Kemper K. Knapp grants are usually in the range of $500 to $10,000. According to the terms of the original bequest, the committee favors projects that cross departmental lines and have an impact on the educational and cultural life of the university community, particularly projects that benefit undergraduate students. Knapp funds are not often used for purposes that can and should be supported elsewhere, such as from regular grants or research funding, from fees charged for performances, or from the regular university budget. Nor is the committee inclined to support exhibitions or lectures because other campus committees (e.g., Anonymous Fund Committee, Lectures Committee) have them as a central funding target. The committee encourages registered student organizations to apply, but departmental/program co-sponsorship is required.
When considering requests for funds, the committee keeps in mind the spirit of the will of Kemper K. Knapp. Included is the following language:
“In general it is my wish that such funds be used for purposes outside the regular curriculum of the university . . . to cultivate in the student body ideals of honesty, sincerity, earnestness, tolerance, and social and political obligations.”