International Development Initiative Fund. Noah Best- IDS Society President

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1 SMU IDS International Development Initiative Fund Policy Outline January 2014 Ross Grant- Fund Director Noah Best- IDS Society President This outline is a modified version of the Change for Change project proposal by Isaac Gray, Kathleen Grant and Jenny O Connell from November 2010, which was presented to, and approved by, the SMUSA board of Directors.

2 Summary of Changes January, 2014 On November 5 th, 2013 at the deliberation meeting of this fund those in attendance were: Mr. Ross Grant- Fund Director Mr. Noah Best- IDS Undergrad Society President Ms. Miyuki Arai- IAO Representative Mr. James Patriquin- SMUSA Representative Dr. Kate Ervine- IDS Program Representative Dr. Anthony O Malley- Advisor During this meeting issues with the Fund pertaining to its clarity, focus and objectives were raised. Members of the board agreed that some clarification was needed in certain areas of the Fund to ensure that applicants, and the Saint Mary s Community, are aware of the Fund s purpose and objectives. It was decided that the best course of action to address these issues would be to edit this policy outline as well the application form and advertising materials with the goal of clarifying what the IDIF is and what its purpose is to the Saint Mary s Community. The changes made to the official policy can be found in detail within this document and are summarized below. The changes were drafted by Mr. Grant and were reviewed by the Board Members in January of I: The required development benefits needed for an applicant to qualify have been clarified. This is intended to provide a concrete definition of what this fund considers a development project. This definition will be used to decide whether or not applicants are participating in development and therefore if they qualify for funding. II: Students may receive funding from the IDIF to return to their home country if their project meets the Fund s definition of development project. Previously students were not able to use IDIF funding to return to their home country. III. The IDIF will fund research for graduate students but as the Fund was created with the intention to provide opportunities to Undergraduate Students to travel abroad and participate in development initiatives they will be given priority for funding. 2

3 IV: There is now a minimum initiative duration of 30 days. If an applicant wishes to participate in an initiative with a shorter duration that they think deserves funding and has met the Fund s definition of development project they may write a one page letter explaining why they should qualify for funding. V: The entire committee will now review reports created by returning successful applicants. Previously only the Director had access to reports. VI: Clarification on what the successful applicants reports must entail and the procedure for sending them to the Fund have been updated. VII: A minimum of two academic references is now required for applicants. In the past one academic reference and one other reference was required. VIII: Successful applicants now have 6 months from the end of the IDIF application period until their initiative begins to be eligible for funding. Previously the limit was 3 months. The previous limit prevented students from engaging in projects for several months of the year. IX: The application process has been changed to have the application form, CV, letter of intent and proof of enrolment all sent as PDF format documents to the Fund Director. Counterpart letters and Reference letters will still be sent in a sealed envelope. In addition to the aforementioned changes minor changes to the language within this document were made to clarify points and information without changing the intended message of each section. 3

4 Project overview Project Objectives: To facilitate the participation of Saint Mary s Students in and/or organization of international development projects. The project consists of two different programs as listed below: a) Global partnership initiatives: To provide students with the opportunity to participate in development projects in the developing world through partnerships with NGOs and/or Non-Profit Organizations or Saint Mary s University. b) Student-led initiatives: To assist any Saint Mary s student in starting their own development project either locally or abroad. The above initiatives all must share a common mission in that they must meet the IDIF definition of development project in order to be eligible for funding. Recognizing that the Fund is also used as an opportunity for students to grow and learn and that any single development initiative will likely not address all issues related to International Development Studies at once this definition might seem narrow, though it is most definitely not arbitrary. It is designed to ensure that the Fund will award only those applicants whose initiatives will have a meaningful impact on the developing world or the advancement of knowledge within International Development Studies. The International Development Initiative Fund defines Development Project as: Any initiative created by a Saint Mary s Student or already operating that seeks to meaningfully improve the quality of life for persons within a Developing Country, which shall be defined as such based on the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), by improving foreign aid, governance, healthcare, education, poverty reduction, gender equality, racial or ethnic equality, disaster preparedness, infrastructure, economic stability, human rights, food security, environment and any issues associated with these categories. Please note: Initiatives that focus on Human Development rather than only economic concerns are of particular value for development projects. The project must take place in a developing country or have an immediate benefit to a developing country if it is a local initiative. Also any research by an Undergraduate or Graduate student at Saint Mary s that seeks to advance knowledge or offer solutions for any of these categories is eligible for funding. All other stipulations and regulations of the IDIF must also be met in order to be deemed a development project that will qualify for funding. Examples of appropriate and non-appropriate projects are available on the IDIF Information Sheet. 4

