Members of the Ann Radcliffe Trust yesterday approved a general structure for the group's grant-giving process, effectively establishing how Trust funds will be distributed.

With nearly $20,000 to allocate to student groups next year, the Trust decided that it will not fund groups' operating budgets, but will instead focus on funding specific events and programs like speeches and conferences.

The Trust committee's decision furthers the group's evolution as an event-funding organization.

"We've come a long way since the last meeting," said Assistant Dean of the College and Director of the Trust Karen E. Avery '87.

Avery emphasized, however, that in addition to supporting one-time events, the Trust will fund long-term projects that fit into the Trust's mission, like some student publications.

The grants will be made only for specific projects. Trust members said by allocating money in this method, the organization will get more bang for its buck.

"Budget operation grants become a dead amount of money," said Jotin Marango '01, who drafted the portion of the Trust's grant application that delineates the nature of the process. "Those types of grants do not immediately promote a project."

The committee did not decide last night whether the Trust should grant funds to individual applicants who are not affiliated with a student group, but Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said that he had qualms about such grants.