Advice from Student Commitment-makers
The following questions include many frequently asked questions from our student members as they develop their commitments. CGI U talked to some of our most successful student commitment-makers so others can learn from their expertise.
- Q: What are some of the most effective methods CGI U student members have found to spread the word about new opportunities and events on campus?
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Word of mouth, of course, but listservs related to the subject matter are also helpful. In addition, reaching out to the offices on campus that have to do with the area is important. For example, for an internationally-focused project on international careers in the public sector, one can involve the Career Office, the Graduate Student Office, the International Students’ Office, etc.
I believe the most effective methods to spread the word about new opportunities and events on campus are advertising via the following means:
- Public transportation (i.e., subways, buses, and taxis). Many students use those transportation services to and from their campuses.
- Direct invitations via email and home address. Students feel honored when they are formally invited to attend a particular activity hosted at their school.
- Popular radio stations. Students who drive and listen to their favorite radio station during leisure can benefit from being informed about opportunities and special events at their college, university, or community.
I’ve found that having a listing or article in the school newspaper is an effective way to spread the word about an event or meeting. Having a table set up on campus during events or in heavily trafficked areas to hand out flyers to advertise your event is also effective.
- Q: What are some of the most effective methods CGI U commitment-makers have used for raising funds on campus for a particular project?
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Setting up an online system where individuals can donate electronically usually proves most effective. Also charging admission to events such as a foreign film screening and the selling of concessions are good ways to raise money; anything that encourages the donating party by letting them “get something” out of it.
Having faculty support (even from one professor) is a very important piece in the process of working through the bureaucracy of a university. When presenting a project to administrators, concrete details about how a project will be enacted, a timeline, and other issues must be completely worked out.
Food is the most effective fundraising method; especially a local, home-cooked favorite that cannot be readily purchased.
- Q: What are some of the most effective methods for soliciting approval and/or funding from university administrators for a new project?
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Make reasonable requests. One big request is always better when you split it into several smaller ones and state one at a time. You must also give a good argument on why your cause is important.
The most funded and approved projects are ones that include the widest array of people. Your school administration is much less likely to fund one organization than many organizations that are working together.
The best way to reach the administration is through your student government. You can present proposals at open meetings to garner support. Once there is attention from the government, there is a greater possibility that someone will be able to sit down with an administrator to request funding.
I find that a professional approach including clear, comprehensive written proposals is always effective, and I make a point of always making myself available to provide further information via email, on the telephone, or in meetings. Email exchanges are helpful, as they are an automatic recording of any back-and-forth, so I will often write to confirm or clarify face-to-face or telephone conversations. And thank you notes can go a long way to securing support.
- Q: What resources are helpful when writing grants?
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Some of the best resources for writing grants are professors themselves. At Johns Hopkins, our professors are constantly applying for research grants and have endless depths of knowledge as far as grants for nonprofit work and the drafting of a grant proposal. There are also online guides, but nothing beats having a personal adviser to take you through the process.
I have found that the most useful resource in writing grants is getting other people to edit your work as well as thoroughly reading through all the requirements for the grant and addressing each issue.
We’ve had tremendous luck with our grant proposals in receiving large amounts of money. The main thing that people love about our proposals is that they are clear and easy to read (larger font helps with lots of clear sections so they are easy to skim). Proposals need pictures and clear table budgets that are easy to follow. Also, consistently thanking and following up with groups that give you money ensures that the well does not dry up for the next year.
Looking at past grant winners’ applications.
- Q: How can I build successful partnerships with relevant parties outside my university?
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Our partnerships with NGOs have developed through various contacts and constant communication. Oftentimes, interested professors and university faculty are wonderful resources that can help us form contacts through their connections. Furthermore, the creation of chapters of our organization at other universities has been accomplished mainly through students we have known or worked with previously, or others who have come to us with an interest in founding a chapter.
The key to building successful partnerships is to support others before you need their help, not just to come knocking when you need something. Our student government supported the City of Fairfax by coordinating and volunteering at the Halloween Festival and the opening of the Fairfax City Regional Library. The result has been a great partnership that has allowed everyone to share resources and talents.
The partnerships that I have made outside of campus are very successful. I have partnered with several nonprofits in order to fundraise and host awareness events on Northern Uganda. I now hope to use these and other partnerships I have developed to accomplish more, such as work with The Full Belly Project, to fulfill my commitment with CGI U. I made contacts, initially, by going to events where I knew like-minded people would be attending and simply talking about my cause. I also started volunteering with several nonprofits in Wilmington. In order to build relationship with your community, outside of the university, you MUST be involved in that community. As time passes, and I continue to volunteer and network with community contacts and organizations, amazing things continue to develop.
