SELECTION PROCESS
An important part of SHIFT’s commitment to participatory decision-making and shared power
SHIFT funding decision are made by independent and community-led juries
While each of our funding and support programs has a customized selection process, they all share a commitment to fostering community-ownership of funding decisions.
An independent selection jury composed of three to five people with a diversity of perspectives is assembled for each of our funding programs. Together they decide which projects will enter the SHIFT community and receive funding and support.
Interested in joining a SHIFT Selection Jury?
Apply here to be added to our roster of potential jurors, for the next time we're in active recruitment.
How does the process work?
All SHIFT jury members participate in a training about participatory grant making and the key aspects of SHIFT’s funding and support programs. Jury members also all receive reference documents and assessment tools to use when reviewing the applications assigned to them.
Once all submitted applications are reviewed for eligibility, they are sent to the selection jury who begin a multi-step process, which includes:
- Reading the applications independently and assessing them for alignment with the selection criteria;
- Meeting with other jury members to discuss their assessments and explore any divergences of opinions;
- Interviews with applicants when relevant;
- Following a structured and facilitated consent-based decision-making process to agree on which projects to fund.
What do the selection juries look for? (SHIFT's selection criteria)
SHIFT’s selection juries assess each application based on nine core criteria that were developed in collaboration with our Steering Committee and are reviewed regularly by the Funding Hub.
Transformative potential
- Clarity of vision and purpose: Is the description of the idea or project understandable and is there a clear explanation of how this project will contribute to equity, justice, or sustainability?
- Real-world impact: If realized, will the project have tangible benefits for the people most impacted by the social issue?
- Potential for social transformation: Does the project have the potential to advance change at a systemic level?
- Community connection: Is the project driven by community needs and expertise and grounded in the community it seeks to serve?
- Feasibility: Is the project’s scope reasonable and likely to succeed?
SHIFT compatibility
- Value alignment: Does the idea or project demonstrate a commitment to SHIFT values and ways of working?
- Complementarity of SHIFT resources and contributions: Has the project team demonstrated a strong interest in working with SHIFT and participating in the Learning Community?
- Multi-disciplinary & multi-stakeholder engagement: Are the most relevant stakeholders represented on the project team given its stage of development?
- OR, for the Gateway program: Has the project team demonstrated an openness to engaging with additional stakeholders and an understanding of what this could bring to their work?
- Concordia connection: Does the project have strong links to Concordia (e.g., teaching, learning, research, student/campus life, procurement practices, human resources, etc.)?
- OR, for the Gateway Program: Has the project team demonstrated an openness to partnering with Concordia and an understanding of what this could bring to their work?
Thank you to our jury members!
Who is on the selection jury?
Our funding decisions would not be possible without the contribution of many people!
Each year, we recruit a pool of jury members from which we draw on for each of our funding and support programs. We are grateful to the members of the SHIFT community who have dedicated their time and energy to reading and assessing applications and deliberating with their peers.
Past jury members
- Alex Megelas, Concordia Office of Community Engagement
- Allan Matudio, Kapitbisig (SHIFT funded project)
- Annick Maugile Flavien, Concordia Black Perspectives Office
- Ayan Mahdi, The Lavender Collective (SHIFT Funded Project)
- Chesline Pierre-Paul, Decolonial Perspectives and Practices Hub (SHIFT Funded Project)
- Christine Menendez, Amal Centre for Women (SHIFT Funded Project)
- Dimitri Espérance, Community organizer & social entrepreneur
- Elaine Cheasley Patterson, SHIFT Steering Committee member
- Elisabeth Cramer, SHIFT Staff
- Emma Haraké, Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling
- Geneviève Sioui, Concordia Office of Community Engagement
- Indu Krishnamurthy, Microcredit Montreal
- Jamilah Dei-Sharpe, Decolonial Perspectives and Practices Hub (SHIFT Funded Project)
- Jen Gobby, SHIFT Steering Committee member
- Julie Hamel, Social Innovation Fellow & Coach at District 3
- Mark Underwood, Concordia Sexual Assault Resource Centre
- Nadia Bhuiyan, Concordia Vice-Provost, Partnerships and Experiential Learning
- Nadim Tadjine, Ville de Montréal
- Prem Sooriyakumar, Concordia Office of Research
- Richenda Grazette, SHIFT Steering Committee member
- Rose-Anne St-Paul, Community researcher and former SHIFT Working Group Advisor
- Sara Baptiste-Brown, SHIFT Steering Committee member
- Sebastián Di Poi, Sustainability Action Fund
- Stephanie Childs, SHIFT Staff
- Tiffany Ashoona, Community member and former SHIFT employee
- Will Prosper, Documentary filmmaker, Activist & Co-founder of Hoodstock
We've moved our office hours online!
If you have questions about our Funding and Support program, you can connect with us every week on Tuesday afternoons or Thursday mornings.
Set up a virtual meeting with our team using our online booking tool or stay in touch by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Facebook.
