So, you want to get into marketing, huh? You’re in a program, and you signed up for a marketing club at your post-secondary institution. If you’re wondering if there’s more, you could be doing to develop and build your skills – there is. CMA NXT,with the support of Founding Lead Sponsor, RBC, just announced the CMA NXT Fund. Have you heard of it? The CMA NXT Fund is a brand-new initiative that awards money to post-secondary institutions with clubs, student associations or events that are business or marketing related. What does that mean? It means if you want to hold an event that is related to business or marketing, then you could receive funding of up to $2500 toward your event, association or club.
Let’s face it, there are tons of student clubs, associations and events at any given college or university in Canada. According to a blog published by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada [1] “Canada has 223 public and private universities, and 213 public colleges and institutes.” That’s a lot of post-secondary institutions which means there’s a lot of competition for funding. Seneca College alone has 50+ clubs and student associations. Let that sink in. No college or university can fund every student led initiative that is proposed regardless of how well intentioned they may be.
That’s where the NXT Fund comes in. If you were to host a marketing-related event like a case competition, conference, seminar or any other marketing-related event and you couldn’t receive funding or enough funding from your college or university, you could hold a fundraiser as an alternative, but what if you still came up short? The NXT Fund could be the answer you were looking for to get the money you need to make your vision a reality. If you’re not sure if you should apply for The NXT Fund, visit the CMA NXT website, create an account and fill out the form. You never know, your event, association or club might be chosen. If you have any questions or concerns about your organization’s eligibility, please review our FAQ here.
It's a very simple process. A student representative from the post-secondary institution with a business or marketing-related focus, would sign up for a CMA NXT account, fill out the application before the deadline and submit it for review. That’s all you have to do to be considered. If approved, your post-secondary institution’s club, association or event could receive up to $2500 in funding to help you bring your vision into focus. It’s really that simple. If you’re wondering what CMA NXT and RBC get in return, both organizations are dedicated to inspiring the next generation of marketers to find their path and take control of their future on their terms. For more information about what CMA NXT is and what it’s designed to do, visit our Purpose and Vision page.
The NXT Fund is an opportunity for students to secure a portion of the financing they need. CMA NXT and RBC’s goal is to give back by helping reduce the financial burden that post-secondary institutions face since they can’t finance every initiative that the students would like to bring to fruition. If you’ve made it this far, you must see the value that the CMA NXT Fund can offer your post-secondary club, association or event. You can start applying for funding on Monday, September 8, 2025. Once approved the first allocation of funding will be released and distributed to approved clubs, student associations and events this October. There will be two additional simultaneous waves of funding distributed throughout the 2025/2026 academic year. All you need to do to get started is create a CMA NXT account and fill out the application. What are you waiting for? That’s what’s NXT.
[1] “Council of Ministers of Education, Canada” https://www.cmec.ca/299/education-in-canada-an-overview/index.html
[2] “Explore the clubs at Seneca” Seneca Polytechnic
https://theservicehub.senecapolytechnic.ca/s/article/Explore-the-clubs-at-Seneca
"I love that marketing doesn't force me to pick a lane. I get to be the analytical one who figures out the strategy, but I also get to be the creative one who brings it to life. It's that constant back-and-forth between the two that makes the work actually feel like me." – Sakina, CMA Intern
One piece of advice that stuck with me was to stop waiting until I felt 'fully ready' before taking opportunities. A lot of growth comes from putting yourself in environments that challenge you, even if you're still learning. I've learned that experience builds confidence.
While scouring social media sites, job postings and your favourite companies searching for opportunities to get your foot in the door, you kept seeing one constant – required experience. That's something you just don't have. You're trying but you can't seem to get your foot in the door. Either you get no response or the response is that they've decided not to move forward with your application. That sucks.
