CMC#President’s#Changemaker#Fund#
Program#Guidelines#
#
Introduction:#
#
Changemakers+create+positive+change+in+communities+by+creating+and+promoting+innovative+ideas+
in+a+variety+of+domains,+such+as+neighborhoods,+governments,+for8profit+and+non8profit+
organizations,+schools,+colleges,+and+universities.++By+dedicating+their+time,+talent,+and+resources,+
changemakers+deepen+their+understanding+of+themselves+while+transforming+their+environments.+
Changemaking+is+hard+and+complex.++Claremont+McKenna+College+is+embracing+this+challenge+by+
funding+unique,+transformative+experiences+that+push+its+students+to+tackle+the+world’s+most+
pressing+problems.++
+
#
Section#1:##Goals#and#Objectives#of#the#President’s#Changemaker#Fund+
!
Goals&for&student&experience&and&learning&
+
The+President’s+Changemaker+Fund+will+support+the+College’s+mission+by:+
+
1. Empowering+students+to+practice+intellectual+and+social+forms+of+leadership,+social+
innovation,+entrepreneurship,+community+engagement,+and+responsible+citizenship;++
2. Encouraging+students+to+think+creatively+about+how+they+can+create+high+levels+of+social+
impact+while+maintaining+a+strong+level+of+realism+and+self8awareness+about+their+potential+
for+social+impact+in+their+projects;+
3. Serving+as+an+opportunity+for+exceptional,+transformational+experiences+for+students;+and+
4. Strengthening+Claremont+McKenna+College’s+relationships+with+local+and+global+
communities.+
+
Objectives&
&&
To+achieve+the+above+goals,+the+President’s+Changemaker+Fund+will:+
+
• Serve+as+a+resource+for+students+who+want+to+make+a+positive+difference+in+their+local+
community,+state,+country,+or+the+world+beyond,+and+simultaneously+provide+students+the+
opportunity+to+experience+first8hand+the+immense+challenge+and+complexity+of+creating+social+
change;++++
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• Enrich+the+community+through+collaborative+relationships+and+interactions+between+faculty,+
staff,+students,+alumni,+parents,+and+trustees;++
• Enrich+intellectual+life+and+arts+on+the+campus;++
• Elevate+understanding+of+public+policy+issues+as+they+relate+to+local,+national,+and+global,+
issues;+
• Support+opportunities+to+practice+skills+of+grant8writing+and+the+creation+of+persuasive+
proposals;+
• Encourage+students+to+enhance+local+communities+that+are+within+reach;+
+
• Encourage+students+interested+in+global+problems+to+contemplate+complementary+projects+in+
local+communities+that+can+be+more+easily+pursued+during+the+school+year;+
• Provide+opportunities+that+define+and+invaluably+enhance+his+or+her+college+experience;+and+
• Promote+exceptional+academic+performance+and+strong+leadership+potential+in+students.+
+
Through+their+proposed+experiences,+recipients+of+the+President’s+Changemaker+Fund+will:++
+
• Develop+analytical+and+methodological+skills+and+creative+thinking+through+research+or+
program+design+that+engages+in+the+problem+identification+and+problem+solving+process;+++
• Practice+using+available+tools+of+social+innovation,+entrepreneurship,+and+community+
engagement;+
• Confront+21st+century+challenges+courageously+and+with+self8awareness;+
• Deepen+his+or+her+empathy+and+understanding+of+intercultural+knowledge+and+competence;+
and+
• Develop+leadership+and+teamwork+skills+by+collaborating+with+others+to+create+positive+social+
change.++
+
Section#2:#Program#Implementation#
+
Eligibility!Requirements!
Students+must+be:+
• In+good+standing+with+the+College+as+verified+by+the+Dean+of+Students+Office,+and+maintain+a+
minimum+GPA+of+8.5;+
• In+compliance+with+College+policies+for+international+travel+(i.e.,+not+a+first8year+student,+fulfill+
all+insurance+requirements,+observe+limitations+on+travel+to+countries+with+travel+warnings);+
and+
• Students+enrolled+at+CMC;+please+note+that+for+initiatives+with+5C+participants,+groups+must+
request+funding+from+other+host+institutions+(Consideration+may+be+given+to+5C+initiatives+on+
a+case+by+case+basis).+
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!
Funding!Stipulations!