5 Administrative information Project leadership: Project Coordinator: Ross Grant, Fund Director International Development Initiative Fund Contact Information: or Office: SMUSA Student Centre Building, 5 th floor, Room 553 Noah Best, President SMU IDS Undergrad Society Contact Information: noahbest92@gmail.com Note: The position of fund director will be appointed each year, for the following academic year, by Dr. O Malley and the current Fund Director. Board of Directors: - Fund Director - President (SMU IDS Undergraduate Society) - Representative from SMUSA - Representative from International Activities Office - Staff Representative from the SMU IDS Faculty Expected Project Benefits Benefit for Students: To provide students with a hands-on, cross-cultural learning experience which aims to: - Enhance their awareness of issues in the developing world - Develop their sense of global citizenship/learn to live and work together with people of different cultures. - Offer an opportunity to work in partnership with both an established development organization and developing community - Be a part of a process that aims to generate long-term positive change within a developing community. - Enhance/strengthen your resume/gain valuable work experience working with a distinguished NGO or Non-profit organization - Networking opportunities - The application of classroom knowledge/theory to real world situations. 5

6 - To gain an increased awareness of skills, attributes, personal qualities and values. - Develop/strengthen foreign language abilities. - Develop project management skills - To enable students to take part in Development Practice course IDST 3460 Benefits to the Global Community: - Provide developing communities with the financial support/human capital to lead/participate in their own development initiatives beneficial to them and their long-term well-being and development Provide Development Initiatives with support for improving the lives of persons in the developing world. Application Process Deadlines: Application deadlines will be November 1 st and April 1 st of each year (unless said date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, in which case the dead line will be the following Monday). The 2013/2014 deadlines are as follows: Friday, November , 5pm and; Tuesday, April , 5pm. In the event of a holiday, storm closure or other event that prevents the IDIF from being able to accept applications on the above deadlines the application period shall be extended by the same amount of days that applications were unable to be received. The extension will be communicated to the Saint Mary s community via the Fund s social media outlets and on the SMUSA IDIF webpage. Advertising: There must be a one-month advertising period preceding each application deadline. The IDIF uses the following methods for advertisement and communication: -The SMUSA IDIF webpage ( -The IDIF Twitter account: SMU IDIF -The IDIF smu.idif@gmail.com -Posters on SMU campus -Electronic billboards (TVs) on SMU campus 6

7 Eligibility: In order to be an eligible recipient of funding, the applicant must either be a Saint Mary s student or have graduated within 6 months. Furthermore, students must demonstrate that the prospective project is in accordance with the IDIF definition of development project and benefits the respective developing community. Each applicant must submit: a completed IDIF application form along with a letter of intent, a signed project counterpart letter, a CV, two academic reference letters, a proof of enrolment form (available from the Service Centre in McNally Main) or proof of graduation and fill out all applicable legal waivers and forms. What is a Project counterpart letter? The purpose of a counterpart letter is to prove that you are going to be participating in the development project or initiative that you claim to be working with in your application. It must be written by someone officially involved with your project. For example, if you were doing research with a SMU prof, they could write a letter confirming you re doing research with them. Another example is if you are working at an organization in a developing country than the person who hired you or the manger/owner/director of where you will be working/volunteering/researching can write the letter. The counterpart letter can also include anything that the organization believes will reinforce your application to the IDIF. If the organization believes you will be doing meaningful development work, and describes it as so, than the IDIF is likely to believe this as well. This letter must be signed. APPLICATION PROCESS: 1. Applicants will fill out and download the PDF IDIF Application form from: 2. Applicants will scan their proof of enrolment form to a PDF file (Proof of enrolment is available from the Service Centre, McNally Main 108). 3. Applicants will their completed Application form, CV, letter of intent and proof of enrolment form in PDF Format to smu.idif@gmail.com 4. Counterpart letter and reference letters will be mailed or dropped off (in a sealed envelope) to: 7

