Sustainability at Willamette
Sustainability at Willamette / Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability (CAFES)
Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability (CAFES)
The Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability Committee is a student-led program that provides funding for projects and programs that advance sustainability, equity and social justice in and around Willamette’s campus and community.
The program was established in 2014 after undergraduate students voted in a referendum to create an optional fee of $25 per semester. Since then, it’s seen at least 80 percent participation by students. CAFES supports projects regarded to social justice, equity, and the environment, with the main mission of empowering students to make positive contributions to the Willamette community and greater Salem area.
CAFES is funded by students with an optional $25 per-semester fee. If students do not opt-out, they will be automatically charged for the semester. The process to opt-out is short and can be done through SAGE, Willamette’s student self-service portal.
For questions please reference our FAQ page or contact the committee directly by emailing community-action-fund@willamette.edu.
Students have received funding to support a number of projects that advance sustainability,
equity and social justice, which have included: events, speakers, residence hall programming,
training and professional development, recycling & donation programs, personal wellness, and
implementing water bottle filling stations and bike racks, just to name a few. In many cases
students have collaborated with faculty and/or staff when developing their proposal.
Undergraduate students from Willamette College, and graduate students from the School of
Law and the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, with ideas for projects that create
leadership opportunities, engage other students, or create lasting change, are encouraged to
apply for funding. Project applications are submitted to the committee at designated deadlines
each semester. To learn more about our most current deadline information, please visit the
"Apply For Funding" link listed below.Faculty have received funding to expand sustainability, equity, and social justice in their curriculum, incorporate service learning into their courses, support invited speakers, and more. Any faculty from any school in the Willamette Community is welcome to apply for funding. Since CAFES is supported by student fees, the committee anticipates faculty proposals to provide benefits to students in the Willamette Community. For example, faculty may submit proposals in support of their research, the research should provide benefits to students such as paid roles or research contributing to improvements in programs for students. Project applications are submitted to the committee at designated deadlines each semester. To learn more about our most current deadline information, please visit the "Apply For Funding" link listed below.
Staff have received funding to support facilities improvements, improved wellness programming for students, targeted recycling programs, improving equipment reuse, and for creating more sustainable opportunities in labs and at athletic events. The Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability committee looks forward to proposals from staff that advance sustainability, equity, and social justice on campus and in our community, and that provide direct or indirect benefits to students. This is an important element to staff proposals since the CAFES funding is supported by student fees. Project applications are submitted to the committee at designated deadlines each semester. To learn more about our most current deadline information, please visit the "Apply For Funding" link listed below.