Mary H. Brown Fund

Fund Overview

Mary H. Brown’s bequest to McGill University primarily supported the creation of facilities for Health Services and Mental Health Services in the Brown Student Services Building. The balance of the fund was set aside as the Mary H. Brown Fund to provide ongoing special project support.

The Fund, approximately $20,000 per year in total, supports initiatives consistent with Ms. Brown's wishes. Applications may be received from any unit or organization within the McGill community, be it from students, staff or faculty. Selected projects typically have a projected budget between $500-$3,000.

Application Guidelines

Applications:

• must be for new initiatives, and may be considered for at most one renewal;
• may be submitted for self-contained projects or extensions to existing projects;
• may be received from any unit or organization within the McGill community;
• should be addressed to the Dean of Students*;
• will be examined by the Director of Bequests and Planned Gifts, Development, Alumni and University Relations to confirm their conformity with the wishes of the benefactors; and
• will be adjudicated by the Dean and Associate Dean of Students, who will inform the Provost of their decisions.

*Brown Student Services Building, Room 2100, 3600 McTavish. Telephone 514-398-4990.

Application Content

There is no application form. Please apply in a letter (maximum 5 double-spaced pages) that includes:

• a title,
• a 100-word summary,
• goals,
• participants,
• contact information,
• activities to be undertaken,
• anticipated outcomes or benefits, and
• a detailed budget.

Please submit your application in .pdf format to deanofstudents [at] mcgill.ca

Application Deadline

Applications for 2018 will be accepted from May 15th and close on June 15th. 

Applications should be received by June 15th for the following fiscal year. Subject to the availability of funds, summer and early autumn applications involving clearly time sensitive or fleeting opportunities that could not have been anticipated in time for the regular deadline might also be considered. The Dean of Students may also invite applications for targeted projects. The same review process will apply to all proposals.

Preparing a Successful Application

Successful past projects have included most or all of the following elements:

• Create links with other McGill departments, organizations, or student groups.
• Have an impact on students, including those beyond the project applicants.
• Involve students in sensitization and educational events.
• Engage groups of students with local communities.
• Request a modest vs. a large budget.
• Explain the potential for the project to be ongoing and to receive alternate sources of funding in the future.

Projects less likely to receive support through this fund include those:

• Under the jurisdiction of, and already funded by, a student association, although co-sponsorships are eligible.
• That include research or academic issues that should be funded at the departmental or Faculty level.
• That benefit only individual students (e.g., funding for taking a course or travel).
• That request upgrading or improvements to equipment, furnishings or physical space (interior or exterior).
• That cover costs pertaining to an hourly wage, salary or honoraria.

Previously Funded Proposals

Synopses of recent projects that received funding include:

The Cooking Together for Health project organizes health-themed cooperative cooking sessions for student parents. In these sessions, participants cooperatively cook two weeks’ worth of healthy family dinners for a nominal fee of $5 per family. The project promotes healthy living and eating in the McGill Community, helps student parents network with each other, and assists members with balancing their many responsibilities. This project received $2,250 to be used towards promotion, food and child care expenses.

The McGill Farmers’ Market involves the creation of a Community Supported Agriculture program, in which members purchase a set amount of produce from local farmers in advance and pick it up on campus on a weekly basis. The main goal is to provide members of the McGill community with a healthy, convenient and local produce option during the summer months, while also encouraging environmentally-friendly, healthy eating options. This project received $300 to be used towards promotion.

The McGill University Financial Literacy project aims to provide financial life skills to students in order to help them make sound financial decisions during their academic careers as well as through the rest of their lives. This goal will be achieved through workshops on topics such as budgeting, savings, and credit and debt load, as well as the production of printed materials such as a financial resource toolkit. This project received $2,000 to be used towards toolkits and workshops.

Upon Receipt of Funding

The Dean of Students will notify recipients and, with the approval of the Director of Planned Giving, will issue the disbursement.

• Successful projects must send the Dean of Students a brief report on the use of the funds and main outcomes of the project by June 15th of the year following receipt of the funding. This report will be shared with the Provost and the Director of Bequests and Planned Gifts, and must accompany any request for renewal.
• It is the responsibility of the principal contact person to ensure that copies of all relevant invoices or bills are kept on file should funded projects be audited at any time.
• Any advertising of projects or events should mention that Mary H. Brown funding made it possible in whole (or in part).
• If, due to unforeseen circumstances, projects do not go forward for any reason, please deanofstudents [at] mcgill.ca (inform the Dean of Students).