Students should complete the MontereySTART application form and submit it. Your application will be reviewed, and you will be contacted within three weeks. If your project is selected for MontereySTART, you will have the opportunity to work with staff advisors from the Center for Advising and Career Services, Digital Learning Commons, and Institutional Advancement to post your project on the MontereySTART site.
All current Monterey Institute students and student clubs/groups are eligible to apply for MontereySTART funding.
No, unofficial student groups are also eligible to apply for project funding (Ex. a group of students from Professor Kardam’s Women’s Human Rights class).
We encourage students to request funding for unique and concrete project needs. Students may use funds for travel and living expenses on a limited basis; however, your funding request should focus on expenses to get your project off the ground, such as supplies, equipment, printing costs, program and outreach costs, etc.
Students cannot fundraise to offset tuition costs. However, they are welcome to fundraise for a research or service opportunity that does earn them academic credit, such as the International Professional Service Semester (IPSS) program.
To be considered, projects must be initiated, designed, and carried out by students. Projects will be judged on the following criteria:
MontereySTART applications are considered on a rolling basis. We hope to respond to each application submission within 7-10 days. We recommend submitting your proposal several months before you need funding, as the number of projects that can be featured at any time is limited and it may take time to fully fund your project once it’s published to the MotnereySTART platform.
Each project will be displayed for no more than six months or until it is funded. Once projects are funded, they will be archived on the site, so donors can see the outcome of their gifts and be inspired to continue supporting students. However, failure to attend regular meetings with a staff advisor and to provide donor stewardship will result in the removal of a project at the MontereySTART committee’s discretion.
Funding goals for student projects may not exceed $2,000. Less expensive budget proposals are encouraged, as they are generally easier to fund. Each project funding request will be considered on an individual basis.
Once your project is funded, the money will be released to you through a reimbursement process. In most cases, you will be expected to submit receipts for project expenses in order to receive your MontereySTART funds. You and your team will meet with a staff advisor to discuss next steps, which will include a plan for communicating with the donors to your project.
If the MontereySTART committee determines that the smaller amount will enable you to complete your project or a significant part of it, you will receive the funding. If the money cannot be effectively used for the project, it will go to one of the Institute’s highest priorities: general financial aid. If the project is over-funded, students will work with the MontereySTART committee to determine whether the additional funds can be effectively used by the project leaders or would best benefit the Institute’s general financial aid.
Yes. All gifts received within the current fiscal year (July 1–June 30) count toward these goals.
Students will be adding content to their project sites regularly, and you can opt-in to receive emails about the projects you support on the giving form. You may also use the “Comments” section located at the bottom of the main project sites to leave questions for the project leaders.
The money donated will be directed to one of the Institute’s highest priorities: general financial aid. If the project is over-funded, students will work with the MontereySTART committee to determine whether the additional funds can be effectively used by the project leaders or would best benefit the Institute’s general financial aid.
Your gift will be included on the MontereySTART site the first Friday after you make it. If you still do not see your gift after one week, please contact Dollie Pope at dpope@miis.edu.
Can students use these funds to help offset the cost of completing an unpaid internship this summer with an NGO or with the Government? Thanks, Ted
Yes! Under “Success Stories,” you can see that students who interpreted for the 2012 Summer Olympics received MontereySTART funding. Also, two students who traveled to Haiti over January term to complete service projects raised funds to offset their costs.
Thanks,
Rebecca