Program Objective:
The Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) invites ALE members to apply for a limited number of small grants to support new initiatives that advance the ALE vision of the exchange and development of quality ideas, scholarship, and practice that impacts the field of leadership education.
Program Description:
The Mini Grants program is intended to provide seed money to establish new programs (not for ongoing initiatives). An extension or new direction of an existing program could be considered for funding if it is clearly demonstrated that the proposed change is significant. This year’s submissions can range on any topic. However, in continuation of ALE’s focus on the organization’s values of supportive and inclusive community, collaboration, curiosity, and rigor, your submission should include how this proposal aligns with one or more of these values in its efforts.
Individuals may request up to $1,500 to cover costs associated with the project or program. The ALE does not provide overhead support or indirect costs to institutions or other entities assisting in administering the award. The total amount of funds awarded through this program will be based on available ALE resources. The ALE awards committee will review the proposals and make funding decisions.
Eligibility:
All current, dues-paid ALE members are eligible to apply. Applications from all leadership education specialization areas are eligible.
Expectations:
Grant recipients are expected to fulfill the following requirements:
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Complete the project that is approved for funding.
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Remain an ALE member in good standing for the duration of the project.
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Participate in an ALE webinar showcasing mini-grant recipients.
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Submit a 1-2 paragraph press release summary to the ALE Board about the impact the grant had on your work and future plans.
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Consider submitting a proposal for a poster or oral presentation at the 2026 ALE conference.
Proposal Components:
Proposals consist of three parts: cover sheet, narrative, and budget.
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Cover Sheet - The proposal must include a cover sheet with the proposal title, contact information of the requester (name, title/affiliation, address, phone, email), and a short project description (200 words max).
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Narrative - The narrative (2-5 pages) should include the following information:
- Clear and Mission-Aligned Project Objectives- Provide a concise yet compelling statement of the project’s purpose and objectives. Explicitly connect these goals to:
- Project Personnel and Organizational Capacity- List all key personnel, their organizational affiliations, and relevant qualifications. Highlight the unique expertise, collaborative partnerships, and resources that position your team for success in completing the project and achieving its intended outcomes.
- Detailed Description of Activities- Outline the specific activities, methodologies, or interventions you will undertake to meet the project objectives. Clarify the scope of work, target participants or settings, and innovative elements that make this project distinctive.
- Dissemination and Knowledge Sharing Plan- Describe how results, findings, and insights will be communicated to appropriate audiences, including ALE members, leadership educators, researchers, and practitioners. Identify venues such as conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, webinars, toolkits, or other knowledge mobilization strategies that ensure broad impact.
- Anticipated Impact and Alignment with ALE Values- Articulate the project’s potential to advance leadership education theory, research, and practice. Address:
- The benefits to leadership educators, including how this project may inform pedagogy, curriculum design, or educator development.
- How the project reflects ALE’s core values (e.g., scholarship, inclusivity, collaboration, innovation, integrity).
- Realistic and Feasible Timeline- Provide a proposed timeline with key milestones, deliverables, and anticipated completion dates. Show that the scope of work is achievable within the funding period.
- Outcome Evaluation and Evidence of Success- Include a plan for evaluating project outcomes and measuring success. Define what success will look like, what data will be collected (qualitative or quantitative), and how findings will inform future leadership education efforts.
- Supporting Materials (Optional)- You may include appendices with essential supporting material (e.g., letters of support, detailed budgets, draft instruments, logic models) to further clarify the proposal.
3. Budget - Please specify direct costs to be incurred. The budget should include all project-related expenses and include sources of any matching funds.
Proposal Deadline: October 24, 2025
Submit proposal as one PDF document at: The 2025-2026 mini-grant cycle is closed. Please check back for updates.
Expenditure and Reporting Requirements:
Notification of awards will be made in December 2025. The intent is that awards will support activities to begin by January 2026 and be completed or have made significant progress before the next ALE conference (Summer 2026). Grant recipients are encouraged to submit a conference presentation proposal that highlights the project activities. The proposal may indicate that it is highlighting a project of the ALE mini-grant program, but it must meet all of the standard requirements for ALE conference proposals. A final report is requested upon completion of the project or within one year (November 2026).
Not submitting, but would like to review mini grant proposals? The sign-up form will open in the next cycle.
Questions?
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