Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities

Due to limited funds and high demand, the funding committee will be imposing restrictions on the amount of funds any group can receive to allow more groups to receive funding.
As of the Winter 2024 semester, due to extremely limited funds, the Funding Committee will only approve up to $2,000 per club for the rest of the academic year (excluding applications to the Environment and Space Funds).
Fundraising events with no activities will receive a maximum of 50% of the event deficit. If events raise funds but provide activities, a maximum of 75% of the deficit will be funded.
Applications to the Ambassador Fund will receive at most $1000 per group or $500 per individual, depending on who is covered in the application.

Applying for Funding: A Step by Step Guide

Before completing a Funding Application, please ensure that you are familiar with the following steps:

  1. Read the updated 2023-2024 SSMU Funding Guidebook (NEW VERSION) to get a sense of the funding process, and the funds available. Changes have been made to the guidebook, make sure you read the latest version.
  2. Decide which fund to apply to. Make sure that the fund’s mandate you are applying to aligns with your initiative (all details are in the Guidebook).
  3. Complete your Event/Project Specific Budget, Annual/Operating Budget, and keep quotes/receipts to justify the numbers in your budgets. Note that it is mandatory to submit all budgets using these templates. Open the templates and follow the budget instructions. Do not modify the budget format.
  4. Submit your Funding Application. Please ensure all estimates, costs, and supporting documents are accurate.
  5. Receive your decision and prepare your Post-Funding Report. For your Post-Funding Report, you will need to submit an updated Annual/Operating Budget, a final Event/Project Specific Budget with actual revenues/expenses, sponsorship acknowledgment, and receipts for all expenses in the Event/Project Specific Budget.
  6. Congratulations! You’ve completed the SSMU Funding process. Your student organization may apply again for further initiatives and events!

If your application is not approved by the Funding Committee, and you believe an error was made in the decision, you can appeal by filling out this form.

For specific regulations pertaining to funding, please see the Internal Regulations of Finances (-05: Funding Committee).

Fund Descriptions

Club Fund

The Club Fund is meant to provide funding for Club activities throughout the semester, instead of on a per-event basis. The Club Fund is only open to Full Status SSMU Clubs. For year-long funding, Clubs must apply during the Fall and Winter semesters. In your application, please only include the events and their corresponding budgets for the current semester.

  • The Event/Project Specific Budget will be more detailed and will be the primary budget used to assess your application. The Annual Budget is to give the Committee a sense of your group’s overall finances.
  • In applications, the objective of the Club must be clearly stated and the events must correspond to the mandate specified in its Constitution.
Ambassador Fund

The Ambassador Fund is a source of financial assistance for McGill students to participate in competitions and conferences of an academic or athletic nature. Ambassador Fund applications must be event specific and off campus. If you are hosting an academic event on or near campus we advise you to apply to the Campus Life Fund instead.
Community Engagement Fund

The Community Engagement Fund is a source of financial assistance for projects which foster community building between the McGill community and external communities. Importantly, the fund is primarily intended for community engagement initiatives, not for events with the sole purpose of fundraising. Examples of projects that are eligible for funding are those involved in community development and the provision of social services and social capital, or those where McGill students participate in and are directly engaged in a project in the community. Funding is prioritized for projects that provide services which are linked to the skill sets of the service providers.
Mental Health Fund

The Mental Health Fund provides financial assistance to initiatives which aim to promote mental health awareness, improve students’ mental health, and/or destigmatize mental health issues on campus.
Campus Life Fund

The Campus Life Fund is a project/event-specific source of financial assistance for various initiatives taking place on or near campus including, but not limited to, projects, events, conferences, publications, and production of an academic, social, or athletic nature.
Environment Fund (Green Fund)

The Green Fund is a source of financial assistance for sustainable initiatives led by student groups or for initiatives to promote a culture of sustainability on campus. Initiatives that reduce the environmental impact of a group, and in doing so increase the associated expenses, are also eligible. For more information regarding what constitutes an environmental initiative, please see the SSMU Sustainability Policy.Please note that the Green Fund will not subsidize recycled paper. However, the Committee will subsidize the cost difference between choosing biodegradable materials that will cost more than regular materials.
For more information regarding eligibility for this fund, please contact the SSMU Environment Commissioners at sustainability@ssmu.ca.
Equity Fund

The Equity Fund is a source of financial assistance for projects, research, and policies that aim to end discrimination and promote accessibility and inclusivity in the McGill community. These initiatives may foster leadership, encourage civic engagement, or make observable differences in the representation or experiences of individuals who are members of historically and/or currently disadvantaged groups.
Space Fund

The Space Fund is a source of financial assistance to support physical improvements in buildings on campus. Projects using the Space Fund have included furniture for undergraduate society offices, renovations to Ghetto Shul’s kitchen, the Flat Bike Collective vending machine, and other such projects.
First-Year Fund

The First-Year Fund is for events, initiatives, and services intended to enhance the experience of first-year students on McGill’s Campus. There is $1,000 in funds available each semester.
Student Sponsorship Program

The McGill Alumni Association presents the Student Sponsorship Program, which helps to provide financial support to student groups for events, special projects, and initiatives which do not receive University funding and that promote outside-the-classroom student experiences.Eligible student groups who submit the SSP application form could receive a scholarship ranging from $250-$750 in order to make their ideas a reality!

For more information, visit the Student Sponsorship Program site.

QUIPS Bursary

QUIPS (Queer Improvement and Partnership Solidarity) bursary is a bursary that first started running in 2022. It is run by the Gender and Sexuality Commissioner, and distributes funds to queer students (grad and undergrad alike) and recent graduates, both for urgent needs and comunity projects. A current link to apply is here, and the application form also includes links to the mandates and an FAQ. Any questions should be sent to the GSC, at gsc@ssmu.ca.

BLACK EQUITY FUND

The Black Equity Fund is a source of financial assistance for projects, research, events, policies and student financial needs that aim to end anti-black racism and promote diversity and inclusivity in the McGill community. These initiatives may foster leadership, encourage civic engagement, or make observable differences in the representation or experiences of individuals who identify as Black as well as groups working towards ending anti-black racism. Applicants may request up to 1,500$ per application.
Apply here!
For more information, contact: blackaffairs@ssmu.ca

Comments or Concerns?

If you have any feedback on the funding process and would like to share it with the Funding Committee, please fill out the form posted below. All responses are anonymous.

Funding Feedback Form