What is The Liberation Fund?
The liberation fund is a portion of money set aside by Goldsmiths SU that can be accessed and used by students and community members to help fund events or projects that are tied to liberation. Initially this fund was only accessible to the sabbatical and the liberation part-time officers at the SU; by opening up this fund to the student community we are hoping to increase the number of liberation-based events and projects at Goldsmiths and also see a widening in the types of events and projects due to the accessibility of this fund by new groups and individuals at Goldsmiths.
'Liberation is the act of working to challenge and reverse the effects of structural oppression in society.'
At Goldsmiths SU, we support six liberation networks, bringing together BME (black and minority ethnic), women, LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer +), trans and non-binary people, disabled students, and international students of all nationalities (regardless of citizenship or residency status) to meet others, build networks and work on issues, campaigns and plans.
The opening of the liberation fund is to allow any student to apply for a set amount of money to fund a liberation-related activity. You do not have to be a part-time officer or even part of a liberation network to apply for this funding.
The funding itself can be used for a variety of things, such as funding a campaign, putting on an event, or buying resources for a group of people. The parameters of what you can spend the money on is deliberately indefinite as we know that liberation work cannot be confined to any specific type of work.
Currently, the liberation fund allows applicants to receive up to a maximum of £500 per application dependending upon the nature of the event or project and the financial needs of it, there is no minimum monetary limit so please apply only for the funding you need as this allows us to sustain the budget and fund further events and projects.
All applications will be manually reviewed by the SU followed by a meeting between the applicants and the SU to discuss the application. If further funding beyond the initial £500 is required for an event then this is a possibility and will be deliberated via a discussion between the SU and the applicant.
Who can I contact to talk about the Liberation Fund?
For further information about the Liberation Fund please speak to your full time Sabbatical Officer team or Part Time Liberation Officers.
Apply Now
You can Apply for the Liberation Fund Using the Application Form linked here.
Apply Now
FAQs
Who is eligible for this fund?
- Any individual or group from the Goldsmiths student community that is hosting an event or creating a project that is directly related to liberation.
What do I need to include in my application?
- You must include the following details in your application:
Your name, your event/project, the amount requested, date of money needed (if necessary), a breakdown of costs (an itemised list of exact costs that adds up to the amount requested) split into ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ (costs that are necessary to your event/project and costs that are not required but you would ideally have), and project details (including how this will benefit the wider community).
What is the upper monetary limit per application?
- Currently the upper monetary limit is £500 per application (although you should only apply for the money you need), but further funding may be possible through a discussion with the SU.
How will the fund pay the money out?
- Applicants will need to provide us with invoices from suppliers so that we can pay the supplier directly from the fund. The fund is unable to just pay the money directly into someone's bank account, however, if an individual has purchased items that the panel has agreed to pay for, you can provide us with the receipt and we can reimburse it.
What is the upper limit of applications accepted per term?
- There is currently no upper limit of applications, however there is a set amount of money currently in this fund. If this fund ever runs out then the SU will still work to support your event or project in every way that we can.
What is the maximum number of people who can apply at once or on one project?
- There is no maximum number of people that can apply at once, however multiple people cannot apply for the £1000 each to then be used all for the same event. If further funding beyond the £1000 is required then this can be discussed between the SU and the applicant.
When will I hear if my application is granted?
- The Liberation Fund Panel meets every other Thursday to review the application, you will hear back regarding the status of your application within one week of the date of the nearest panel meeting.
When is the deadline for applications?
- The liberation fund is an ongoing fund that does not have deadlines for applications. We only ask that you provide a four week notice for any events and projects so that we have time to work it all out!