8 International Development Initiative Fund SMUSA Student Centre Building, 5 th floor, Room Robie St. Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3 C/O Ross Grant Fund Director If you have questions or concerns about the application process you may the Fund Director at smu.idif@gmail.com. Selection Process: All members of the Board of Directors will review the applications. Upon review of student s application, the Board of Directors will determine the prospective student s eligibility and the entire board of directors will determine which candidates will receive funding. Once the board of directors has finalized the list of fund recipients, successful applicants will be notified. Unsuccessful applicants will be contacted and thanked for their applications. Fund Management This fund will not be used to fund over 75% of any single project, nor will more than $2,000 be awarded to any single applicant in a given calendar year. Successful applicants who include supplies and humanitarian aid in their budget and request for funding must provide a detailed list of specific items needed and then provide the fund Director with original receipts. Funds will be distributed according to the following ranking system as voted on by the Board of Directors: 4 = Exceptional ($1001-$2000) 3 = Very good ($501-$1000) 2 = Good ($1-$500) 1 = Unsuccessful ($0) The Board of Directors will collectively decide on a number for each applicant at deliberation meetings. Successful applicants will receive 70% of their award before leaving for their project or, if this is not possible within a given time frame, during their project. The other 30% will be awarded when they provide within 30 days from their date of return: 8

9 1. In the case of air travel boarding passes from ALL FLIGHTS must be presented after returning from the applicant s project. Photocopies are not acceptable. 2. If the initiative is local and does not require air travel then all receipts of costs funded by the award must be presented. 3. All successful applicants must submit a detailed 1 page report summarizing their experience abroad, or at home if a local project, and their use of received funds. The IDIF encourages you to provide pictures of your trip as well for advertising purposes. All applicable requirements must be met in order to receive all funds. These requirements must be met within 30 days of returning from the project. They may be submitted to the Fund Director by . The Director will then forward the reports to all committee members for review. Additional Stipulations and limitations All projects must meet the definition of development project as defined in the Project Overview section of this document and on the IDIF Information Sheet. Students who are unsure if their project meets this definition may contact the Fund Director for clarification. Funding will not be provided retroactively. Applicants must be participating in their project within six months of the application deadline. The latest start date for a project when applying to the November round would be May 1, The latest start date for a project when applying to the April round would be October 1, The Board of Directors retains sole authority over the fund and its operations and reserves the right to deny funding to any applicant if they believe it does not meet the proper requirements. Funding is available to all Saint Mary s students but priority will be given to Undergraduate Students as the fund was created with the intention of giving Undergraduates opportunities to participate in International Development Projects. This stipulation exists because it is believed that graduate students have more sources of funding available to them than undergraduates. 9

10 Transparency A development project must have a minimum duration of 30 calendar days to qualify for funding. If this minimum is not met applicants my write a one (1) page letter in addition to the required application documents explaining why they believe their initiative deserves funding. All decisions of the Board of Directors are final. -Any member of the Saint Mary s community may request any information pertaining to this fund at all times. Detailed records will be kept of distribution of the funds as well as of the applicant selection process. -Access to information requests may be submitted, in writing, to the Fund Director. 10