COLLEGE COMPLETION INNOVATION FUND 2019 Grantmaking Cycle

The College Completion Innovation Fund Graduate NYC (GNYC) launched the College Completion Innovation Fund (CCIF) in March 2015 The CCIF is the first collaborative fund dedicated to improving college completion rates in New York City Invested almost $2 million in innovations Grants are made to support undergraduate colleges and nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) Projects serve low-income students and other groups underrepresented among degree holders

Fund Goals Increase persistence and completion rates by testing new models and bringing promising practices to New York City Facilitate ongoing dialogue and engagement related to increasing degree attainment in New York City Foster greater collaboration among and between colleges and CBOs Support learning that can inform the field Generate interest among funders to invest in college completion efforts

Funded Projects Overview – 2018 Grantees Grant to CUNY School of Professional Studies to address two obstacles institutions face in serving adult learners: forgiving past poor academic performance of working adults attempting to return to school, and abbreviating time to degree for working adults attending part time. Grant to the Hunts Point Alliance for Children, supporting the Hunts Point College Culture Collective, leveraging HPAC’s relationship with Rocking the Boat and St. Ignatius Middle School Graduate Support Program to create a neighborhood-wide college-going culture with key supports embedded in the community. Grant to LaGuardia Community College supporting the Pushing Momentum project, which includes an embedded mobile advisement application to redress the fact that a large percentage of LAGCC students shift from full-time to part-time status—or fail to persist altogether—after their first semester, due to unfamiliarity with college administrative processes. Grant to Queens College supporting Transitions to Teaching, a pilot that seeks to improve the momentum and persistence of transfer students in the school’s Elementary Education program, using a holistic approach to address informational, socioemotional, and academic barriers.

2019 Grantmaking Cycle The CCIF will invest in at least four new innovations with grants at the $75,000-$200,000 level over the course of 1-2 years Eligible parties include New York City-based undergraduate colleges (public or nonprofit) and CBOs with a 501(c)(3)designation A majority of students served by projects must be low-income students Funded projects will launch in Fall 2019

Impact Areas Improving Transfer Student Success Strengthening the two- to four-year college transfer pipeline Improving persistence rates of transfer students Increasing Momentum Improving efficiency and decreasing time to degree, including for part-time students Supporting Near Completers/Comebackers Focal populations are those traditionally underrepresented among degree holders, including:  First-generation college goers  Low-income students  Young men of color  Immigrant students  Justice-involved youth  Students with disabilities  Students aging out of the foster care system

The College Completion Innovation Series Investing in the sector through grantmaking and professional development Work with our expert partner, inno.Cat, along with like-minded professionals, to utilize innovation frameworks Support the development of new approaches to tackling challenges of degree attainment Offer frameworks and tools that organizations can use for other purposes Provide space for networking and cross-institutional collaboration Exposure to funders

Application process Application process to participate in the Innovation Series Can accommodate up to 25 Colleges and Organizations Complete the application form online Identify two to three project leaders In-person dates: Tuesday, January 29 Tuesday, February 26

The College Completion Innovation Series Participate in two in-person, full-day workshops Invited to submit a full proposal for implementing their innovative practice Optional coaching calls with design thinking experts and use of an online collaboration space

Timeline Application publically available November 30 Applications Due December 21 Participants Selected January 17 In-person Workshops: January 29 & February 26 Optional Coaching Calls: March Full Proposals Due: April 12 Decisions Announced: May 13 Projects Launch Fall 2019

Additional Benefits to Grantees Networking and support from the learning community of CCIF-funded projects In-person convenings covering timely issues in higher education for staff from the funded projects Ongoing consultation with GNYC and other experts as needed Opportunities to promote your work to the broader college access and success field, and to the funding community

Questions? Visit the FAQs section of the 2019 Grantmaking Cycle webpage. Contact: Melissa Herman (718) 254-7782 Melissa.herman@cuny.edu

Introduction to Innovation Frameworks John Raymond, inno.Cat GNYC partner and expert in innovation frameworks Prepare to submit an application to CCIF and an introduction to tools and resources