Office of Civic Engagement

Donald A. Strauss Foundation Scholarship

Scholarship Details

 The scholarship is $15,000 total with a $7000 tuition/school cost limit. It is aimed at Sophomores and Juniors with two remaining years of schooling left. A 3.0+ GPA is preferred. The purpose of this scholarship is to fund student-designed public service projects. Most information can be found on their website here(opens in new window).


The points of contact for the scholarship are the Office of Civic Engagement as well as Admin Kathleen Harris who can be contacted at (949)955-1930.

Annual Application Numbers

  • 14 original schools have a three-application submission cap.
  • 8 new campuses have unlimited application submissions (Including CSU Chico).
  • Not all of the 14 original schools submit their three applications so the pool is relatively small compared to other scholarships.

Application Process

In order to apply you must complete the Application summary from the website which can be found here (PDF). As well as submit the following:

  • One-page resume 
  • One-page personal essay (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT)
  • Four-page project proposal including: 
  1. Purpose
  2. Timeline 
  3. Budget 
  4. Impact 
  5. Long-term plans to ensure sustainability (show long-term funds allocation within budget) 
  6. Letter of support from organizations that the student wants to partner with 
  • Transcripts: Below 3.0 GPA may be accepted based on the project proposal, personal essay, and letters of recommendation.
  • Acceptance agreement: This will outline the student’s responsibilities to the Strauss organization if they are selected. 
  • Two letters of recommendation

No background checks are required allowing access for more students to apply.

Project Information

  •  Projects should have a realistic goal and should be able to become long-term projects rather than short summer projects. 

  • The Strauss Foundation would prefer projects to have a personal connection to the student, thus personal essays are extremely important.

  • International projects are accepted but need an even more thorough project proposal due to the nature of international travel and students must be able to be at the international site enough to promote success

  • Projects do not have to be extremely novel, just have a substantial impact on the community.