Annual Awardee Portfolio

Every year, the SIPS Fund awards tens of thousands of dollars to students and alumni ventures that are in pursuit of social impact and community service. These projects are based around the world in a diverse range of sectors. Below are some examples of projects we have funded in the past.

Non-Profit Foundations

Wearable Justice

In 2014, SIPS funded Jake Maxmin’s company, Wearable Justice, a nonprofit, registered ethical fashion distribution company aimed at serving university students nationwide by providing aesthetically-pleasing and ethically-produced clothing products.

Women LEAD

In 2013, SIPS funded Claire Naylor and Claire Charamnac $13,000 to fund their nonprofit organization, Women LEAD, a youth-driven and youth-led organization that aims to empower young women in Nepal.

Youth Voices

This 2014 project created a campaign bootcamp to educate young people on the logistics of running a campaign.

Girls Rise Up

Girls Rise Up is a three day camp in Kaduna, Nigeria that focuses on empowering young girls through basketball, writing, and reflection.

Orenda Project

With SIPS funding, Ahwaz Akhtar and Haroon Yasin were able to improve education for Afghan students in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Hilltop Microfinance Initiative

In 2013, SIPS funded the Hilltop Microfinance Initiative (HMFI). HMFI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in Washington D.C. that is financed entirely by the generosity of individuals and foundations committed to ideals of financial empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Opportunity Pipeline

Founded by Marzena Zukowska, this SIPS-funded project works with first generation immigrants in Washington, D.C. to develop skills that will help them in the workplace.

Empowerment

Brittany Fried (SFS’19) used a 2018 SIPS award to expand the Youth Empowerment Exchange (YEE) program in Hong Kong.

Misfit Foods

During the winter of 2014, SIPS funded Phil Wong and Ann Yang’s startup, Misfit Foods. Misfit Foods creates cold-pressed juices using fruits and vegetables usually otherwise deemed too “unattractive” to be used. In this way, Misfit aims to decrease produce waste, and promote a healthy and more sustainable vision of food access.

Microsolar Charging Stations in Haiti

In June 2013, SIPS funded Tommy Larson (SFS ’14), Alissa Orlando (SFS ’14), Sarah Mock (SFS ’15), and Naman Trivedi (SFS ’16) to travel to Port au Prince, Haiti to lease and install a revenue-generating solar charging station for a Haitian entrepreneur.

The Microfiber Catcher

In Fall of 2016, the Microfiber Team, Jamie Farrell, Carter Cortazzi, and Lola Bushnell, created a two pronged plan to tackle the problem of microfiber pollution in the waterways around the globe.

Beehive Initiative

This project introduced beehives to Georgetown’s campus in order to promote sustainable food growth.

Sustainable Oceans Alliance

In 2017, SIPS funded the Sustainable Oceans Alliance Summit that takes place at Georgetown and aims to bring light to oceanic issues.

Beekeeping

In 2018, Elizabeth Nguyen (SFS ‘21) received SIPS funding for her project which sought to work with the Georgetown community to teach students the fundamentals of beekeeping.

Rotating Composter

Sophia Vitello (SFS’20) used a 2018 SIPS award to build a rotating composter with composting worms in the Georgetown University community garden on behalf of GREEN.

Hydroponics

With a 2016 SIPS award, students Austin Hong (C’18) and Amelia Walsh (SFS ’20) built a functioning hydroponics system at Georgetown.

Sustainability in Education

In M’bour, Senegal, Jaclyn Lee (SFS ’19) worked to install solar panels creating 100% renewable energy independence and implement a sustainability education program that will empower the community.

Wishing Well

Rosa Cuppari (SFS 17) traveled to India host workshops providing education about water issues to local farmers.

Heroes for Hearts

Heroes for Hearts trains and empowers communities to better respond to any situation that requires first aid skills in order to save lives.

