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ELIGIBILITY

All students currently enrolled at Concordia University are eligible for funding from the Sustainability Action Fund. The main applicant of any potential project must be a registered student, but Concordia community members (including staff, faculty and alumni) and individuals from the broader community can participate in a project.

YOU ARE INELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING IF...

You are ineligible for funding if you are already the main applicant for a project currently funded by SAF. You are also ineligible if you are not currently enrolled at Concordia University, you have opted-out from our fee-levy, or if your project does not work to make Concordia University more sustainable.

OUR CRITERIA

Before submission, ensure that your application clearly conveys the goals, planning, and impacts of your project. Also ensure that your project meets the following criteria for project funding, which are questions the Board asks when considering applications:

INNOVATION

  1. The project is innovative: it deals with an important sustainability gap at Concordia, identifies a new problem and/or proposes a new solution
  2. The project enhances an existing project in a substantial way (rather than simple expansion, for instance)
  3. The project provides innovative alternatives to existing issues through engaging a new audience, forming new partnerships, experimenting with new processes

PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS

  1. Team possesses the knowledge and skills to execute the project
  2. Demonstrates a clear commitment to carry through the project
  3. Detailed and realistic timeline
  4. The budget is well-researched, comprehensive, detailed, and realistic
  5. Effective communication and outreach strategy to engage the Concordia community
  6. Established partnerships (financial or other) and links to important resources

HOLISTIC APPROACH

  1. The project’s core content genuinely addresses environmental and/or social sustainability issues, and is not just greenwashed.
  2. The project’s process includes considerations of environmental and social impact.

COST-EFFECTIVENESS

  1. The project maximizes the impact of the funding they will receive

PROJECT IMPACT

  1. The project nurtures learning and/or behaviour change at Concordia (and beyond)
  2. It decreases ecological footprint of Concordia and/or enhances student life
  3. It provides engagement opportunities for Concordia students; for example: volunteering, educational experience, applied research, leadership and/or paid work
  4. The application details the methods and metrics used to measure the project’s impact
  5. The idea/project can be transferred to other universities and/or community groups
  6. The project has a longer-term vision, including the possibility of institutionalization

The Board will also consider the elements of your project in light of the amount of funding you are requesting, such as the quality of your stakeholder collaboration and your budget preparedness for a large-scale project. See below for ideas of what you will need to consider based on your funding range (note that these are just guidelines, and every project is considered on a case-by-case basis):

$1000 or less
$1,000 to $5,000
$5,000 to $10,000
More than $10,000
This type of project can be a short-term project which is just starting out. It does not require much collaboration with University administration or links with faculty or curriculum. These projects often take the form of one-day events or workshops.
These short- or medium-term projects benefit from administrative or institutional support and interest, and often include specific links to Concordia’s faculty or curriculum. These projects often take the form of coordinator honoraria for a single term, speaker series spread out over several days or weeks, single-day events with minor local and campus media coverage, and/or awareness campaigns surrounding a single sustainability issue.
Usually medium- to long-term projects with demonstrated administrative or institutional support and interest. They involve many different stakeholders and are well-equipped to make a lasting contribution to sustainability at Concordia. Projects in this category might include coordinator honoraria for multiple terms and/or team members, strong continuity planning, capital purchases such as specialized equipment or workspace, and major events with significant media interest. These are subject to strict reporting requirements and thorough metrics tracking, as well as communication with SAF for major project updates.
These long-term projects aim to make a permanent contribution to sustainability at Concordia. They require close and ongoing collaboration with University administration, other student groups, and stakeholders in the wider community. They can include coordinator salaries; major capital purchases including specialized equipment, workspace, or land; and long-term budget planning. These projects and are subject to extremely strict reporting requirements and ongoing communication with the SAF staff to follow project progress.

HOW CAN I USE SAF FUNDING?

The proposed budget must include all the items that you need funding for, their associated costs, an assessment of your ability to find reused or recycled materials, and plans for storage. Once approved, only those amounts will be granted.

Generally speaking, payment is issued as a reimbursement following the submission of original invoices and a cheque requisition form. In certain exceptional cases, the funds can be disbursed before the applicant has incurred any costs, contingent on the submission of an invoice stating the cost of the item, a cheque requisition form, and prior approval of the Chief Financial Officer.

Generally speaking, SAF funding can be allocated towards:
  • Projects/events that address environmental or social issues in both process AND content.
  • Tools and equipment if they are integral to the project. All the material purchased with a SAF grant must be permanently installed and remain part of the project for its lifetime, or be returned to SAF.
  • Outreach materials like posters, web hosting, zines, and more.
  • Honoraria, which are approved on a case-by-case basis. Project applicants must demonstrate that the honorarium is essential and central to the project. The Board will seek to assess if the distribution of the honorarium benefits and impacts the most students possible.
  • Outside experts, speakers, and/or technical experts who are not affiliated with Concordia University for their services.
  • Catering and event expenses from sustainable (environmentally- and socially-conscious) sources.
  • Space booking expenses.
Conversely, SAF funding will not be allocated towards:
  • Projects/events that only address environmental or social issues in their process, and not their content.
  • Projects/events with no or very limited student engagement and with no or limited impact on the Concordia campus. SAF is a Concordia fee levy organisation, therefore funded projects must provide engagement opportunities to students.
  • Airfares. The aviation industry has a significant impact on climate change. It is responsible for 5-9% of the total climate change impact of human activity.
  • Projects/events supporting or supported by the fossil fuel industry or other corporations whose practices are not aligned with the SAF mandate.
  • Non-applied research projects with limited sustainability impact on Concordia’s campus.
  • Projects/events requesting retroactive funding. The board may decide to make an exception depending on the circumstances.

Please note: If you are applying for funding on behalf of an organization that collects a student fee-levy, the SAF retains the right to request up-to-date financial information on your organization during the SAF application process.

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