Acorn Fund
Acorn Fund
The Acorn Fund financially supports Elon students with an original, innovative, and feasible invention, a for-profit or non-profit company/organization, or another initiative with the potential for positive impact beyond the classroom. Winning projects are awarded based on the viability and feasibility of their concepts — including use of other campus initiatives that offer guidance and support to student-led ventures and projects.
Last year, the Acorn Fund awarded $10,000 to two undergraduate entrepreneurs who presented thoughtful new projects to our committee. This year, we’re excited to hear from a new pool of applicants and help support your innovative ideas! We encourage students from all majors and schools to apply.
Applications can be submitted for up to $5,000. The Acorn Fund Manual provides additional details, and the application is made available on PhoenixCONNECT during the application window.
Note: applications for both the Acorn Fund and the Acorn Fund Micro-Grants open September 22 at 8:00 am.
What’s on This Page
- Acorn Fund — timeline, information sessions, and application questions
- Acorn Fund Micro-Grants — smaller, rolling-basis grants and how to apply
Acorn Fund
Timeline
Attendance at one information session is required for application eligibility.
| Milestone | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Info Session 1 | September 21 | 5–6 pm | Belk Library 102 |
| Info Session 2 | September 30 | 12–1 pm | Moseley 217 |
| Info Session 3 | October 8 | 2:30–3:30 pm | Moseley 217 |
| Applications Open | September 22 | 8:00 am | |
| Applications Due | October 12 | ||
| Pitch Night — Finalist presentations to the Finance Board | Coming soon | ||
| Funding Decisions | Coming soon |
Applications
The application will be available by the first information session in the fall. For your planning purposes, it typically includes the following questions:
- Please give a brief description of your venture or project.
- Who is your target audience/customer? How will your product/venture impact your audience/customer?
- How is your project innovative?
- If awarded funding from the Acorn Fund, how will the funding impact or contribute to the advancement of your venture/project?
- Beyond the funding you could receive from the Acorn Fund, what steps will you (and your team, if you have one) take to ensure your project/venture continues to grow?
- Based on this additional funding, how will you evaluate the success of your project or venture?
- Please include how much you are asking for from the Acorn Fund, plus a detailed budget sheet breaking down how you (and your team) would spend the funds.
The application becomes available after you participate in an information session.
Acorn Fund Micro-Grants
Micro-Grants allow for smaller grants on an ongoing basis as long as funds are available (approximately $10,000 annually). Awards are typically less than $1,000, and requests cannot exceed $2,000.
Eligibility & Process
- All applicants must attend a required workshop or meet with the Vice President of Finance during office hours.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
- The Finance Board reviews applications and selects finalists.
- Finalists are invited to pitch their idea to the committee on the Monday after their request is submitted, or at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance.
Applications open September 22 at 8:00 am.
Questions?
For questions about the Acorn Fund, Micro-Grants, or the application process, contact Cayce Becker, SGA Vice President of Finance, at cbecker9@elon.edu, or stop by the SGA office (Moseley 213) during office hours.