Children’s Book Project

The SIPS fund supported Rhadika Sahai in creating a children’s book that depicts the narratives of chronically hospitalized children.

Nursing in India

During the winter of 2012, Kristen Trivelli traveled to Guwahati, India, where she volunteered with three different organizations.

Diversifying GERMS

After realizing the harmful effects of barriers of entry faced by students from low-income backgrounds hoping to join the Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS), Danielle Maduka (NHS’19 ) used SIPS funding to help make the professional opportunity offered by the organization more accessible.

Love Language Ecuador

This 2015 project offered a relational and sexual health course that focused on addressing domestic violence to students in the La Laguna community in Ecuador

Healthcare Mobile

In 2019, SIPS awarded funding to Robert Treval (SFS’19), who founded Healthcare Mobile in Nigeria.

Institutional Betrayal Trauma

Using survey and ethnography methods, Helena Oft (COL’20) used a 2019 SIPS award to conduct research to substantiate the previously illustrated links between institutional betrayal of victims of sexual assault, long term health and trust in the medical system. Learn more about Helena’s research here!

Arts and Culture

Artisanship in Oaxaca, Mexico

After a trip to Mexico, Nitya Ramlogan (’13), a Regional and Comparative Studies major, became interested in entrepreneurship among indigenous artisans. As she perused local craft bazaars in Mexico, she saw an opportunity to improve the lives of these craft makers by giving them access to larger markets.

Museu da Maré

In the Spring of 2017, SIPS funded Katherine De Araujo, who worked with the community museum, Museu da Maré, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil while on her study abroad program. The community museum showcases the history of Maré, a favela complex in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

Role of Black Queer Women in South African Student Movements

Khadija Khan (C’17) received funding to connect with women who were activists in the #Feesmustfall movement and create a documentary about their experiences.

Two Rabbits

Using SIPS funding, Sarah Strader (SFS ’11) founded international development organization Two Rabbits in 2018. Working in Cameroon, Two Rabbits established a culturally-adapted preschool education to grow local students’ connection to their home forest environment.

Dancing and Queerness

This 2017 project, centered in Belize, utilized SIPS funding to embrace and explore LGBTQIA+ identities through dance and discussion.

Abissa Fashion Show

Georgetown student Obianama Okani (COL ‘20) used her 2018 SIPS project award to create a video documentary of the lives of different Black women cancer survivors.

Cultural Music Workshop

Working in Peru, Theo Goetemann (C’17) provided tools to create stronger ties between Andean Huayno music and contemporary music.

Jordan Video

In Amman, Jordan, Georgetown student Kawther Berhanu (COL’19) used a 2018 project award from SIPS to fund a video journalism campaign which captured the local refugee community.

The Male Development Association

In Spring of 2016, SIPS funded Jerome Small for his project, The Male Development Association (MDA). MDA is a Georgetown University student-led organization that mentors young, male students in public high schools across the District of Columbia on a weekly basis.

Alternative Breaks Program

SIPS funded the Alternative Breaks Program (ABP) during the winter of 2014 for their spring break 2015 trips. Through these trips, Georgetown students were able to learn about different underserved communities and give back to them.

Workshop Collective

During the winter of 2015 SIPS funded Reed Howard (SFS ’17) to launch a Leadership Workshop as part of Workshop Collective here at Georgetown University.

The Treehouse Project

The Treehouse Project received an award from SIPS during the fall of 2014 to help Oliver Friedfeld’s dream of a college community full of self-exploration and meaningful conversation come alive.

Project Lighthouse

Launched in 2016, Project Lighthouse provides an online confidential, anonymous chat platform in which college students can speak freely but privately to trained peer supporters

RooMe

RooMe is an off-campus apartment search app for students looking for available housing in the Georgetown neighborhood.

Raheem AI

During the winter of 2015, SIPS funded Brandon Anderson (COL ’15) to fuel the development of Raheem, a police accountability technology meant to track and rate people’s experiences with police officers.