involved before submission. If your application requires the assistance of other departments or partners, please consult with them and confirm the potential costs before submitting your application. Be as cost-effective in your proposal as possible; priority will be given to applications with a relatively low cost-per-person ratio (i.e., less than $50 per person, and even better, less than $35 per person).
• Only complete applications, submitted by the due date, will be considered.

We strongly encourage applicants to review the sample application and grant FAQs before completing their application.

All grant recipients will be required to provide periodic progress reports to describe how the proposed activity is going and how their funds are being used.

Examples of possible wellness grant application ideas:

• Compassion check-in rituals: A team decides to focus on compassion in the workplace. Collectively, they use the funds to bring a virtual compassion training through Healthy Living for Teams. They acquire new skills on how to implement compassion check-ins and build this ritual into the start of their meetings.
• Move more: A team creates a shared goal to move more in short bursts throughout the day. They design their activities and track their progress as a group. The department uses the funds to purchase exercise bands to use for their movement breaks. The workgroup changes work policies to build in an exercise break into the workday.

Please email bewellchampions@stanford.edu with any questions about the grant process.