Program Overview

The Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at UC Santa Cruz. Our Event Sponsorship Program provides limited financial support to campus departments, faculty, and registered student organizations hosting events that align with our mission to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

Each project may request up to $1,500 in sponsorship per academic year. Proposals are prioritized that:

• Engage and benefit students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Actively promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Enhance accessibility by addressing the needs of all participants (e.g., live captioning, ASL interpretation, accessible materials).
• Request no more than 50% of total anticipated event expenses.

Program Guidelines

• Each department, unit, or student organization is limited to one sponsorship per academic year.
• Sponsorships are granted on a rolling basis each fiscal year (July 1-June 30) until funds are exhausted, so early submissions are encouraged.
• Events prioritizing accessibility enhancements (e.g., providing live captioning etc) will be given special consideration.
• Applications must include a detailed budget, specifying how the requested funds will be used to support unit or campus goals.
• Sponsorship requests for individual travel or events that primarily serve populations outside Santa Cruz County are less likely to be funded.

Additional Considerations

• Sponsorship funds are finite, so it is recommended to apply as early as possible for full consideration.
• Requests for events later in the academic year may face increased competition due to budget constraints.

Sponsorship Requirements

If your event is approved for ODEI sponsorship, you must meet the following requirements:

1. ODEI Logo: The ODEI logo must appear on all promotional materials (e.g., flyers, digital announcements) to acknowledge sponsorship.
2. Event Outcomes: Any resulting visual products (e.g., videos, brochures, posters) must include ODEI’s logo.
3. Post-Event Reporting: A report must be submitted to ODEI within 30 days after the event, including:
   • A summary of the event’s success and impact on unit or campus goals.
   • A financial report detailing how sponsorship funds were spent.
   • Participant feedback and photos, if applicable.

Evaluation Rubric

ODEI will evaluate sponsorship requests on the following criteria:

Criteria	Excellent (3)	Good (2)	Fair (1)	Poor (0)
Alignment with ODEI’s Mission	Strong alignment: Event explicitly promotes  inclusion and belonging.	Solid alignment: Event promotes inclusion and belonging but could provide more specifics.	Partial alignment: Event mentions inclusion and belonging  but lacks clear or actionable goals.	No alignment: Event does not address inclusion and belonging as an underlying goal or value.
Impact and Reach	High impact, broad reach: Event demonstrates significant benefits to a diverse or underserved mix of students, faculty, staff, and/or community members.	Solid impact, broad reach: Event demonstrates limited benefits to a diverse or underserved mix of students, faculty, staff, and/or community members..	Limited impact and reach. Event demonstrates limited benefits to a small, specific group with minimal campus or community engagement (e.g., internal team event) .	No impact or reach: Event does not engage or benefit the campus community meaningfully.
Accessibility Efforts	Comprehensive accessibility plan in place: Specific measures are implemented to ensure accessibility for all participants (e.g., captioning, ASL or Spanish-language interpretation, enhanced physical accommodations).	Significant accessibility efforts demonstrated: Some measures are planned but may lack full coverage or follow-through (e.g., materials provided in accessible formats only after the event is over).	Limited accessibility efforts: Basic, ADA-compliant accommodations considered but minimal other planning is evident (e.g., accessible venue but no accommodations for hearing impairments).	No accessibility efforts: No consideration for participant needs (e.g., inaccessible venue or lack of accommodation planning).
Collaboration	Meaningful partnerships with 3 or more units, departments, or organizations: Partners contribute significantly through funding, shared resources, or in-kind support such as promotion and outreach.	Some partnerships with 2 units: Collaborators provide limited but tangible support, such as partial funding or help with promotion and outreach.	Limited partnership with 1 unit: Partner involvement is minimal and mostly symbolic (e.g., mention in promotions with little active contribution).	No partnerships: Event planning and execution are conducted without collaboration or external support.