UNH International Changemaker Grant

• Each student group should be officially recognized by OR sponsored by a UNH department
  • The Sustainability Institute can be the department - contact Zack Angelini
• Each student group must have at least one faculty or staff advisor 
  • Zack Angelini at the Sustainability Institute can be the staff advisor

The International Changemaker Grant Committee strongly encourages multi-year and/or multi-phase projects that establish a relationship with international communities of need. This recognizes that sustainable development depends upon long-lasting partnerships and allows UNH groups and associated partners to address challenges that may arise following departure from the project community. Additionally, this encourages the integration of virtual project work during pre and post travel, which will positively set the stage for in-person work once travel occurs.  

The International Changemaker Grant Committee will consider the overall quality and merit of the proposal, in addition to the following grant criteria (download the PDF rubric):

1. Project Description:  An overview of your project, including:
   • an overview of your local partner organization and their mission
   • context for the location where you will be serving (highlighting how the location is an area of high need)
   • the nature of your project and how it aligns with the intent of this program
   • the preparation and implementation plan for your project
2. Funding & fundraising activities: The International Changemaker Grant is contingent upon student groups developing a budget for the project as well as raising a portion of the funds needed for the project. You'll be asked to describe the supplemental fundraising activities you have done or plan to do.
3. Team characteristics include diverse skills and perspectives to bring to the project, including ideally representing various majors and colleges on campus, entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity and a demonstration of clear interest and motivation for choosing to engage with this project. You'll be asked to include brief description of your student group, including its mission (formal or informal), and the nature of your interest and motivation for choosing to engage with this project.
4. Engagement of the community abroad in project needs assessment, planning, and implementation 
5. Beneficial short-term and long-term impacts for the community where the project is conducted 
6. Benefits to student learning as well as enhancement of educational quality at UNH 
7. Strategy for sharing the project results to the UNH community, including but not limited to 
   • A final activity report that will cover the outcomes of the project objectives, including itemized budget expenditures 
   • A ~ 3-minute video
   • An blog post highlighting the on-site project work and impact on the local community and UNH participants 
   • A short presentation to the UNH community, highlighting the impacts of the International Changemaker Grant on your group and the local community
   • A presentation at the Undergraduate Research Conference is encouraged, but not required
8. Faculty Advisor(s) Letter of Support: The letter should describe the advisor's involvement and supervision of the project, including the length the advisor has been working with the students and an assessment of the project's viability.

See the list of NGOs below with potential projects (or any others not on this page) to co-develop a project and proposal. Please email Zack.Angelini@unh.edu for assistance with coordination and Project Proposal.

Your next steps:

1: Connect with an NGO (one of these below, or any others).
2: Form a student team and identify one student to be the team lead for your project (you will also identify if you are the team lead, or team member, in your online application).
3: Connect with a Faculty  Advisor in your department or at the Sustainability Institute. The Faculty Advisor Role Description can be found in the FAQ section.
4. Together, develop a community-based project aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint.
5. Read all eligibility requirements and grant criteria to make sure you are developing a strong proposal and application.
6. Apply!

Thank you for your interest in the International Changemaker Grant!

The J-term 2026 and Spring 2026 application is open!
Questions or interested in applying in the future? Contact Zack.Angelini@unh.edu

Application instructions: 

Before applying, please be sure to read all the FAQs above, and the notes and instructions below. 

When completing the online application, please read all instructions carefully! Here's what you can expect:

1. All team members will work together to complete the Additional Application Materials document before beginning the online application process. This document should be downloaded and completed AS A TEAM, as you will have questions to answer about your project and each team member's individual interests, expertise and goals. Make sure to review this rubric to understand how your Additional Application Materials document will be rated. 
2. Once complete, save the Additional Application Materials document both as a Word document and a PDF (see file naming instructions below).  Your team leader will be responsible for uploading both within their online application. 
3. All team members should complete the online application by clicking the “Apply” button below and inputing their basic information into the online application form (including contact, major, grad year, etc.).  
   1. Be sure to select “International Changemaker Grant” when asked “What program are you applying for?”  
4. In the next section of the online application, you will be asked if you are a "team member" or "team leader" (this should be determined prior to starting the application process).
   1. If you are the team leader: You will be asked to upload your team’s Additional Application Materials document as both a Word document and PDF. Name your documents as follows: BriefProjectName_HostOrganization_TermYear_ICG. (As an example, if you were working on an accessible sanitation project with host organization Kenya Connect and you were planning to go in the summer of 2025, your file name would be "Accessible Sanitation_KenyaConnect_Summer2025_ICG".

NOTE: After your whole team submits their online applications, our committee members will review your materials, and we'll reach out by email to notify you.

Apply to the International Changemaker Grant for 2026 J-Term or Spring Semester