Innovation Cohort ApplicationCampus Action Planning (CAP) for Civic & Community Engagement

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What is Campus Action Planning for Civic & Community Engagement? The Campus Action Planning for Civic & Community Engagement (CAP) Project is a national initiative that supports colleges and universities in developing and implementing institution-wide strategies for civic and community engagement. Through convenings, cohorts, learning communities, and technical support, CAP engages campus leadership teams in advancing equitable partnerships, integrating civic and community engagement into curricula, and expanding opportunities for students and educators to address real-world challenges. It emphasizes accountability, sustainability, and ethical engagement as core components of institutional change. Learn more about CAP →

CAP Innovation Cohort Overview & Benefits A central activity of the CAP Project is the CAP Innovation Cohort. This is an experience for a cohort of 20 colleges and universities that are committed to deep, transformative planning, and are ready to engage with Campus Compact from June to December 2026 to develop action plans through a guided process. Each institution selected to participate in the CAP Innovation Cohort will form a planning and implementation team of six to 10 campus and community members. The team, which will include one to two team leaders, and participate in a range of activities designed to provide structure to the planning process while also allowing for maximum alignment and adaptability to the institution’s context, needs, and strategic goals.

The CAP Innovation Cohort offers campus-community teams a structured seven-month arc of support designed to guide the development and initial implementation of a Campus Action Plan. This offering is an exciting pilot program that will provide critical input to Campus Compact’s CAP initiative as it continues to grow and develop. This experience is facilitated by Campus Compact CAP Fellows, a team of nationally recognized civic and community engagement experts. Participating institutions will benefit from a comprehensive suite of resources, including:

Financial Support: A $3,000 mini-grant to defray costs associated with CAP development and implementation, including travel and lodging for the mandatory in-person institute.
Intensive Training: Access to a cohort-specific in-person CAP Institute providing a dedicated space for foundational planning.
Ongoing Guidance: Monthly virtual Cohort convenings led by CAP Fellows and occasional specialized webinars based on CAP-relevant topics.
Tailored Technical Assistance: Access to virtual coaching and technical assistance, available in both small group and one-on-one formats to address campus-community team challenges. CAP Coaches are field experts who, themselves have led and participated in developing and implementing institutional strategic planning for civic and community engagement.
Early Access to Resources: Cohort participants will receive early access to the latest CAP resources and tools via a closed-access shared resource drive.

CAP Innovation Cohort Timeline Teams selected to participate in the CAP Innovation will need to plan on participating in required sessions from June - December and to provide final CAP submission that will be outlined as part of the cohort experience. Dates and times subject to change. Campus Compact will provide ample notice for any revisions in the timeline.

CAP Innovation Cohort Application Opens

April 13, 2026

CAP Innovation Cohort Information Sessions (VIRTUAL) - Same content

April 16, 2026, 2 pm EDT
April 22, 2026, 2 pm EDT

CAP Innovation Cohort App. Priority Deadline (Applications accepted on a rolling basis until full or July 9)

May 11, 2026 11:59 pm PDT

CAP Innovation Cohort Notifications Sent

May 13 - July 10, 2026

CAP Innovation Cohort Mini-Grants Distributed

June 16 - July 13, 2026

CAP Innovation Cohort Orientation (VIRTUAL) Same content - REQUIRED to attend one

June 16, 2026, 12 - 3 pm EDT
July 14, 2026, 12 - 3 pm EDT

CAP Innovation Cohort Coaching Calls (VIRTUAL) For June orientation participants only

July 6 - 30, 2026

CAP Innovation Cohort Institute (In-Person) REQUIRED to attend

August 12-13, 2026 , LOCATION TBD

CAP Innovation Cohort Monthly Convenings (VIRTUAL) REQUIRED to attend all sessions

September 8, 2026, 1 - 2:30 pm EDT
October 20, 2026, 1 - 2:30 pm EDT
November 17, 2026, 1 - 2:30 pm EDT

CAP Innovation Cohort Closing Session (VIRTUAL) REQUIRED to attend

December 8, 2026, 12 - 3 pm EDT

CAP Submission Deadline REQUIRED

January 15, 2027 11:59 pm PDT

Directions: Please complete this application for the 2026 CAP Innovation Cohort. Use this helpful application guide to preview the questions and required uploads. Still need more support? Join us for an info session for more information and application assistance.