Stipulations+on+funding+include:+
• Use+for+future+opportunities+only;+no+retroactive+funding+will+be+considered;+
• Funding+will+be+provided+as+a+reimbursement+of+expenses,+typically+within+30+days+of+
students’+return+and+submission+of+receipts.+Stipends+will+not+be+provided;+however,+in+rare+
cases,+exceptions+may+be+made+for+students+who+demonstrate+a+reimbursement+process+
would+be+a+personal+financial+burden;+
• Reconciliation+of+expenses+will+occur+by+the+end+of+the+following+semester+(i.e.,+fall+funding+
allocations+must+be+reconciled+by+June+30;+spring+funding+by+the+last+day+CMC+is+open+in+
December).+Longer+ranging+requests+will+be+considered+on+a+case8by8case+basis;+and+
• Travel+by+student+recipients+must+adhere+to+standard+CMC+travel+policies.+
+
Student!Organizations!
The+President’s+Changemaker+Fund+will+occasionally+provide+one8time,+initial+funding+for+pre8
existing+organizations+that+are+starting+an+exceptional+new+initiative+or+are+collaborating+in+unique+
ways+with+on8campus+and+off8campus+partners.++To+obtain+these+initial+one8time+funds,+students+
will+need+to+demonstrate+how+funding+will+be+sustained.+++
• For+example,+funding+proposals+for+an+inaugural+conference+on+the+campus+would+need+to+
identify+a+plan+for+bringing+sustainable+funding+from+other+sources;+and+
• ASCMC+is+expected+to+assume+responsibility+for+funding+ongoing+student+organizations+
beyond+this+one8time+distribution+of+funds.+
+
The+Fund+will+also+occasionally+provide+“start8up”+funding+for+new,+innovative+organizations.++
Students+must+demonstrate+that+the+new+organization+is+meeting+critical+need+or+is+filling+a+gap+that+
is+not+being+met+by+any+other+initiative+on+campus.++
+
Once+the+student+organization+is+established,+it+is+expected+that+ongoing+funding+will+be+provided+
through+the+standard+ASCMC+channels+for+funding+student+clubs+and+organizations.+
+
Conference!Proposals+
• Professional+conference+proposals+should+demonstrate+alignment+with+students’+pre8
professional+goals;+
• Academic+conference+proposals:+
− Will+be+given+preference+when+a+student+is+presenting+(either+poster+or+oral+presentation)+
− Will+require+students+to+articulate+the+purpose+of+his/her+intellectual+inquiry+
• Preference+will+be+given+to+students+attending+conferences+accompanied+by+faculty+or+staff.++
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• Preference+will+be+given+to+content+that+reflects+the+College’s+mission+of+responsible+
leadership+by+examining+pressing+social,+cultural,+economic,+political,+or+environmental+issues+
that+inhibit+the+health,+education,+prosperity+and+sustainability+of+communities+on+campus,+in+
our+region+and+around+the+world.+
+
Section#3:#Application#Process#+
+
Once+per+semester,+the+Director+of+Student+Activities+will+hold+an+open+meeting+for+all+interested+
participants+to+review+goals+and+the+purpose+of+the+Fund.+Following+this+meeting,+the+Director+will+
solicit+a+call+for+proposals+for+the+Fund,+allowing+ample+time+for+completion.++
+
Applications+will+include:+
• An+online+proposal+submission;+
• A+detailed+budget+(a+sample+budget+will+be+provided);+
• Faculty/staff+sign8off+on+the+proposal,+stating+that+the+faculty/staff+believes+this+opportunity+to+be+
legitimate+and+in+line+with+the+goals+of+the+President’s+Changemaker+Fund;+and+
• One+proposal+submission+per+group,+with+all+group+members+contributing+to+the+application+
process+
+
Applications+will+be+reviewed+by+the+President’s+Changemaker+Fund+Selection+Committee,+and+their+
funding+recommendations+will+be+forwarded+to+President+Chodosh+for+final+funding+allocation.+
!
Acceptance!stage!
The+President+maintains+discretion+to+award+partial+funding+to+proposed+projects+or+to+fund+only+
those+portions+of+the+projects+that+fit+within+the+goals+of+the+Changemaker+Fund.+When+students+are+
notified+of+successful+proposals,+they+will+also+be+informed+on:+
• The+components+of+the+proposal+that+are+being+funded;++
• What+receipts+are+required+and+in+what+form+(original+receipts),+and+deadlines+for+
reimbursement—students+will+be+responsible+for+managing+their+budget+once+the+funding+
amount+is+approved;+
• What+to+do+if+the+project+changes—students+will+be+required+to+submit+a+revised+proposal+within+
a+reasonable+timeframe+for+reconsideration;+
• The+responsibility+to+speak+with+their+faculty+and+request+arrangements+for+their+absence+if+
travel+occurs+during+the+academic+semester—approval+of+absence+and/or+missed+assignments+or+
exams+is+at+faculty+discretion;+and+
• The+expectation+that+they+will+be+available+to+speak+at+an+Athenaeum+event+upon+project+
completion,+in+which+students+present+about+their+experiences,+learning+outcomes+achieved+and+
contributions+to+the+College+community+and+the+communities+served.+
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