The COOP Public Service Grants for Harvard/MIT Student Groups

The COOP has invested in the Harvard and MIT communities for years through the COOP Grants for Public Service. Funds are available to support Harvard and MIT students involved in new and ongoing public/community service programs and projects that benefit their campuses and the Cambridge and Boston area.

ELIGIBILITY: Harvard and MIT degree candidates that are Coop members are eligible to apply. Coop membership is required for consideration for a Coop Grant. You can check your membership status or sign-up for membership at Membership. The yearly membership fee is $1.

You must be enrolled at the time of the application as well as through the period in which the funds will be utilized. Students must apply on behalf of Harvard/MIT recognized organizations or a 501c3 nonprofit organization. If your student organization is newly formed, please provide proof of campus recognition or pending recognition. You can verify your recognition status with the Dean of Students Office at Harvard College or Student Activities Office at MIT. For graduate schools, please contact the appropriate office on your campus.

Harvard groups representing Phillips Brooks House Association programs are not eligible for this grant program and should direct their requests through the PBHA.

The COOP does not typically fund proposals from Student Government Organizations.

INFORMATION:

The Coop Community and University Relations Committee will accept one grant application per academic year from a given group. If you have multiple activities for which you want to request support, please include in the one application. Approved projects are expected to use grant funds before the next application cycle. The awards are generally in the $1000-$2000 range; however, larger, well-justified requests are also considered. The Coop Community and University Relations Committee reviews the applications. Applicants will be notified on the status of their application three weeks after the application deadline. This means that you will not be informed as to the status of your application until after the application deadline, regardless of when you submit your application. Please plan accordingly and consider the grant application deadlines when applying for funding. Please note that activities or events that have already occurred will not be approved for funding.

Applications require a budget for any event or activity.

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

September 22, 2023

November 10, 2023

February 9, 2024

March 29, 2024

Your event must be at least 3 weeks after the application deadline in order to be considered for funding. This is to allow time for payment processing.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria for Grants

QUALIFICATIONS:

Projects should meet more than one of the following criteria to be considered outstanding in the eyes of the committee:

·       Organized (and executed) by Harvard/MIT degree candidates affiliated with student organizations recognized by their University/Institute

·       Benefits or serves the Harvard/MIT campus communities or the Cambridge/Boston community

·       Demonstrates the lasting impact for the community at the end of the project and beyond the project timeframe

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Preference will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following:

·       Build or positively impact the Harvard/MIT communities

·       Promote good citizenship and humanitarian efforts

·       Present innovative and entrepreneurial, yet practical and achievable projects

·       Proposals submitted by teams or campus organizations, rather than individuals

The COOP Gives Grant Program is not able to fund requests for:

·       Student Government Organizations

·       Activities or events that have already occurred

·       Travel

·       Scholarships

·       Registration fees to attend conferences

·       Technology or equipment for one- time use

·       Events in support of partisan/political causes

·       Compensation (e.g., speaker fees, honoraria, salaries, payment for services, etc.)

Coop Grants are not intended for specific marketing support such as advertising, sponsorship, or in-kind donations. To request this type of support, please contact marketing@thecoop.com

Please be sure to click the SUBMIT button below.

****Please do NOT enter any website URL (form may not contain http:// or https:// in the form fields.) Your application will not be submitted if it contains a hyperlink.****

Upon successful submission of your application, you will receive a confirmation email (please also check your spam folder). If you do not receive the confirmation email within 24 hours of submission, please contact Chuck Hayes at grants@thecoop.com