FAQs

In April 2010, 93.8% of students voted in favor of a referendum establishing The Green Initiative Fund at Hunter College (TGIF). TGIF at Hunter is based on a successful model for a recurring environmental project fund that has been established on campuses across the country. The referendum at Hunter reallocated approximately $48,000 annually from the Student Activity Fee – $2.00 per undergraduate full-time student per semester and $0.80 per undergraduate part-time student per semester – toward TGIF, in order to advance sustainability on campus.

Project applicant must be a Hunter College undergraduate student in good standing, because the fund draws from undergraduate student activities fees. However, all CUNY students, faculty, staff, as well as members of outside organizations may be included as project personnel.

There are no minimum or maximum requirements for grant applications. However, each grant application must include a detailed budget and timeline.

Previously funded projects include:

– water refill stations

– bike racks and repair station

– healthy cooking demonstration

– bathroom hand dryers

– environmental tablings with giveaways

The Grant Making Committee (GMC) will review grant applications and decide the allocation of funds to proposed projects by a majority vote of the full Committee membership.

The Fall application deadline is usually in early October, and will be announced at the beginning of the semester. You can find the application here. Please feel free to reach out to a TGIF advisor to discuss your project ideas and how to write a competitive application. 

All applicants will be notified of a funding decision before the end of the Fall semester. 

If you have questions about the application process after reviewing the online guidelines, please email tgif@hunter.cuny.edu or schedule an appointment with a TGIF advisor. 

No, any purchase of supplies, materials, clothing, etc., remains the property of TGIF and may not be retained by any individual. All items purchased with TGIF funds have to be given to the GMC at the end of the project.

TGIF is not responsible for promoting funded projects. Funded projects and grantees will be featured on our website and social media. However, grantees are responsible for their own event promotion, which can take the form of tablings, flyers and posters, digital ads on the television screens, Hunter calendar posts, Hunter email blasts (USG blast, GSA blast, Hunter Gatherer), and social media posts. All outreach and promotional costs must be included in the project budget, such as printing costs for posters and signage, table banners, stickers and tote bags, signage holders, etc.

You can, as long as you have a feasible and clear plan for your project. Important things to consider as you map out your project:

– How will these changes will be made? 

– What will be the cost of maintaining the new physical changes?

– Will an outside company be brought in to make the changes, or can it be done by a department within Hunter?

It is recommended that students considering projects involving physical changes to the campus consult with a TGIF advisor, as well as the Office of Facilities Management, to develop a feasible project plan.

You can, as long as you have a feasible and clear plan for your project. In this case, it is important to clearly describe in your timeline who will be responsible for maintaining your project after the TGIF grant runs out and after you graduate. 

You cannot pay yourself a stipend or a salary as part of a TGIF project. You also cannot pay a Hunter faculty member with TGIF funds. You can hire outside advisors, but only 20% of your total budget can be spent on outside advisors.

It may be possible to get independent study or internship credit for your TGIF project. This would need to be arranged with your department. 

CISC can help you find an environmental internship and offers a few sustainability focused courses through the Department of Geography. There are also a number of student groups working to green the campus. Visit the College Association website for a list of student groups.