Tarleton Forward Fund

Tarleton Forward 2030 is the bold, 10-year strategic plan for Tarleton State University. Created in 2020, the strategic plan was designed to position the university as a front-runner for anyone seeking a university degree.

To concentrate efforts on the necessary strategies to meet the goals of the strategic plan and build Tarleton State into one of the nation’s premier comprehensive universities, the Tarleton Forward Fund has been allocated and is accepting ideas for strategic requests.

Tarleton State is full of individuals or teams with ideas to advance one or more goals of the strategic plan. The Tarleton Forward Fund is designed to provide the start-up funding necessary to support these innovations. Successful requests will receive the necessary funding with documented outcomes required for a second-year renewal. At the end of year two, successful initiatives will be transferred to operating funds and unsuccessful initiatives defunded.

Fund proposals should be for strategic, innovative approaches to address one or more objectives in the strategic plan and include measurable outcomes which lead to progress toward attainment of these objectives. This request process is for strategic funds, not to obtain operational funding. Operational funds are used to execute current, on-going activities and commitments of the university that support, and possibly even enhance, existing efforts. Tarleton Forward Funds should be used to begin new initiatives designed to impact long-term success and to realize the university vision.

Request Process

Step 1: When one is ready to submit a proposal for Tarleton Forward Funds, complete the Tarleton Forward Fund request form. The request must include all required information. Requests must tie to goals and strategies in the strategic plan and must identify benefits, or outcomes, which connect to strategic plan objectives. Proposal amounts between $10,000 and $250,000 will be accepted.

Step 2. Proposals will be evaluated by the Integrated Planning Council (IPC) using the Strategic Initiative Request Scoring Model. Available funds are limited; therefore, proposals will be prioritized based on a scoring matrix. Strategic Initiative Request Scoring Model

Step 3. At the conclusion of the fiscal year, the requestor (or designee from the project) will be required to provide a status report for the initiative, documenting actual outcomes as compared to planned outcomes identified in your proposal. For on-going projects, those requiring funding beyond the first year, the IPC will evaluate whether continued funding is justified based on these results.