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Funding sources for civic engagement initiatives at CUNY

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The discussion explores various funding sources for civic engagement initiatives at CUNY, including grants and personal efforts by staff members.

Helen-Margaret Nasser describes her work as a 'labor of love' and mentions free resources from national organizations.
Vice Chancellor Denise Maybank provides specific examples of grants received by Borough of Manhattan Community College, totaling over $17,000.
The conversation highlights the need for promoting available resources across all CUNY campuses.
Nasser mentions the 'All In to Vote Challenge' as a resource for comparing initiatives with national averages and setting goals.

Gale Brewer

0:53:24

Okay.

0:53:25

But it's so fund how does the funding work for

Erik Bottcher

0:53:27

Kingsborough or or elsewhere in terms of

Gale Brewer

0:53:29

the persons who are doing this?

Helen-Margaret Nasser

0:53:31

So funding, this is a labor of love.

0:53:33

This is something that I've added into my job description.

0:53:37

But again, a lot of those national organizations that I've cited are very helpful.

0:53:41

They give free resources, the materials, the Instagram icon graphics, the emails are already drafted.

0:53:49

So a lot of these organizations are huge supports to make the lift a lot easier.

0:53:54

There are grant funds that are available as well.

0:53:56

And as I mentioned, you know, free pizza, which I was pretty surprised was that easy a pizza Maria called and said, I'm here to deliver 10 pies.

0:54:04

And I said, I didn't order 10 pies, and I thought I was being scanned, but then it was the effortlessness of me just filling out this form and the pizza showed up.

Denise Maybank

0:54:13

If I may add, Matt, BMCC, the borough Manhattan Community College, identified some funding sources that they have, some grants they've received, and so they have $9,000 in a grant from help America vote and that's a mini grant, the national voter registration day community college grant of $2413.

0:54:39

And then they have the vote early day funding of a $1000 and a $5000 grant from ask every student.

0:54:46

So there are some resources out there.

0:54:48

We may need to promote them a little more for the other campuses to make sure that everybody gets a little something because otherwise, it's a it's a CUNY job.

0:54:56

It's what you do in addition to what you do.

0:55:00

Okay.

Gale Brewer

0:55:01

And other colleges around the country not to say that maybe CUNY is doing it best, certainly, possibility, that you'll look too to see if there are ways that we could increase.

Helen-Margaret Nasser

0:55:15

CUNY and Kings and New York are very unique given our student population as well.

0:55:21

But there are there's an organization called the all in to vote challenge, and they provide when we submit our action plan each year, they'll score it, and then they'll compare it to national averages and give you feedback.

0:55:34

So that's another great resource, and they do rank the community colleges.

0:55:38

They rank the schools by grouping as well.

0:55:40

So it helps you pick a comparable goal of an institution that would align with with the demographics and the makeup of your own institution.

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