Wellness Grant Requirements and Guidelines

• Wellness grants must directly impact well-being and mental health in a measurable way.
• Requested funds cannot exceed $10 per person up to a max of $500 per unit. Funds are available on a first come first served basis during each fiscal year.
• Wellness grants are awarded by the department level. If a department has more than 150 employees, liveWELL may award based on the subdepartment level.
• A unit can be awarded a wellness grant one time per fiscal year.
• All employees in the unit must be able to participate or benefit from the initiative. 
• Departments must follow all university and UI Health Care regulations.
• Departments must encourage employees in their unit to complete the Personal Health Assessment. 
• Departments must complete an outcome evaluation after the initiative is implemented.

Not Approved for Wellness Grants

• Wellness grants cannot be used to cover speaker fees. To request a workshop from liveWELL,  please visit the Department Well-Being Toolbox.
• Wellness grants cannot be used to cover food or beverage expenses. 
• Wellness grants cannot be used for exercise classes outside of Recreational Services. For onsite, virtual, or hybrid exercise instruction, liveWELL exclusively partners with Recreational Services to fulfill these requests. 
• Wellness Grants cannot be used to purchase kitchen appliances for break rooms.
• Wellness grants cannot be used for massage therapy. One time events for staff appreciation and celebration are more applicable for the Staff Appreciation Grant Program.

How 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 liveWELL and Human Resources staff.
• Suggestions or changes to the application may be recommended to comply with wellness grant requirements and guidelines noted above.
• Complete your wellness grant activity or purchase within 90 days of the date your application is approved.

How to Receive Reimbursement

• Complete the evaluation form within 90 days of your wellness grant approval date including uploading paid receipts and photos of the wellness grant activity or purchase. 
• If the evaluation form is not completed within 90 days of the wellness grant approval date, please submit a new wellness grant application. Wellness grant funds are limited and awarded on a first come first serve basis throughout the fiscal year (July - June).
• After the evaluation form is completed, funds will be transferred to the appropriate MFK.

Packaged Wellness Grants

Departments can apply for a package from the following options. These grants do not require reimbursement. liveWELL will purchase these items for the department. The Wellness Grant funding guideline of no more than $10 per person up to $500 max still applies. 

• $250 or $500 Respite Space package. Includes items such as massagers, essential oils, noise machine, weighted eye pillows, light therapy lamp, and air plants.
• $250 or $500 Fitness Space package. Includes items such as yoga starter kit, exercise mat, resistance bands, walking pad, and dumbbells. 
  • Minimum persons required for the $250 package is 25, and minimum persons required for the $500 package is 50.
  • You will receive a complete list of items once the grant is approved based on changes in item price and availability.  
• Fit to Go group exercise classes with Recreational Services. Minimum persons required for this grant is 10 for a single virtual class or 12 for an onsite class. Must provide requested date, time, and location for the workshop in the application.

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

If you are approved for a packaged wellness grant, liveWELL will complete the purchase on the department's behalf, so reimbursement is not needed. 

The requestor must still complete the evaluation form to provide feedback on the event and share photos.