The EPHS Social Venture Fund is a student-led initiative that provides seed capital and mentorship to Eden Prairie High School students with ideas that create community impact.
We believe that the best time to start building is now — not after college, not after a job, but right here in high school. The EPHS Social Venture Fund exists to remove the financial barrier that stops great ideas from becoming real ventures.
We provide $1,000–$5,000 in startup grants to EPHS students working on ventures with meaningful community or social impact in Eden Prairie and the Twin Cities. We pair that capital with mentorship from local business leaders who have been there before.
We envision Eden Prairie High School as a place known for producing not just great students, but founders, change-makers, and community leaders who started building while they were still in school.
In the long term, we aim to build a network of EPHS alumni entrepreneurs — people who learned how to pitch, how to build, and how to fail forward before they ever left high school.
Our quarterly grant cycle runs over eight weeks, from open applications to funded ventures.
Current EPHS students in grades 9–12 submit an application during an open quarterly cycle. No prior business experience is required — just a real idea and genuine motivation.
The Student Investment Committee reads every application and scores it using our 100-point rubric, evaluating problem clarity, feasibility, use of funds, passion, sustainability, and writing quality.
Top-scoring applicants are invited to a pitch session where they present to the committee and one or two advisory board members. This mirrors a real investor pitch experience.
The committee recommends funding decisions to the advisory board, which has final approval. Grants are disbursed in two stages through our fiscal sponsor, with a progress check at the midpoint.
The fund is operated by students, guided by experienced advisors, and grounded by faculty oversight.
The heart of the fund. Student committee members review every application, conduct interviews, score submissions, and recommend funding decisions. They run the fund like an investment committee — with real stakes and real responsibility.
Local business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members who contribute financially, attend quarterly pitch sessions, and mentor funded student ventures. They hold final approval authority on all grants over $2,500.
An Eden Prairie High School faculty member provides institutional oversight, ensures compliance with school policies, and reviews all funding decisions before distribution.
We take our responsibility to donors and students seriously. Every aspect of the grant process is designed with accountability in mind.
All grant funds are held and disbursed by our fiscal sponsor directly to approved vendors and expenses — never as cash to students.
50% of approved funds are released upfront. The remaining 50% is disbursed only after the Week 12 progress check-in confirms appropriate use and forward momentum.
Every funded student signs a grant agreement outlining expectations, reporting requirements, and acceptable use of funds before any money is released.
A faculty advisor reviews all funding decisions before distribution. The advisory board has final approval on all grants over $2,500.
Applications are open to all EPHS students. If you have an idea — even a rough one — we want to hear it.