The Victor C. Alvarez Spark Innovation Award is designed for Tulane undergraduate and graduate students who are already working on a social venture idea and need funding to test and advance their concept. Students can apply for up to $2,500 per academic year to move their ideas forward. Eligible expenses may include:

• Determining the legal structure of the venture
• Developing and testing marketing materials
• Prototyping a product or service
• Running a pilot to validate the model

To apply, students submit a resume, mentor reference, project proposal, budget, and acknowledgement of award requirements. The proposal must outline the problem and current solutions landscape, the student's idea and goals for the funding, and a plan for measuring progress and capturing learnings. Students the receive the award are expected to document and share their reflections and lessons learned with the Taylor community.
Both awards have a strong emphasis on learning - whether testing assumptions and refining an idea or building contextual knowledge to inform future changemaking work. No matter what stage you are at in your changemaking path, the Taylor Center is here to support you in gaining the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to translate your passion into real-world impact.