The Juan Olivarez Learning Equity Endowment (JOLEE) was established at the Johnson Center in 2021. The endowment supports problem-solving, intellectual curiosity, and relationship-building between GVSU faculty members of any discipline and small Michigan-based nonprofits.
The program invites GVSU faculty members, nonprofits, and intermediaries to propose small projects that leverage faculty expertise to support nonprofit leaders, staff, and organizations in ways that those nonprofits or their leaders would find immediately helpful. Faculty members and nonprofits in successful engagements will each be awarded an honorarium of $1,000 in appreciation of their participation.
“Colleges and universities today must be deeply connected to the world around them, and one of the quickest ways to build connection is to accomplish something together. Imagine how the resources we bring to our institutions – knowledge, care, life experience – can be magnified by bringing institutions together, as well.”
Juan R. Olivarez, Ph.D.
The Juan Olivarez Learning Equity Endowment is designed to support nonprofits and their leaders in meaningful ways — whether by strengthening back-end capacity, expanding practical knowledge, or sparking intellectual inspiration — and to create more connections between the university and the communities where faculty, staff, and students live and work every day. Awards from the endowment recognize the extraordinary capacity of higher education and community nonprofits to work together to share expertise and experience in pursuit of the common good.
Faculty and Nonprofit Eligibility:
Examples of eligible engagements include:
Applications may be submitted at any time and will be reviewed as part of the next cycle. Applicants who submit outside of an announced cycle will be notified when the next award cycle timeline is set.
This program uniquely connects nonprofits with a broad network of university-based expertise, opening doors to new perspectives beyond their usual circles. Faculty members from diverse fields — political science, public health, history, art, and more — can offer fresh insights that help nonprofit leaders tackle challenges in new ways.
For this reason, the Johnson Center will also work with participating faculty and nonprofits to develop field-focused materials — such as blogs, case studies, webinars, or data visualizations — to share learnings from each engagement and amplify their impact across the nonprofit and academic sectors.
Through this initiative, nonprofits gain access to:
Participating faculty members benefit by engaging with community organizations and sharing in opportunities to:
GVSU faculty are invited to identify and propose nonprofits they already work with or know about that may have a specific need for expertise and support. Faculty members are invited to contact the Johnson Center if they are looking for an eligible nonprofit to collaborate with.
Nonprofits interested in finding a GVSU faculty member with relevant expertise can explore faculty members and their areas of specialization by visiting GVSU’s “Majors, Programs, Certificates, and Badges” directory. This resource provides information on faculty expertise across various disciplines, helping nonprofits identify potential collaborators who can support their specific needs and goals.
"*" indicates required fields
© 2026 Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy. All rights reserved.
201 Front Ave SW, Suite 200, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504 | (616) 331-7585 | jcp@gvsu.edu
