Year in Review - 2024-2025

Highlights of 2024-2025

  • Organizational Growth and Strategic Staffing

  • Creation of a New Permanent Staff Position: The board approved the creation and hiring of a new Outreach and Programming Director (Waterloo) to allow the current Volunteer and Community Engagement Director (Karly) to focus on organizational development, grant writing, and strategic partnerships, while the new hire manages day-to-day programming, events, and volunteer coordination in Waterloo.

    Amendment of Existing Staff Role: The board approved amendments to Karly Rath's Job Description (Volunteer and Community Engagement Director) to reflect the new strategic focus.

    Key Contract Hire: The board hired Aaron El Sabrout for the part-time Distro/Garden Coordinator position in Waterloo.

    Temporary Staffing Support: The board temporarily extended Masha's (Admin Coordinator) hours from 12 to 14 hours/week until Dec 31, 2025, to manage increased workload.

    Project-Based Hire: Approved hiring a part-time Indigenous Researcher/Consultant (10 hrs/wk for 6 months, ~$7,000 budget) to lead a decolonial community research project.

    1. Major One-Time Funding Request approved

  • The board supported a wide range of student and community initiatives with full or partial funding ($750 is typically the max request).

    Palestinian Solidarity & Education:
    Palestinian Justice Club: $750 for general programming.
    "Gaza Will Rise" Exhibit: $750 for event costs.
    Huwaida Arraf Speaking Event: $500 sponsorship for a talk on "International Solidarity and the Palestinian Freedom Struggle" at UW.
    Palestine Day 2025: $750 for "The Land Remains" event.

    Arts, Culture & 2SLGBTQIA+ Programming:
    Drag-Burlesque Performance (Brantford): ~$1,550 budget approved (tabled pending venue finalization). In collaboration with Big Cityyy Arts.
    Queer Joy Pride Party 2025 (Reba Joy): $750.
    Brant Pride "Joy" Event: $600 in one-time funding prior to their action group status.
    b.lit — in conversation: $750 for a literary event.
    Art Bus / The Living Room: $750 to bring mobile art programming to campus.

    Social Justice & Community Events:
    Pieces of Us: $750 for a series celebrating diversity in Social Work.
    WGS Student Society Self-Defense Class: $725.
    SWAN's Closet: $750 for a community clothing initiative.
    Sex Worker Support Drop-Ins: $560 for two sessions in collaboration with SWAN.
    Adeola Egbeyemi Film Screening: $500 for film license + $150 honorarium.

    Food Justice & Environment:
    Brantford Naturalists: Funding for equipment (binoculars, guides) and events like a Grand River paddle trip.

    1. Operational Investments and Purchases

  • Technology and Infrastructure:
    Portable Freezer for Waterloo Distro: Up to $1,000 approved (tabled for final review).
    Lockers for Brantford Office: Up to $500 approved for equipment rental and Distro pick-up.

    Promotional & Educational Materials:
    Stickers & Colouring Books: Approved $455 for new activist stickers and $396 for printing 75 LSPIRG colouring books.
    Brantford Pride Guide: $375 to print 100 guides to local Pride events.
    Rad Library Stickers: $300 for 100 memorial stickers for the "Dr. Refaat Alareer" book collection.

    1. Strategic Partnerships and Action Groups

  • New Action Group: Brant Pride was approved as a formal LSPIRG action group.
    Continued Partnership: Renewed contract and advanced funds to KW Urban Harvesters (KWUH) action group for the growing season.
    Exploratory Discussions: Engaged with KW Queer Vespers about potential action group status.

Our Research and Action Groups

  • Revitalizing Our Sustenance Project

  • Shamrose for Syrian Culture

  • Food Not Bombs

  • KW Urban Harvester

  • Excavators Arts Collective

Alt Text FINANCES

May 2024 - April 2025 Budget Actuals

Income

  • WLU Funding (from Undergrad and Grad students on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses and Kitchener Location): $312,567.72

  • Community Memberships: $204

Total Income $312,771.72

Administrative expenses (May 24 - April 25)

  • General Administrative Total: $40,473.63

    • Liability insurance and contents coverage for the Board of Directors - ($5,252.56)

    • Bookkeeping and accounting. Part-time bookkeeper and fees for necessary year-end financials ($10,848.00)

    • Ontario PIRG and provincial network fees ($10,881.45)

    • Other expenses including website fees, computer software (Zoom, GSuite and Adobe Creative Cloud), office supplies, printing, bank charges, staff/Board travel, and postage. ($10,209.90)

    • Advertising and Promotion: $3,281.72

  • Payroll Expenses Total: $147,118.93

Programming + Co-Sponsorship Expenses

  • Semesterly funding requests for campus and community initiatives ($8,523.64)

  • Research and Action Groups semesterly funding - 6 groups ($13,965.97)

  • Distro ($13,786.14)

  • Irregular Programming Brantford/Waterloo ($4,784.95)

  • Other events and programming (Food Justice Garden, Resource Library etc): $4,909.36

  • Total spent on programming ($45,970.06)

Increase in programming expenditures since last AGM: $13,159.80

Funding we provided to campus and community initiatives

We provide one-time funding requests for up to $750. The following projects are the ones we supported over the course of the last year.

  • b.lit 

  • Grassy Narrows

  • Pieces of Us

  • Palestinian Justice Club Gaza Will Rise 

  • Students for Consent Culture Canada (SFCCC)

  • WGS Self Defense Class

  • Willow River Centre

  • Fight Back KW

  • Queer community quilt project 

  • SWANs Closet

If you are an LSPIRG member and you would like more information on our finances, please email info@lspirg.org