Student Initiative Funding

The granting of funds to individuals or groups will be subject to the following criteria and guidelines.

Priority will be given to initiatives, activities or events that are:

1. New
2. Of a significant educational or cultural value and be of interest to the McMaster community
3. Primarily of benefit to McMaster students
4. Accessible and open to all McMaster students

Considerations:

• Applicants must be MSU members, a recognized MSU club and/or a recognized academic society.
• Applications will be evaluated on the basis of their individual merits.
• A maximum of two applications per term by a student group will be considered for funding (exception where a student group is holding a week/month long program or campaign, one application is to be submitted for the full campaign).
• Requests must be for specific activities.
• Amounts allocated will be competitive depending on the number and quality of applications.
• Funding requests from students for activities operated by groups external to McMaster will be given consideration only if the activities are judged to be closely related to the educational development of students and have an appreciable McMaster focus.

Additional considerations include:

• The number of times funds have been granted in the past four years
• The amount requested
• The extent to which the individuals or groups involved have themselves raised or will raise funds for the activity (monetary and/or non-monetary contributions)
• The clarity and completeness of the submission with respect to plans/details of the activity to be funded and a breakdown of the budget, including a list of sources of funds received and expected
• The safety and liability risks for students and others; participating in the activity must be ensured, and all events must be reviewed and approved by Risk Management and appropriate risk management protocols followed
• Demonstration of the ways the event is environmentally friendly or sustainable
• Consideration for the ongoing financial sustainability of the program or event
• Demonstration of commitment to the success of the program or event

Funding is not available for the following:

• Individuals attending a career or professional development conference
• Events held off campus or outside the Hamilton area
• Food and beverage costs for conferences and events
• Charities
• Purchasing equipment, staff costs, grad dinners, formals, club nights or catering for club meetings
• Activities that in any way constitute part of the requirements of an academic course or degree program
• Employment positions

Note: Applicants who do not meet the conditions of previous funding as directed will not be considered for funding in the future.

Deadlines

• September 3 to November 8, 2024 (for activities taking place September 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025)
• January 6 to March 7, 2025 (for activities taking place February 1 to August 31, 2025)

Complete the application form before the deadline. Applications outside of the posted deadline dates will not be considered.

Have questions or need support? Email studentgroups@mcmaster.ca.

All ideas submitted will be reviewed by the SLEF committee. The committee will evaluate and select those ideas that best meet the criteria. Students will have the opportunity to vote on the selected list of proposed projects during the MSU Presidential Election. Voting results will help determine the final projects that will be presented to the Student Services Advisory Committee in April for approval and implementation.

Criteria

• Student driven
• Aligned in support of diversity, inclusiveness, community engagement and the learning process
• New, innovative and creative
• Supports the creation of new partnerships and collaborations between students, the McMaster Students Union (MSU), Student Affairs and the internal and external community working together in the common interest of students
• Aligned with the university’s values and mission in terms of internationalization, the student experience and community engagement
• Builds capacity and provides enhanced services
• Considers environmental impact (sustainability)

Note: Projects that are considered a part of core services will not be considered.

• Submission deadline: January 17, 2025
• Idea voting: Students get to vote on the top ideas during the MSU election period, January 28 to 30.
• Final selection: The Student Services Advisory Committee meets in April for approval and implementation.

Complete the application form before the deadline. Applications outside of the posted deadline dates will not be considered.

Students will have the opportunity to vote on the selected list of proposed projects during the MSU Presidential Election. Voting results will help determine the final projects that will be presented to the Student Services Advisory Committee in April for approval and implementation.

Visit the Enhance website during the MSU Presidential Election period, January 28 to 30, to submit your vote.