Campus Profile

Section Description

Required: This information is required whenever individuals at colleges/universities are the primary audience for your form.

In which state/province is your institution located?

Select "Remote/Hybrid" if your organization is not based in a specific State/Province.

What is your institutional affiliation?

Choose the correct organization from the dropdown. If not listed, select "Not Listed" and type the name in the dialogue box that appears below.

Can't find the organization? Write it here.

Membership Status

Membership Status Defined

Pending Renewal: Previously active member with a renewal invoice for the current fiscal year. Applied at the start of the fiscal year to institutions active in the previous one. [Current FY dues are still due.]
Active: Member institution in good standing. Dues are paid and current.
Inactive: Non-Member Institution.
Lapsed Commitment: The institution committed to membership in the previous fiscal year, participated in a program for which membership was required (e.g. VISTA), but has not paid that year’s dues. Consult with the membership team before discussing membership or admitting to any member-required program.

Application Information

Required: This information is required. Please change the text to the appropriate application type [options > placeholder]. It is hidden from end users.

Please confirm the Application Type, Program Cohort Name, and Program Name with Membership.

Application Type

Program Cohort

Program Name

Primary Contact Information

Required: This information is required and is pulled directly from Salesforce. It is hidden from end users.

President/Chancellor

President/Chancellor

President/Chancellor Title

President/Chancellor Email

Campus Champion

Campus Champion

Campus Champion Title

Campus Champion Email

Non-Member Institution (Membership Not Required)

It looks like your organization is not currently a member of Campus Compact.

No worries! Membership is not required to participate in this program, but we're happy to discuss how membership can support your campus community.

Yes, I'm interested in learning more about Campus Compact membership.No, I'm not interested in learning more at this time.

Data from Salesforce

Account ID

State 2 Digit

Page 2

Application Submitter Contact Information

Section Description

Please do not remove any of the required questions in this section from your application. These are designed to help us build out profiles on the people involved in our programs.

First Name

Last Name

Primary Role

Please select the options that most accurately describes your current role.

Title

Students are welcome to include a title that's important to them (e.g. Student Government President) or to simply type "student".

Phone Number

Faculty/Staff: How long have you been doing higher education community engagement/service-learning work?

Carnegie Classification History: Has your institution applied for the Elective Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement within the last three years (2024–2026)?.

YesNoNot Sure

Readiness & Strategic Alignment

Please provide concise responses to the following prompts.

Strategic Motivation: Describe your campus-community team/institution’s primary motivations for developing a Campus Action Plan at this time. How does the development of a CAP align with your current institutional and/or community goals? (300 word maximum)

Anticipated Support Needed: Where do you anticipate needing the most support when developing a the Campus Action Plan and/or during the development and implementation process? Select all that apply.

Self-Assessment: Self-study and information gathering period of structured reflection on your institution's past and current community engagement work, foundational documents and data, and the characteristics and priorities of the external communities you engage.Aspirational Planning: Developed based on insights from the self-assessment phase and articulates a shared vision for community engagement and develop the goals and actions needed to pursue it.Scoping & Operationalizing: Developing, prioritizing, and defining the timeframe, metrics, and action steps for achieving the aspirational plan.Implementation, Monitoring & Adaptation: Deploying the aspirational plan, tracking and measuring progress and success, refreshing and revising the plan as institutional and community contexts shift.

Please discuss/provide more information for your selection(s). (250 word maximum)

Institutional Capacity: Beyond this $3,000 mini-grant, what resources (e.g., employee time, existing group efforts—councils, boards, committees—or funding) will the institution commit to ensure the CAP moves from planning to implementation? (300 word maximum)

Team Composition

To ensure a successful CAP, a diverse and committed campus-community team is required. Teams must consist of 6 to 10 members, including a designated chair, campus leader (e.g., Dean or above), community partner(s), and faculty and staff leadership. Student representation is also strongly encouraged.

Anticipated Team Lead #1

Team Lead Name

Team Lead Title

Team Lead Department/Unit

Team Lead email

Anticipated Team Lead #2 (optional)

Team Lead Name

Team Lead Title

Team Lead Department/Unit

Team Lead email

Team Roster

Provide the name, title, department/unit/affiliation, and email for a minimum of 5 additional anticipated CAP team members. Additional team members may be added as the process evolves.

Team Member #1 Information

Team Member Name

Team Member Title/Role