UASU Student Group Granting Program

To support the great work of student groups, your UASU runs the Student Group Granting program. Your UASU contributes $100,000 annually for both Events and Operations applications.

Event Grant

This grant funds events either hosted or attended by members of student groups, which provide positive, practical experiences which will enhance the student involvement experience, and contribute to student group goals. 

Please note that to be eligible for funding, your events will still have to be approved by the Office of the Dean of Students Student Life team, otherwise the Students’ Union reserves the right to deny/rescind funding. Events that have not been approved by the Student Life team can still be considered for funding. If you have questions or concerns please contact the program at clubs@uasu.ca.

Operations Grant

This grant supports a student group’s general operations. Costs affiliated with specific events are not eligible for this grant and should be requested through an Event Grant application. This grant is recommended to student groups in their start-up period (typically the first two years of operations), and for groups who are experiencing extenuating circumstances which have begun to cause problems with financial health and security of the club.

How to Apply for Grants

The Students’ Union administers the Student Group Granting program. Since funds are provided by the Students' Union, only UASU-level groups are eligible for Event and Operations grants.

Student Group Grant Application Resources

You can also find examples of successful submissions on our BearsDen page!

Student Group Granting Rubrics

Event Grant Rubric:

The purpose of the Event Grant is to provide funding to events either hosted or attended by members student groups, which provide positive, practical experiences which will enhance the student involvement experience, and contribute to student group goals. The Student Group Granting Program will prioritize those grant applications which best meet the standards and expectations of the rubric below. 

Rubric Categories:
Group Growth and Participant Learning:

• When describing the purpose of the event, whether the group is planning/hosting the event or attending a conference or competition, the grant application must identify specific skills or experiences that the participating students will gain, and how they will relate to the ongoing visibility and success of the student group

Details of Application

• Event details and relevant and specific. The application does not leave out major details (such as an event’s purpose, date, or venue) and the specific items or services that will be covered by the grant funds, if the application is successful, are identified in the application.

Fiscal Responsibility

• Documentation is provided on the fiscal management of the group, and they demonstrate that the group has plans beyond the current year. The application also demonstrates the considerations the executive has taken to ensure the financial health of the student group, and provides details on how this event contributes to the overall financial stability of the student group. Responsible financial practices must also be present, with adequate explanations for prior year ending in deficit.

Impact

• The event is impactful to both the success of the student group and to the campus community. Descriptions of assessment plans to measure the success of the event are paramount.

Relevance to Student Group

• The event is intentionally planned and actively contributes to the student group’s stated mission, as identified in the group’s constitution*.
  *Constitution must be reviewed by Student Group Services as per Student Group Recognition policies and procedure.
  

Weight	Criteria	4 - Excellent	3 - Good	2 - Fair	1 - Poor
25%	Group Growth and Participant Learning	Participant Learning:  See 3. Three or more robust learning outcomes are described.  Group Growth: See 3. The application also provides specifics on how the event contributes to the growth and visibility of the student group in both short and long terms.	Participant Learning:  Specific skills or understanding that participants will gain are identified; activities at the event will directly contribute to specific learning outcomes. Purpose of event has particular, positive impact(s) on the student group (internally), and the University of Alberta Community (externally). Group Growth: The application describes how the event outcomes contribute to the growth of the student group.	Participant Learning:  Specific skills or understanding that participants will gain are identified; activities at the event will directly contribute to specific learning outcomes. Purpose of event has unspecified impact(s) on the student group (internally), and/or the University of Alberta Community (externally). Group Growth:  The application implies or is unspecific in the description of how the event outcomes contribute to the growth of the student group.	Participant Learning:  The purpose of the event is undefined, and no learning outcomes have been specified.  Group Growth: It is unclear in the application how this event will positively represent the student group to encourage growth.
20%	Details of Application	Clarity:  See criteria for score 3.  Specificity:  Items and services to be covered by the grant funding are specified; their relevance to the goals of the event have been described clearly.	Clarity:  Application details are clear, informative, and include all major details (eg. dates, locations, sources of funding), and additional context provided.  Specificity:  Items and services to be covered by the grant funding are specified.	Clarity:  The application is readable, though disjointed. Some questions may have been answered in sentence fragments, and is difficult to understand.   Specificity: Items and services to be covered by the grant are described generally.	Clarity:  Application details are lacking, vague and general. Little planning has been done, and no steps have been taken. Information is missing or incomplete. Specificity: No specific items or services are mentioned.
35%	Fiscal Responsibility	Budgets: See criteria for score 3. All budgets are highly detailed, and demonstrate evidence that the group has taken all measures to reduce costs. Financial Planning:  See criteria for score 3. Based on the books, the event contributes to the financial sustainability of the group.  Groups show history of proper financial management, or provide adequate  explanations for deficit with plan to improve financial health.	Budgets: Required budgets are included on the application, and include details that are clear and agree with the purposes of the student group and the event.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the group is financially sound; that is, the event costs are reasonable, and/or justified, with evidence that it will ensure the future financial health of the group.	Budgets: Required budgets are included on the application. Budgets are unclear in places and/or describe some “miscellaneous” costs that are undefined.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the event will not run a deficit, but may be leaving the group somewhat financially unstable for the future	Budgets: Requested budgets are not present, or if they are present, leave out significant details.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the event will run a large deficit, or will otherwise leave the group in poor financial health.
10%	Impact	Student Group Impact:  See criteria for score 3. Campus Impact: The group clearly demonstrates how the event will impact and improve the broader campus community. Assessment Plans: Assessment method(s) are described in detail, including why the specific method(s) were chosen and how the data collected will be used to plan for future events.	Student Group Impact:  The group clearly demonstrates how the event will impact the members of the student group. Campus Impact: The group discusses how the event will impact and improve the broader campus community. Assessment Plans: Assessment method(s) are explained in the application, with justification for the selected method(s).	Student Group Impact: The group mildly explains the impact which the event will have on its members. Campus Impact: See criteria for score 1. Assessment Plans: Some planning for assessing the impact and success of the event are indicated in the application, but justification for the selected method(s) are unclear.	Student Group Impact:  The group does not illustrate how the event will impact the members of the student group. Campus Impact: The group does not illustrate how the event will impact the broader campus community. Assessment Plans: Little or no planning for assessing the impact and success of the event are indicated in the application.
10%	Relevance to Student Group	See description for 3 scale. The application also demonstrates the applicant’s understanding of the long-term context and impact of the event on the group’s goals.	Application clearly defines the relationship between outcomes of the event and the goals of the student group, as identified in their Constitution*.	Unclear what tie the event has to the outcomes or goals of the student group, but the event could potentially bring positive attention to the group.	No indication has been made by the applicant of how the event relates to the overarching goals of the student group’s Constitution.

