Nielson Social Change Innovation Grant
The Nielson Social Change Innovation Grant program is facilitated by the Center for Social Change and Community Involvement. Made possible through the generosity of Patrick Nielson ’71 and his wife Dorris Nielson, the grant supports Lewis & Clark College undergraduate student-initiated projects and is designed to:
- Fund effective and transformative social change initiatives;
- Encourage innovation and creativity to explore what is possible;
- Equip communities that our students care about, both locally and globally, with the tools required to positively impact social change;
- Develop and test ideas, solve problems, and create opportunities.
The grant provides undergraduate students with funds to cover costs such as equipment or technology, educational resources, travel expenses, or other items used to strengthen grassroots efforts for progressive, systemic social change. This fund prioritizes applications that address community outreach and education, leadership development, root cause and power analysis, and coalition building. Proposals that directly address racial equity and social justice will be prioritized.
Grant recipients may receive an award of between $500 and $5,000. Multiple grants will be given annually to an individual or group (undergraduates only) who submits a winning proposal.
Application Process
Applications are closed for Spring 2026. Stay tuned for the next round of applications!
When complete, please email your completed grant proposal application to leadserve@lclark.edu
Contact us if you would like to get feedback on your application before applying.
Meet the 2026 Nielson Grant Recipients
In a historical first, the Center for Social Change has decided to award the Nielson Social Change Grant to three different projects led by four students. This years projects once again reach out across the globe, from Oregon to South Africa and up to Hungary. We are pleased to introduce these stories below!
“Bridging Voices: Community Interpreter Initiative” by Kiara Y. González
Place of Project: Portland Metro Area, Oregon
Major: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2027
Kiara will be coordinating a Community Interpreter Training Initiative that will train a cohort of multilingual Lewis & Clark College Students across all three campuses to provide interpretation support for individuals who encounter language barriers when accessing essential services. The project is broken into two phases: first, students will engage in 40 hours of training on cultural competency and ethical interpreting through the organization Cross-Cultural Communication (CCC), receiving a nationally recognized interpreting certificate. Then, students will apply what they learn through 25-50 hours of volunteer interpreting in the Portland metro area during the Summer and into the academic year.
This project will primarily serve immigrants, migrants, refugees, and multilingual families in Portland who require interpretation support when navigating local institutions and support services. These communities often face systemic barriers that limit their ability to access information, advocate for themselves, and fully participate in systems that affect their lives. Ultimately, this project seeks to address systemic barriers that limit access to information, while empowering students to transform their language skills into tools for social change.
“Fostering Change Through Gender-Based Violence Mitigation” by Nkeletso Mota and Olympia Gumede
Place of Project: Johannesburg, South Africa
Majors:
Graduation Year: 2028
Taking place in South Africa, Nkeletso and Olympia’s project aims to address the pervasiveness of gender-based violence (GBV) that is prevalent throughout the country. Their project will bring about social change through facilitating conversations and workshops about gender-based violence with families. Culturally, South African families are hierarchically based on age, creating an imbalance of power that can often foster abusive dynamics and silence the voice of children. Through workshops that are designed to spark social change, their project hopes to promote transparent dialogue across generations and give children (specifically aged 14-18) the correct tools to understand what GBV is in the greater scope of their country and within the context of their own home.
This project will be partnering with the Teddy Bear Foundation, a local organization that’s developed community tryst and deep connections with local schools. The local organization has provided them with the space for their workshops and strong connections for connecting with local families to join their three day workshop series. They have created a curriculum that centers on raising awareness of signs of abuse, teaches defense skills, and fosters healing through art and somatic exercises. The curriculum will be left with the Teddy Bear Foundation, allowing this project’s work to continue living on, sparking future workshops that address GBV.
Past Nielson Social Change Innovation Grant Recipients