Org funding criteria

To best allocate our very limited funding, we've developed criteria by which we evaluate applications.

Note that this isn't an exhaustive list of criteria we use; rather, it's a list of things to keep in mind when deciding whether to apply and when writing your answers.

Focus on the graduate student community: As Rackham Student Government uses the student fee collected from current Rackham graduate students to fund these events, all events and programs need to be focused primarily on the graduate student community. This doesn't mean that we will only consider proposals from student organizations only open to graduate students, or for events that are only open to graduate students, but events and programs must be more than simply open to graduate students to be eligible for our funding—there must be a clear focus on catering to graduate students.

Contribution to community and University goals: Proposed activities should foster a sense of community among graduate students and should also contribute to the broader goals of the department, school, or university, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and public engagement.

Support for strategic initiatives*: Extra consideration may be given to activities that support strategic initiatives or respond to current needs within the graduate community, such as mental health awareness, career planning, or networking opportunities.

Enhancement of reputation: Activities that have the potential to enhance the reputation of the graduate student organization, its members, and the university at large may be prioritized. This includes hosting high-profile speakers, engaging in community service, or participating in prestigious competitions.

Sustainability and impact: Projects or events that promote sustainable practices and demonstrate long-term value for the graduate student community—such as creating resources that benefit future students or establishing ongoing collaborations—are particularly encouraged.

Inclusivity and accessibility: All funded activities should be inclusive and accessible to a diverse graduate student body. Events should accommodate individuals with disabilities and be sensitive to the diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of students.

Availability of other funding: Since our funding is limited, we will consider how much funding you have from other sources, and prioritize requests that have few or no other sources of support.

Financial responsibility: We will prioritize events that have a clear attempt by the organization to be cost-effective and save money where possible. 

*Rackham Student Government takes seriously its requirement to administer funding in a viewpoint neutral manner. All decisions are made in compliance with relevant University policy and law regarding viewpoint neutrality, and nothing in these criteria should be construed to imply that RSG considers the content of speech (or any other things that would be illegal or against University policy to consider) at the events when deciding whether or not to fund them.

Please note that eligibility criteria (both as to whether an organization is eligible for funding at all and as to whether an expense is eligible for funding) is a separate matter. This criteria can be found in the FAQ.