Funding Guidelines
What is the SGA Finance Committee?
The SGA Finance Committee is a part of the Student Government Association and is in charge of allocating most of the funding to clubs and organizations on campus. The following paragraphs will outline the function of the SGA Finance Committee and the budget process. Please read it carefully so that your club can get all the funding for which it is eligible.
Base Budget Requests
The amount allocated to active clubs/organizations at the beginning of each school year is referred to as a base budget. New clubs and organizations receive a standard base budget of $500.00. In order to request money, clubs must submit a Base Budget Request Form, which is a form that outlines how the club intends to use the money.
The categories listed on the form are broad; therefore, clubs must attach a separate sheet that gives more specific details about exactly how the club plans to use the funds. For example, if the club is planning a specific event, then a budget breakdown of the costs associated with that event should be submitted. However, if the club plans to use the money for specific items to be purchased for club’s use, then a simple list of the items and their cost should be sufficient.
The Base Budget Request form must be TYPED AND SIGNED by the club’s President, Treasurer and Faculty Advisor and/or SA/LD Advisor. The form should then be returned to the SGA Main Office where it will be date-stamped and initialed, either by a member of the Senate, or by the Senate office staff. Two copies are made; one is given to the club, another is kept in the SGA office and the original is placed in the Finance Chairperson’s mailbox. After a club submits its Base Budget form, the Finance Committee either approves or disapproves the budget according to standards set forth in the SGA bylaws. The finance committee may need to ask questions. Therefore, to avoid delays in the processing of a budget, clubs should have a member who can answer questions attend the finance committee meeting.
Once the budget request is approved by the Finance Committee, a finance motion is made and signed by the SGA President, Vice-President or Treasurer. After this motion is approved by the Senate, (as part of the Finance minutes), AND the Senate minutes in which those motions were on the agenda are approved, THEN the Fiscal Administrative Assistant for SA/LD may post the funds to the club or organization’s budget account.
Contingency Request Forms
Contingency requests are for funds for needed in addition to a club’s base budget. For example, a club may ask for funds to pay for an educational conference related to their field of interest. The Finance Committee requires that all supplement requests be submitted by 12pm on the Friday before the request will be heard, otherwise the request will be held until the next week (Finance Committee Meetings are held on Mondays at 3:30 in the Sprague Room).
Submitting Contigency Request forms is similar to submitting Base Budgets. The form must be TYPED AND SIGNED by the club’s President, Treasurer and Faculty Advisor and/or Student Activities advisor. It is then returned to the SGA Main Office where it receives the same sort of date stamping, time notation and initialling as a base budget form.
The Finance Committee reviews all contingency requests below $6,000.00. A CLUB REPRESENTATIVE MUST APPEAR at that meeting to make a presentation regarding the reasons for the club’s request and to answer questions from members.
Line Item Change Form
There is one more form associated with club budgets. It is called the Line Item Change Form. Clubs and organizations use this form only after their budgets have been passed, and only if it becomes necessary for them to use their money in some way other than originally proposed. Clubs state what line item the money will come from and the new purpose for which it will be used. Line item changes need to be approved by the Finance Committee and so receive the same sort of handling as base budgets and contingency requests with regard to date stamping and copying.
New Club Funding
Any CCSU student who wants to form a new club should go to the Department Of Student Activities and Leadership Development (SA/LD) to register. For further information, call the department secretary Linda Kaupas at (860) 832-1990. New clubs should express their interest in getting funding to the SGA in order to be allocated a base budget.
New Club Budgets
A. New clubs officially recognized by the university, as well as re-activated clubs, reserve the right to petition the Finance Committee for a club budget.
B. New and re-activated club budget proposals may not exceed $500 and must be submitted by March 1st in order to be considered, providing that funding is available.
C. New and re-activated clubs are eligible to petition the Finance Committee for a fundraising loan, but may not petition for Contingency Funding.
D. The Finance Committee will review all club budget proposals and make recommendations.
E. Budget recommendations may then be submitted to the Executive Board of the SGA for additional review. The Executive Board then has the power to propose changes to the Finance Committee’s recommendation for a club’s budget. The Executive Board must present their proposed changes to the Finance Committee where they will be voted upon by the regular voting members of the Finance Committee.
F. Once the Executive Board has reviewed, and possibly altered, the budget recommendations, they will be introduced to the floor of the newly elected SGA for approval.
G. New Club Budget Restrictions
a. The SGA will only fund conferences in which some educational value is gained.
b. The SGA will not fund food for regular club meetings.
c. Clubs will be responsible for abiding by all University and State Comptroller guidelines