1. Committees and Reports
  2. Completed Committees
  3. Jackorg Queens Student Initiative Fund
  4. Jack.org/Queen's Student Initiative Fund 

Jack.org/Queen's Student Initiative Fund 

Please Note:  After six years of supporting student mental health and wellness at Queen’s, the expandable funds in the Jack.org/Queen’s Student Initiative account have been depleted. Going forward, students are encouraged to seek financial support for their mental health and wellness projects from other sources. Applications to the Jack.org/Queen’s Student Initiative fund will no longer be accepted.

What is Jack.org?

Jack.org is a national charity launched with the assistance of Queen’s University. The organization was founded in 2010 as as the legacy of Jack Windeler, a student at Queen’s who tragically and unexpectedly died by suicide. Like so many young people in Canada, Jack didn’t know how to reach out for help and struggled in silence. Realizing this story is all too common Jack’s parents, Eric and Sandra, became committed to fundamentally changing how we think and talk about mental health in Canada. They quickly discovered that young people are the most effective leaders in this conversation, and they created Jack.org to listen to and amplify their voices. See more at: www.jack.org

What is Jack.org/Queen’s Student Initiative Fund?

The Jack.org/Queen’s Student Initiative Fund (Jack.org/Queen's SIF) wishes to support and encourage the students at Queen’s as they take ownership of the topic of mental health and wellness on campus. Often it is students who possess the creative energy and enthusiasm to run fantastic events, programs, and activities to create real and substantial change. But the reality is, many of these things cost money, which can be hard to come by as a student.

To help with the financial burden, The Jack.org/Queen's SIF provides funding opportunities for special projects and initiatives that support student health and wellness, with a specific emphasis on mental health.

If you or your student group/club have an initiative that needs financial support, review the application criteria below to see if you are eligible!

Application Criteria:

  • The project must be non-profit, and not for academic credit;
  • The applicant(s) must be a registered student(s) at Queen's at the time of application, and implement the event or program within the current or upcoming academic year;
  • The project can be developed and implemented in partnership with other Queen’s and external community mental health initiatives and organizations.

Items Eligible for Funding:

  • Speaker fees and associated expenses;
  • Room and equipment rentals for meetings and conferences;
  • Supplies (such as labels, paper etc.);
  • Marketing, promotional or communication expenses;
  • Travel expenses;
  • Purchase of food or beverages;
  • Volunteer recognition tokens of appreciation;
  • Other operating expenses, not excluded below.

Items Not Eligible for Funding:

  • Purchase of equipment;
  • Expenses such as charitable donations, wages, or honoraria;
  • Expenses in support of individuals attending a meeting or conference.

Selection Criteria:  

Each project application will be reviewed and judged in relation to the following criteria:

  • The extent to which the project, activity or event supports student mental health;
  • The extent to which the project, activity or event builds or supports leadership and/or community-building skills;
  • The extent to which the project, activity or event is open to the Queen’s community and/or the broader community.

Funding Decisions:

The approval and amount of funding will be made by the Jack.org/Queen's SIF Advisory Board and will be contingent upon:

  • The availability of funds;
  • The alignment of the project, activity or event with the stated selection criteria and priorities of the fund;
  • The potential impact of the proposed project, activity or event, including the potential for the project, activity or event to be adopted at other institutions;
  • The degree of initiative taken to raise funds from other sources. Those groups that have shown greater initiative in this area will be viewed more favourably.

Reporting Requirements:

 Report Form (DOC, 43 KB)

Successful applicants must complete the Jack.org/Queen's SIF Report Form and an updated Budget Form and submit them within 30 calendar days after the event/activity. The report should include:

  • Title or name of project;
  • Names and contact information of person(s) completing the report;
  • Number of persons who participated in the project, activity or event;
  • Description of the event and how it met the goals of the selection criteria;
  • Include copies of media coverage if available;
  • Final Budget Form that includes a breakdown of the Jack.org/Queen's SIF funds that were spent. Please keep copies of all receipts that pertain to funding provided by the Jack.org/Queen's SIF, as they may be requested for audit purposes.

Important Notes:

  1. Travel or related expenses for individual students attending or presenting at a meeting or conference will not be funded. Travel expenses for groups of students participating in co-curricular/service learning and/or volunteer activities will be considered as eligible expenses if the overall project or activity is approved for funding and are subject to Queen’s Travel Policy;
  2. Sponsorship of a project, activity or event through this fund does not make it a Queen’s-sanctioned event. As such, the university assumes no liability out of or in consequence of any attendance or participation in an activity or event;
  3. Incomplete applications, or applications not containing the proper detailed information, will not be reviewed or considered for funding;
  4. Certain proposals may require additional letters of support or approval, depending on the nature of the initiative;
  5. Applications submitted by staff or faculty members will not be considered; however, staff, faculty and/or community members may sit as members of the planning/organizing group;
  6. Applications will not be accepted for projects, activities or events retroactively;
  7. Successful applications (including project title and the amount of the award) will be identified on the Jack.org/Queen's SIF webpage, part of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) website;
  8. An annual report of the Jack.org/Queen's SIF expenditures will be sent to the Jack.org/Queen's SIF Advisory Board.
  9. Please note that any unused portion of an award is to be returned. The Jack.org/Queen's SIF Adjudication Panel is not responsible for covering deficits of events that cost more than the anticipated budget.

Contact Information:

If you have any further questions, feel free to direct them to provost@queensu.ca with the following subject line: Jack.org/Queen's SIF Inquiry

Jack.org/Queen's SIF
c/o Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)
Suite 353, Richardson Hall
74 University Avenue
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON
K7L 3N6
613-533-2020
provost@queensu.ca