Commitment Basics

Commitments to Action, a unique feature of the Clinton Global Initiative, translate practical goals into meaningful and measurable results. CGI U commitments address significant challenges across CGI U's five focus areas. Commitments are new, specific, and measurable initiatives that can be small or large, local or global, financial or nonmonetary in nature. Varying in scope and duration, many commitments are the result of new and diverse partnerships between students, universities, nonprofits, and businesses, with CGI U commitment-makers combining their efforts to expand the impact of new ideas.

To get a more detailed overview of the Commitment to Action process, browse the CGI U Commitments Guide.

Types of Commitments:

Individual commitments begin with a single person or a single person representing a group, who chooses to take action to address a pressing global challenge. Although individual commitments might evolve into a larger group effort down the road, they are characterized by the initial enterprise of a single person.

Group commitments begin with a group of young people who decide to take action. Group commitments may be an original group effort, or they can arise from an existing student group that crafts a unique CGI U commitment within their larger mission. Up to four students may apply to attend CGI U with a group commitment, but many more may be involved in its implementation.

Every CGI U Commitment to Action must meet three basic criteria:

New: Each commitment must be a new initiative for the individual or group making the commitment. If your commitment is an expansion of an existing effort, consider focusing on a different geographic area, working with new partners, or shifting the focus or scope of the initiative.

Specific: Each commitment must address a specific challenge with a defined course of action and detailed objectives. Define your commitment's goal, outline your planned activities, and identify how long it will realistically take you to complete your project.

Measurable: Each commitment should achieve results that are measurable and can be reported back to CGI U. The impact of your commitment can be determined in many ways, whether you're measuring volunteers trained, houses built, children tutored, or hours of direct service provided.