Parents Council grants half of record funding requests

More groups looked to the Parents Council for grant money this year due to budget cuts, leading to the council’s most selective distribution of funds in at least six years.

The Parents Council, a dues-paying group of about 100 UNC parents, granted 48.7 percent of the nearly $270,000 in grant requests for submitted by student groups, University programs and Granville Towers, among others.

That approval rate of less than 50 percent came in the face of a record number of requests, as the council received 28 requests ranging from nearly $2,000 to $16,000.

Jay Austin, national co-chairman of the council, said groups looked to upcoming budget cuts and feared that their funding would be slashed.

The $131,308 the council granted marked an increase of about $40,000 from requests made the previous year and reflected the priorities of the council, especially in tight budget times.

For the second consecutive year, the council awarded SafeWalk $15,000, the most of any group, citing their shared concern for student safety. SafeWalk was one of eight groups to have its entire grant proposal approved.

“The committee appreciates the development of a student program that supplements efforts of the campus Department of Public Safety in providing a safe way to cross campus late at night,” the council wrote in its decision.

“We look forward to continued expansion of program service for students who live off-campus.”

Christina Lynch, director of SafeWalk, said the funding is crucial for the future of the program, which allows students to have escorts while walking home late at night.

“If we didn’t have that funding, we wouldn’t be able to operate as we do, so we really rely on their funding and appreciate it so much,” she said.

In its third semester, SafeWalk spends 82 percent of its budget on wages for its student employees. The group hopes to expand to off-campus areas that are not currently served by late night transportation.

The council’s signature event, Fall Fest, also received its full request. The annual welcome for new students received the $10,000 it requested for food and security.

Parents Council members try to be actively involved in the University without being “helicopter parents,” said Gina Austin, the national council’s other co-chairman and wife of Jay Austin.

With 11 more requests than the year earlier, the council benefited from knowing its total budget sooner. Members paid their $1,250 in dues by an earlier deadline.

“This year we benefited from last year’s dues, plus this year’s were on the schedule as well,” Austin said.

Many groups received partial funding from the council, while some received none, including a faculty-led discussion funding request from Pam Sessoms, director of the Undergraduate Library.

Sessoms said she wasn’t crushed not to receive funds.

“This is not a huge disappointment,” she said.

The council turned down her proposal and five others like it, attributing the denials to high demand.

All groups will receive their awards by March 31.

Campus organizations apply for the grant by Nov. 1 and have an interview in January, where representatives give a 10-minute presentation on their request.

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