Operations Grant Rubric:

The purpose of the Operations Grant is to support a student group’s general operations. Costs affiliated with specific events are not eligible for this grant and should be requested through an Event Grant application. This grant is recommended to student groups in their start-up period (typically the first two years of operations), and for groups who are experiencing extenuating circumstances which have begun to cause problems with financial health and security of the club.  The Student Group Granting Program will prioritize those grant applications which best meet the standards and expectations of the rubric below.

Rubric Categories:

Group Growth

• Student Groups should always be looking forward, planning for their future. In this category the Granting Program will prioritize applicants who have clearly outlined the short-term impact -- that is, within 1-2 years -- of the grant would be on their club operations, as well as the long-term vision for the club’s operations, to aspire to self-sustainability.

Strategic Planning

• When setting goals, it is important for a club to set their sights on foreseeable challenges and needs of the student group that are likely to come with the attainment of short- and long-term goals. The Granting Program will prioritize applicants who can identify strategies and best practices that will allow their student group to flourish, if their application is successful.

Fiscal Responsibility

• Documentation is provided on the fiscal management of the group, and they demonstrate that the group has plans beyond the current year. The application also demonstrates the considerations the executive has taken to ensure the financial health of the student group.

Details of Application

• Details provided in the application are relevant and specific. The application does not leave out major details and the specific items or services that will be covered by the grant funds, if the application is successful, are identified in the application.

Weight	Criteria	4- Excellent	3 - Good	2 - Fair	1 - Poor
25%	Group Growth	Short Term Impact: Specific and significant impact on the group’s operations and success for the year are intentionally planned in relation to how they will feed into the long term vision.  Long Term Vision:  Goals and plans outlined in the application indicate that the group will likely not need to apply for Operational funding in the future.	Short Term Impact: Specific and significant impact on the group’s operations and success for the year are outlined; the connection between this impact and the long term vision is articulated.   Long Term Vision:   The application gives specific and realistic goals for the group over the course of five years.	Short Term Impact: The application identifies potentially significant, positive impact on the group’s operations for the current year.  Long Term Vision:  The application implies some goals beyond the current year, but the goals are unrealistic or vague.	Short Term Impact: The application identifies unclear impacts of the grant on the group’s operations for the current year. Long Term Vision:  The application demonstrates little to no long-term planning or goals for the group.
30%	Strategic Planning	Challenges & Needs: See criteria for score 3. Strategies & Best Practices: The application provides robust descriptions of strategies or practices that will help the group effectively manage challenges into the future, and internal accountability plans to ensure goals are always relevant as the group grows.	Challenges & Needs: The application identifies realistic challenges and needs that could arise from the group’s realization of goals and vision. Strategies & Best Practices: The application provides relevant strategies or practices that will help the group effectively manage challenges into the future.	Challenges & Needs: The application identifies challenges or needs which are too broad and general, and fails to explain the connections to the goals and vision of the group.  Strategies & Best Practices: The application provides examples of strategies or practices but the effect(s) on the challenges are unclear.	Challenges & Needs: The application does not identify realistic challenges or needs, or those identified are not connected to the group’s short and long term vision.  Strategies & Best Practices: The application does not identify strategies that will contribute to attaining the goals or vision of the group.
30%	Fiscal Responsibility	Budgets: See criteria for score 3.  Financial Planning:  See criteria for score 3. Budget is very detailed, and demonstrates  that group has taken all measures to reduce costs. Plans for the year contribute to the financial sustainability of the group.	Budgets: Required budgets are included on the application, and include details that are clear and agree with the purposes of the student group.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the group is financially sound; that is, the listed expenses are reasonable, and/or justified, with evidence that the future financial health of the group is feasible.	Budgets: Required budgets are included on the application. Budgets are unclear in places and/or describe some “miscellaneous” costs that are undefined.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the group will not run a deficit, but some practices or financial choices may be leaving the group somewhat financially unstable for the future.	Budgets: Requested budgets are not present, or if they are present, leave out significant details.  Financial Planning:  The budget suggests that the event will run a large deficit, or will otherwise leave the group in poor financial health.
15%	Details of Application	Clarity:  See criteria for score 3.  Specificity:  Items and services to be covered by the grant funding are specified; their relevance to the goals of the group have been described clearly.	Clarity:  Application details are clear, informative, and include all major details and additional context provided.  Specificity:  Items and services to be covered by the grant funding are specified.	Clarity:  The application is readable, though disjointed. Some questions may have been answered in sentence fragments, and is difficult to understand.   Specificity: Items and services to be covered by the grant are described generally.	Clarity:  Application details are lacking, vague and general. Some questions may have been answered in sentence fragments, and is difficult to understand.   Specificity: No specific items or services are mentioned.