I am writing on behalf of Epsilon Mu, the University of Montana chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, to ask for your assistance in funding one of our events for the upcoming academic year. Please consider this letter as our chapter’s formal proposal for the 33rd Annual Chapter Activity Grant Competition, in the Academic category.

The Epsilon Mu chapter appreciates the record of strong financial support from the Activity Grants Committee for our annual spring initiation banquet. This important event provides student PSA-EM members and faculty the opportunity to gather and celebrate the achievements of our organization and accomplishments of the Political Science students and faculty. This year, Epsilon Mu Chapter’s top priority is to increase the recruitment and active participation of new members, culminating in our spring banquet, to which we will invite all alumni, active and newly-initiated members, and the faculty and staff of the political science department. To assist in the costs of the dinner served at the event we request $600. In past years, Epsilon Mu has welcomed a politically diverse range of guest speakers to the banquet, including Members of Congress, Montana’s Finance Director, and one of the Delegate-authors of Montana’s 1972 Constitution. We plan to continue this tradition for our banquet this year. For this speaker we request a grant for an honorarium of $150. We designate the banquet and guest speaker as our primary chapter activity.

Epsilon Mu’s secondary activity this year is hosting an essay writing contest related to political science and our responsibilities as citizens. In past years the essay contest has also proven to be useful in our member recruitment efforts. We request your assistance in awarding prizes to three top essay winners. An amount of $225 will allow us to honor the top three essays with monetary prizes: $100 for 1st prize, $75 for 2nd prize, and $50 for 3rd prize.

Past Chapter Activity Grants have played a vital role in our chapter’s event success, including our winning “Best Chapter” awards in 2013-14 and 2011-12. Our chapter requests a grant of $975 from the Grants Committee to continue this success. On behalf of all our members, I extend our appreciation for your past assistance and for considering our grant application this year.