Societies & Media Grants

Throughout the year, eligible groups have the opportunity to apply for grant funding from York SU. Grants can help an amazing project come to fruition; enable you to put on a brilliant event; or just support you as you continue to provide great opportunities for your members.

Grants are not available all year round, but only at specific times of year, and they are extremely competitive, so a good application can make all the difference.

A successful grant application will grant you money for a set time period. Grant money must be spent by the 30th June of the academic year. Any unspent money will be reclaimed from your account after this date. There is no opportunity to claim it back after this deadline.

When you apply for a grant, you must state what you wish to spend it on. Any grant money you receive can only be spent on what it was requested for, except in exceptional circumstances. If you wish to spend your grant on anything other than that for which you applied, contact your link staff member to discuss your situation.

Applications Now Open! 

York SU Society Annual Grant applications are now open! Please ensure that you read our application form in full before responding, as it will include important information as to how you should apply for this year's grant. 

Applications close 13:00 on Monday 23 June.

We have included a PDF copy of the form below so that you can read ahead before applying! 

Eligibility 

In order to apply for a grant you MUST:

• Have submitted all ratification documents 

• Signatories to have completed all online training for the academic year ahead

• Have completed our society Impact Report, if you had a York SU grant previously

• Charge a minimum £4 annual fee for all memberships

• Have ensured that your whole committee has paid their membership fee

• Be able to reach at least 15 members next academic year (upon which your grant will be released)

Grant money CAN be used for the following purposes:

• Operational, day-to-day costs (eg. show rights, or keeping on top of any items you need to function regularly as a society)

• Publicity and marketing (e.g. Canva subscription, posters, banners, flyers, business cards. NOTE: we will fund up to £30 for this purpose)

• Transport (NOTE: we can fund up to ⅔ of transport/travel costs)

• Training and teaching

• Events (e.g. Regular and annual events, trips, excursions, festivals, theatre trips etc, so long as the purpose of the event is within the aims and objectives of the society)

• Prizes (NOTE: we can fund up to £50 for this purpose)

• Speakers/travelling visitors and conferences (NOTE: we can fund up to ⅔ of travel expenses)

• Equipment (NOTE: only if you can demonstrate that you have sufficient storage on campus)

You CANNOT apply for:

• Food or drink (unless this is integral to the purpose of the society e.g. Baking Society)

• Group merchandise (e.g. branded clothes, stationery)

• Purely social functions (e.g. your summer ball)

Grant applications are judged by the Societies Committee, who allocate funds accordingly. 

These allocations are based on:

• Membership fee

• Current account balance

• Extra funds (sponsorship or fundraising) received in the last year

• How your application links to your constitutional aims & objectives

• How the funding will develop your group

• The level of detail provided on the grant application

Applications must:

• Be in preferential order, with your first item being the most important item that you would like to receive grant for.

• State how the grant will help fulfill the aims and objectives of your group as agreed by your committee and as stated within your constitution

• State how the group will contribute towards the empowerment of students within your community

• State how the group will actively create connections between members of the group, sharing experiences and developing together

• Detail the group’s current financial status, including explanations for any excessively high own funds accounts

• Detail the extent to which measures have been taken to seek other sources of funding i.e. memberships, sponsorships

Grant Types

York SU offers various different grant opportunities. They are:

Annual Grant: Societies & Media Groups

You apply for this in Summer Term for the upcoming academic year, outlining your long-term activities and development plans.

New Society Grant: Societies & Media Groups

This grant is only available for societies and media groups which are in their first year of ratification. It’s a limited pot of up to £100 per successful application to help the group get set up and support its long-term sustainability. For more information, please contact societies@yorksu.org. 

Allocations

Grant applications are reviewed and judged by the relevant representative committee. Allocations are made on a number of factors, including how many members your group has, your current Own Funds balance, and how your application links to your constitutional aims. Grants are often partially allocated and all decisions are final. 

Contact your link staff member or our Societies Team (societies@yorksu.org)