You can’t earn all the money, but it’s worth a try: What are the alternative ways to raise funds for student self-government?

What is the problem?

Student self-government bodies (SSGBs) are a crucial part of higher education institutions in Ukraine and one of the few civil society representatives with guaranteed funding. The Law "On Higher Education" mandates that at least 0.5% of a university's revenue be allocated to their activities. However, accessing these funds is often hindered by bureaucracy, forcing SSGBs to seek alternative funding sources.

What is the solution?

To support student leaders, the Ukrainian Student League, together with the Kyiv Youth Center, organized the forum "Fundraising: From Start to Finish." Instead of lectures and panel discussions, the organizers opted for a hands-on format, successfully tested at previous events like the YOUSL Legal Forum and MediaMove for student media representatives.

The forum brought together 100 student leaders from 36 higher education institutions and 9 speakers – 4 representatives of student self-government bodies and 5 business experts. Students shared successful cases from their universities, including Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Vinnytsia National Technical University, and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Business mentors include KNESS GROUP representatives, the MHP-Community Charitable Foundation, Arterium Corporation, Promavtomatyka Vinnytsia, and UNIT.City, addressed the key question: How can student initiatives be presented effectively to attract business partnerships?

How does it work?

First, participants were divided into groups of 10–11 people, introduced to each other, and acquainted with their mentors. Then, an intensive networking session began: each mentor had 10 minutes to share their expertise before rotating to the next group. This format allowed students to quickly absorb best practices and engage in direct conversations with experts.

The key part of the event was the development of resource mobilization strategies by the participants. They had 20 minutes to compile a list of potential partners, and 15 minutes to draft a proposal letter to one of them, and the session concluded with public presentations. This approach ensured that participants not only gained knowledge but also developed real solutions for their initiatives.

"What did I take away from the forum? To take action, even when it's scary. If you want funding, you have to seek opportunities and knock on every door with confidence," shared Yelyzaveta Kozachenko, a student at the National University of Food Technologies.

What will be next for student empowerment?

The Ukrainian Student League doesn't stop at forums! We are constantly exploring new ways to strengthen student self-government. Together with experts, we are implementing our flagship project, "Development of SSGBs", which provides free consultations, training sessions, and educational modules for students across Ukraine.

The forum demonstrated that there are plenty of solutions to any challenge – the key is to recognize them or create them.

"You can't earn all the money, but it's worth a try," the organizers concluded.

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