The University of Iowa actively supports and promotes a culture of health and well-being for all campus community members. By providing grant funds directly to departments for activities that promote physical and emotional health and well-being, liveWELL aims to make practicing healthy habits in the workplace easier, which in turn supports a culture of health on campus.
Ideas for Wellness Grants
Wellness Grants will be awarded to applicants who focus on top well-being areas for University of Iowa faculty and staff:
Stress Management
- Art supplies for creative expression
- Onsite chair massages with a Licensed Massage Therapist
- Hand held massager
- Onsite outdoor picnic table
- Onsite or virtual mindfulness workshop with Brad Baldwin, 8-Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher and CEO of Aperture. Minimum persons required this wellness grant is 25. Must provide requested date, time, and location for the workshop in the application.
Physical activity:
- Fitness equipment such as yoga mats, resistance bands, exercise balls, portable treadmill etc.
- Onsite Fit to Go group exercise classes
- Sit/stand workstations. Please note: The Wellness Grant funding guideline of no more than $10 per eligible individuals still applies. Thus, if your department has 25 people, the maximum amount of funding awarded will be $250
All shared equipment should be in accessible area where all employees are able to use it. A plan for maintenance and upkeep of this shared resource needs to be provided in the application.
Nutrition:
- Supplies to support packing a healthy lunch. Pair with a liveWELL workshop on Healthy Meal Planning.
- Supplies for a community garden. Work with your local facilities management team for approval.
Guidelines for Wellness Grant Funds
Applications for Wellness Grants must meet all of the following criteria in order to be approved.
- Requested funds may not exceed $10 per person.
- Maximum of $500 will be awarded one time annually for a request.
- First qualified are first served as funding is limited. Funding is based on fiscal year budgets—only one wellness grant per applicant (work unit) will be awarded each fiscal year.
- Applications should be environmentally conscious and must promote physical and/or emotional well-being.
- Wellness Grant funds should directly impact participants' mental or physical health in a measurable way. Staff appreciation or morale-boosting efforts may be more applicable for the Staff Appreciation Grant Program.
- All employees in your unit have access to participate in the activity, program, or event.
- All university regulations must be followed.
- The unit must commit to completing an outcome evaluation.
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Wellness grants cannot be used to cover speaker fees or food (these are considered departmental expenses.) To request a presentation from a liveWELL team member please visit the Department Well-Being Toolbox.
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For onsite, virtual, or hybrid exercise instruction, liveWELL exclusively utilizes Recreational Services to fulfill these requests.
Approved Wellness Grants are funded via reimbursement with the required documentation noted below and completion of the Qualtrics survey:
- Paid receipts for any purchases (required)
- Number of staff, faculty, and others benefiting from the Wellness Grant project (required)
- Photo documentation of activity (optional)
Process to Apply
- Complete the application through workflow.
- You will be contacted within 5-10 business days to discuss your application.
- You will be notified within 30 calendar days if your application will be funded.
- Applications are reviewed by a team of UI Wellness and Human Resources staff.
- Suggestions or changes to application may be recommended.
- Within 30 days of program implementation, complete this Qualtrics survey.
- Upon completion of the Qualtrics survey, funds will be transferred to the appropriate MFK.