What is the Discretionary Fund at QPIRG?

QPIRG Concordia supports and co-sponsors community events and initiatives through our board discretionary fund. Groups can apply to the board for money (they usually allocate between $50-$200)  and/or access to QPIRG resources such as photocopies, staff support, co-sponsorship, etc.  The amount of money allocated for projects may depend o­n how many requests there are in a particular discretionary period and doesn’t necessarily reflect the value the board places o­n the project (ie. a similar project may receive more money if they’ve applied for it in a week when not many others apply). 

Guidelines for Allocating Discretionary Funds:

In allocating discretionary funds for groups that meet our mission statement, QPIRG Concordia prioritizes groups, projects or initiatives that…

•    Support local actions, projects or movements, or local connections to global movements
•    Organize around issues of social and environmental justice, particularly o­n issues that are under-represented at QPIRG Concordia or Concordia University
•    Will actively create campus-community links and will engage with Concordia University undergraduate students
•    Are engaged in solidarity organizing that takes leadership and direction from the communities with which they work and/or are organized by people who are directly affected or implicated in the groups mandate
•    Need access to QPIRG’s resources and funding, and might otherwise have difficulty finding support

We regret that QPIRG Concordia does not provide discretionary funding for…
•    Travel expenses
•    Major capital expenses (i.e. equipment that retains value from year to year)
•    Personal support or individual case support

If you are interested in co-presenting an event at Concordia with QPIRG Concordia, please talk to a staff person.

How do I apply?

Read the discretionary fund guidelines and fill out the application form below (or available for download here).  It may be written or typed in either English or French. It may be delivered by hand to our office (1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, # 204), by mail at our mailing address (check the contact page), by email (info@qpirgconcordia.org), or fax (514-848-7584). If you have other questions about writing a request, please give us a call (514-848-7585) or stop by during office hours to talk to a staff person. All applicants must fill out the application form.

Discretionary Fund Application Form:

Each request should include ALL of the following (unless not applicable):

• Date:
• Name (project, organization, and/or individual applying):
• Contact info: (e-mail and/or phone)
• Date(s) of event(s):
• Describe the project/event, etc:
• How you see this fitting with QPIRG’s mission statement and values:
• How you can support QPIRG’s work as a part of this project (e.g. taping the event for the resource centre, organizing a workshop, writing for the newsletter, etc.):
• Who you expect to participate and your publicity plan (where applicable):
• An outline of your overall budget (attach sheet if necessary):
  -Expenses
  -Revenue

• The amount you are requesting from QPIRG:
• Where else you have applied for funding, and what you have received so far (we encourage groups to diversify their request to increase networking):
• The name of who to make the cheque to, and address if it will be mailed:
• If you are granted discretionary funds, are you able to include QPIRG’s logo o­n your publicity materials (available o­n our website)?
• Other comments:

How soon will I hear from you?

You can expect to hear back from us within about 14 days of receiving your request – at least with an update o­n the decision and processing of your request.

What else does QPIRG offer?

QPIRG is not just a funder ... please ask us about other supports such as the resource centre, meeting space, computer and copier access, and using the expertise of our coordinators and members (contacts, publicity, organizing, facilitation, workshops, strategizing, etc.)

QPIRG Mission Statement

Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia University (QPIRG Concordia) is a student-funded non-profit organization that strives to: research, raise awareness of, and motivate action o­n diverse grassroots social and environmental justice issues; make campus-community links; and inspire sustainable change through fun, inclusive, and non-hierarchical approaches.

Download the QPIRG Concordia logo for your publicity here.