Funding for Student Group Community Projects

Student Assembly Community Affairs Project Grants provide funds to Student Assembly-sponsored student groups seeking support to conduct community projects in Baltimore City.

Student groups may apply for up to $500 for a community service project. The Student Assembly Community Affairs committee has discretion to fund a portion or the full amount of requested funds. In rare cases, amounts over $500 may be approved with the support of the entire Student Assembly.

All Student Assembly-recognized student groups are eligible to apply for and receive funds. Student groups not recognized by the Student Assembly are not eligible, nor are projects for which students receive academic credit.

Funded community service projects must occur AFTER the grant award deadline. Projects that have occurred before the deadline will not be considered for funding. Also, community service projects receiving funding through Community Service Grants are ineligible for funding from the Student Assembly Student Group Events Fund.

The application deadline is the 15th of each month. All applications will be reviewed by the Community Affairs Committee within two weeks, and feedback provided by the 1st of the following month.

How are applications evaluated?

The following guidelines will be used by the Community Affairs Committee to prioritize funding requests: potential impact and benefit to the community; educational and academic value of the community service project; innovation; and feasibility of implementation and completion.

Student groups may only employ received funds toward costs incurred that are directly related to the execution and completion of the approved community service project. Awarded funds must be utilized by receiving student groups during the academic year in which the funds are awarded. All funds must be spent on the line items for which they were approved. The student group must notify the Student Assembly Treasurer upon spending money allocated by the Community Affairs Committee and must follow standard reimbursement procedures. 

After the project, there are just a few more steps. All student groups receiving Community Service Grant funding must complete a final report to the Student Assembly Community Affairs Committee. The report must be submitted to the Committee by the end of the fourth quarter during the academic year in which the award was granted. The final report must include a summary of major activities of the service project, a delineation of major use of funds, a summary of student organization involvement and academic and enrichment benefit to members, and a summary of the benefit to the community in which the project was completed. Students are encouraged to provide photos of their project (provided photos were permissible during their work).