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NYU Reynolds Changemaker Challenge (CmC)

Congratulations to the 2011-12 Changemaker Challenge Winners!


Youth Take Charge

Please join NYU Reynolds in congratulating Lauren Kalogridis (Silver), Cordelia Brady (Silver), Danielle Eagan (Silver), Rebecca Park (Gallatin), Sachiko Pettit (Steinhardt), Bailey Theado (Gallatin) and Sasha Weinert (LSP) of Youth Take Charge (YTC) for being selected as the 2011-12 NYU Reynolds Changemaker Challenge Best Overall Venture and earning the grand prize award. YTC seeks to fight human trafficking by raising awareness about the human rights violation throughout NYC high schools. By providing curricular materials and leadership training to teens, YTC aims to empower the next generation to realize a world without slavery.

NYU Reynolds would also like to acknowledge the 2011-12 CmC seed grant recipients – Farm to Live, the Organization for the Promotion of Pediatric Strength (OPPS) and Under 21 – for their exceptional work.

This year’s CmC truly featured dedicated, passionate, top-notch teams. (Please click here to read descriptions about each of the finalists.) We look forward to hearing about the success of their ventures!

We encourage all NYU undergraduate students committed to bringing about positive, sustainable and scalable change to check back for updates about the launch of the 2012-13 Changemaker Challenge.

About the NYU Reynolds Changemaker Challenge (CmC)

The Changemaker Challenge (CmC) invites all NYU undergraduate students who want to change the world to compete for one of ten $1,000 maximum seed grants and a Grand Prize of up to $10,000.

Please check back for important required submission and workshop dates for the 2012-13 CmC.

Who is Eligible:

  • All NYU undergraduate students.
  • Teams must consist of two or more people and may contain non-NYU students.
  • The lead team member must be an NYU student.

Who Gets Funded:

  • Ventures can be any student-created, student-led organization, program or business that benefits the community and/or has a measurable positive social impact. For profit, non-profit and hybrid ventures are eligible.
  • Ventures must be new initiatives not already in existence or a major new initiative of an existing organization (ventures that have received funding from Youth Venture in the past are not eligible).
  • Ventures must be sustainable with clear and attainable goals.
  • Up to ten seed grants of a maximum of $1,000 each can be awarded.
  • Grand Prize up to $10,000 will be awarded to the Best Overall Venture.

How it Works - Three Easy Steps:*

  1. Complete and submit a 300-word minimum Executive Summary that outlines the idea. Students must refer to Reynolds Executive Summary guidelines. See guidelines here.
  2. Work with NYU Reynolds to fine tune the Executive Summary and prepare an in-depth Business Plan.
  3. Submit the Business Plan!

* Additional workshops are required. Please refer to the CmC timeline for more information.

All teams that submit a valid Business Plan will:

  1. Be invited to pitch their venture proposals before a Selection Panel;
  2. Receive feedback on their proposal, and
  3. Meet with NYU Reynolds for potential seed grant award!

The top teams that receive seed grants will be invited to pitch their idea a second time to a panel of expert judges for a chance to be awarded up to $10,000 in capital and the title of "The NYU Reynolds CmC Best Overall Venture."

How to Find Out More:

The NYU Reynolds Program will be sponsoring information sessions and workshops to help you get started. See the full timeline for details.

 

REFERENCES
* The Changemaker Challenge was previously known as the NYU Reynolds/Youth Venture Be a Changemaker Challenge (BACC). Please note that some guidelines and rules have changed. The application process and requirements for the Reynolds Undergraduate Scholarship and the Reynolds Business Plan are different. For information about applying to the NYU Reynolds Program Undergraduate Scholarship please visit here.

† Teams who receive significant concern and conditions from their judges may not be eligible for funding, although opportunity will be given to bring ventures up to par in order to be eligible.