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This chapter explores different funding models for student-led think tanks and strategies to ensure their long-term sustainability. Key methods include engaging volunteers, collaborating with academics, and building relationships with supporting organisations.
Student-led think tanks employ a variety of funding models to support their operations, often in combination. Some rely on core funding obtained from various external entities such as universities, foundations, and private sector organisations. This type of funding can provide a stable financial base for their activities. Others secure project-based funding for specific research or events, which can be crucial for undertaking focused work. Additionally, some think tanks generate revenue through membership fees and event participation charges, contributing to their financial self-sufficiency. A common thread among these organisations is a strong reliance on volunteers, primarily students and recent graduates who contribute their time and skills. This voluntary engagement is a critical factor in their sustainability, allowing them to operate with limited financial resources.
The table below summarises the different categories of funding and support available to student-led think tanks, and their implications for the organisation’s long-term sustainability.
| Category of Funding and Support | Implications for sustainability
|
Examples |
| Core funding | Provides a stable financial base, enabling consistent operations and long-term planning. | Warwick Think Tank previously has received core funding from the Insititute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a UK based think tank. |
| Project-based funding | Allows for focused work on particular topics, but may require continuous effort to secure new projects. | Warwick Think Tank has collaborated with London Politica, a risk advisory company, on a report analysing TikTok’s surveillance practices. |
| Membership and event revenue | Can contribute to financial self-sufficiency and create a sense of community ownership. | Epis Think Tank runs 90 % on membership fees, with the rest coming from other sponsors. |
| Volunteer contributions | Essential for operational capacity given limited financial resources; requires effective engagement and motivation strategies | GROW is entirely volunteer-run, with everyone, including co-presidents, working without pay. GROW’s members also pay a yearly membership fee, contributing to the overall financial sustainability of the organisation. |
| Engagement with supporting organisations | Can lead to partnerships, funding opportunities, mentorship, and increased reach and influence, enhancing long-term sustainability | GROW receives in-kind support from a former university where leaders attended, experts and mentors they connected with during their careers, and from peers who have founded similar organisations. |
“As an independent think tank run by volunteers, our capacity to develop competitive fundraising proposals for private institutions, foundations, or governmental bodies is limited due to both time and expertise constraints”
– Generation for Rights over the World (GROW)
“Our Board collaborates on funding efforts, mainly undertaken by the Co-Presidents and the VP for Organizational Development and Growth. Our positions are voluntary and unpaid. Most members are students or have other jobs, as such we retain a flexible policy and working-hours expectations are agreed upon in advance. “
– Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations (STEAR)
Further reading: