Associated Student Government will open applications for its Community Engagement Grant later this week for student groups who have an idea for a project in Evanston.

The grant, which ASG gives annually, started two years ago, but for the first time this year it is more focused on serving the Evanston community rather than the Chicago area as a whole, said Kevin Harris, ASG community relations vice president. ASG has a set amount of funding it can either give to one group or donate to multiple groups, depending on the type of applications they receive. ASG awarded $500 in 2013, but Harris said ASG members have not decided on this year’s amount yet.

“There’s tons of stuff to do in Evanston, lots of service and community engagement, and we really want to focus on supporting those ideas in Evanston,” the Weinberg junior said.

The grant will be given earlier in the quarter than in previous years so students have more time to work on their projects.

“Hopefully they’ll have a time to present at the end of the year,” Harris said. “Last year that wasn’t possible because of the later timeline.”

Harris also said he hopes more groups will apply for the grant. Last year, more than a dozen groups applied, he said. This year it is easier for groups to apply because they are using Wildcat Connection.

In the past, students have used the grant to start a cooking class in Evanston and obtain school supplies for students in Evanston who can’t afford them, he said.

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