First Metz Grant Recipients Announced

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(view original article online at http://bit.ly/44iXOi)

Source: Indiana University Foundation

Release Date: 08/20/2007

“We really have an awesome thing going here.”

That’s how Matt Ewing, assistant director of the Indiana University Student Foundation described the Metz Grant program for IU student organizations.

This spring, the first round of Metz Grants were awarded to seven student groups from an applicant pool of 19 organizations representing five funding categories, with granted monies totaling $25,000.

The Metz Grant program is the latest initiative of the philanthropic legacy of IU alumnus Dr. Arthur R. Metz, who created the Metz Foundation in 1948. That act—originally intended to help medical students—led to multiple scholarships offered in other majors, new professional endowments, and the creation of the bell tower on North Jordan Avenue that bears Metz’s name.

In December 2005, the Arthur R. Metz Philanthropic Opportunity Fund emerged in place of the Metz Foundation. One of three areas supported by the divestment is the Metz Grant program, which allocates $1 million for student organizations. The program annually awards $50,000 in grant monies—$25,000 in the fall and $25,000 in the spring—with grants of up to $5,000 awarded.

According to the Student Foundation, the learning inherent in the application process is just as significant as the money awarded.

“The grant was designed by students for students,” said Ewing. “We are trying to provide an avenue for students to learn about the grant process from both the giving and receiving side.”

Each applicant group must register under one of five separate categories: IU campus diversity, or a local, state, national, or international focus.

Speaking on behalf of the selection committee, Ewing said, “The professionalism our student applicants showed in their grant proposals just blew us away.”

The first-round Metz Grant recipients are:
Camp Kesem—provides a week-long camp for children with a parent affected by cancer;
Y’ALL: Youth Advocating Leadership and Learning—helps victims of natural disasters;
Building Tomorrow—raises money to build educational facilities in Uganda;
Hoosiers for Israel—educates IU students on positive aspects of a country often overshadowed by violence;
OUT-GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) Student Union—promotes activism, support, and awareness among IU students;
The Buddhist Study Association—fosters the understanding of Buddhist wisdom and help students apply Buddhist principles in their daily lives;

The Council for Advancing Student Leadership—works to facilitate and recognize student leadership on campus.
“Our objective for the grant is to have students understand how to spend money wisely,” IUF President Curt Simic said. “As they go out to the world and become leaders, they will know how to use the resources that they’ve got and figure out how best to apply those to their communities.”

Visit the Metz Grant Web site to learn more about the winning organizations and to access the how-to guide for writing grant proposals.

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