As a testament to the loyalty and dedication of Dr. Clay, the Maurice A. Clay Leadership Development Initiative exists to provide financial support to individual Circles seeking to establish specific programs to enhance leadership development on the campus and in the community.

To apply the Circle must be considered an active Circle. At a minimum the applying Circle should subscribe to The Ο∆Κ Idea, be initiating new members, paying all fees and filing appropriate paperwork in accordance with established deadlines (including submission of Annual Reports and submission of membership forms and fees no less than 14 days prior to each initiation ceremony). Further documentation concerning the Circle's current activities is welcome.

Presently, the largest grant will be $500.  Smaller grants may be requested. For the 2012 - 2013 academic year, 12 grants will be awarded to Circles. Circles that did not receive funding during the previous academic year will be given highest priority.

Funding for the Maurice A. Clay Leadership Development Initiative comes from interest earned on an Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation endowment set up for this purpose.

Those Circles who receive funding will be required to submit a complete report by December 1st of the year following their award. This will include submission of receipts for all funded expenditures and an article (with photographs) about the project or program suitable for publication in The Circle®. Circles not submitting a complete report will be ineligible for future funding from the Clay Leadership Development Initiative.

Complete the application, in full, and submit it by November 1st to be considered for funding during the remainder of this academic year and through December of the following year. If you have questions, please contact the O∆K National Headquarters via awards@odk.org.  The selection committee will notify all applicants by December 1st of each year.  

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2012 Clay Grant Recipients 

Auburn University at Montgomery:

The Auburn University at Montgomery Circle will create two new awards: O∆K Freshman and Sophomore of the Year to recognize outstanding first and second year students for leadership that has been shown early in their undergraduate careers. The awards will help to encourage continued involvement at AUM, while also helping to promote involvement in O∆K.

Ball State University:

The Circle at Ball State University will hold an All-Campus Leadership Conference with the theme of “Promoting Yourself.  Promoting Your Organization.”  The conference will include a keynote speech by Chris Westfall and will provide campus leaders with the knowledge to greater apply their leadership skills in business and personal life. 

Florida International University:

In February, the Florida International Circle will hold a Student Leadership Summit Networking Breakfast on the Biscayne Bay Campus.  This Summit will allow students the opportunity to learn from many faculty and staff members how truly important the qualities of leadership, networking, and friendship are.

Hillsdale College:

Hillsdale College will hold an O∆K Senior Leadership Day in the hopes of fostering leadership within the Circle and greater campus community.  The event will host 30 local high school seniors on campus for a day and the program will focus on the importance of leadership. Hillsdale administrators, professors, and Circle members will lead the various sessions of the event.

Indiana State University:

The Indiana State University Circle will hold an O∆K Leadership Workshop to enhance the leadership skills among a variety of campus leaders.  Along with building leadership skills, the workshop hopes to establish networking connections between leaders in major student organizations on campus.

Neumann University:

The Circle at Neumann University will sponsor a Leadership Conference for Catholic High School students within the Tri-State area.  Twenty-five local high schools will be invited to send their best student leaders to attend a daylong leadership conference hosted by the Circle.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland:

St. Mary’s Circle will hold an O∆K Networking Tea, which will provide formal networking training to underclassmen students identified as strong potential candidates for O∆K membership.  After the presentation on the art of networking, students will then have the opportunity to apply their new networking skills with Circles members and one another.

SUNY Plattsburgh:

SUNY Plattsburgh’s O∆K Circle will hold four Eggs over Issues events spread throughout the academic year. Each breakfast will consist of focused discussion between involved student leaders and college administrators centered on a different campus or community issues.

Towson University:

Towson University will be holding a program titled Leveraging Your Leadership in the Workforce.  The program will help university students understand how leadership skills can be applied within the workforce after graduation.  Several Towson O∆K alumni will be asked to help facilitate the event.

University of Baltimore:

The Circle at the University of Baltimore will continue to renovate and re-dedicate the University 9/11 Memorial Garden in order to pay tribute to those alumni who lost their lives.  The garden had unfortunately gone uncared for and unnoticed for several years before the Circle began working to renovate it.  

University of Missouri – Kansas City:

The University of Missouri – Kansas City Circle has created a service project called Ronal McDonald House Holiday Helpers.  Circle members will cook and distribute food for the families of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and help to spread Holiday cheer among the children.

Widener University:

Widener University will hold a Speed Networking Event to create an opportunity for undergraduate students to develop a network with O∆K alumni and University faculty/staff.  The event will allow connections to be made with individuals in the “real world” and will allow students the opportunity to get a head start in finding a job.  Student resume packets will be created to distribute to participating alumni and the exchange of business cards will be encouraged.   

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2011 Clay Grant Recipients

Alfred University: 

Alfred University will be facilitating an E-Board 101 training program for newly elected, student organization executive board members. The program was designed in 2009 by a former Omicron Delta Kappa member to help fine-tune the leadership skills of students within the various student organizations at Alfred University. 

Florida Southern College: 

Florida Southern College created OΔK Leadership Symposium, an event for high school students that includes a series of leadership workshops and guest speakers to help identify the students’ personal leadership skills, as well as to enhance these skills and to learn how they may apply these skills in real-world settings. 

Furman University: 

Furman University created the OΔK Challenge to Change to support the mission of a local non-profit organization “Just Kids.” The Circle will be hosting a holiday event for “Just Kids” helping the at-risk children to make gifts for their family members and using their leadership skills for great service. 

Hampden-Sydney College: 

Hampden-Sydney will use the grant to support the Hampden-Sydney College Cares for Kids program, where they hope to increase their current service involvement with the non-profit “Cares for Kids” by up to 10% of the total student body. The Circle hopes to incorporate active participation from Hampden-Sydney College students from all 5 phases of campus life. 

Middle Tennessee State: 

Middle Tennessee State created the OΔK’s True Blue Leadership Day, a series of workshop sessions to educate the students of Middle Tennessee State about various aspects of leadership, while also highlighting the university’s core values during the institution’s centennial kickoff. 

Samford University: 

Samford Univeristy has created the Samford OΔK Mentoring Program, where members of Samford’s Freshman Forum will be paired with OΔK members to help foster leadership potential in these high-achieving freshman students, as well as to raise awareness about OΔK.