Student organizations that are short on cash can apply for some of the $200,000 set aside for organizations by the Student Government Association’s Financial Affairs Committee.
Andy Koonce, vice president of financial affairs, said student organizations can apply for up to $1600 for travel and $500 for supplies and advertising in one fiscal year. Organizations are also eligible for $1500 for equipment over two fiscal years.
In the previous fiscal year, $45,000 of the FAC budget went unused. Koonce said he thinks organizations weren’t aware of the resources available, and the FAC hopes to get the word out about the funding this year.
“My cabinet and I are trying to advertise it as much as possible this year,” Koonce said. “This is not our money. This is their money. It’s theirs to come and get. It’s just a matter of them coming and getting it. We’re trying to give them as many avenues as possible to get it.”
Koonce said the most popular requests usually relate to travel, with groups looking to fund transportation to conferences and competitions.
Keith Edwards, communication director for the FAC, said the committee is hopeful that more organizations will begin to utilize the resource.
“It really is such a great tool for all the organizations on campus,” Edwards said. “The entire reason the FAC exists is to benefit other student organizations on campus. It kind of kills us when we see groups that need money, and we have it for them, but they don’t go through these steps to get it for us. It really is a fairly simple plan. We’re here at the office to help students if they have questions about it.”
To begin the process of requesting funds, organizations must be registered with the Source for at least a month. They then can register for a Foresight Workshop through the Source.
“It is basically just an informational session for groups to begin the funding process,” Koonce said. “You have to attend one of these every academic year.”
After attending a workshop, an organization’s president or treasurer can create a formal funding request through their organization’s Source page. These requests must be submitted before the monthly FAC meetings, where an organization representative will pitch the request to the committee.
“They’ll give a 30 second to a minute overview of what they’re doing,” Koonce said. “I think people think it’s a huge daunting task, but they basically just tell us what they’re doing.”
After the FAC approves the request, it has to pass through the SGA senate before it can get a final approval by the FAC advisor, Sherry Phillips, administrative assistant in Student and Fiscal Affairs Administrative Assistant.
Koonce said most requests are quickly approved as long as organizations adhere to the correct process. Organizations must also provide proof that the money has been spent correctly. He said organizations would have to fill out additional paperwork providing receipts or invoices proving where and how they spent the money.
“Just because it passes FAC doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll have cash in their hands that day,” Koonce said. “It has to be used within the constraints they’ve learned about in the Foresight workshops. They have to do their homework as well.”
Meagan Bryant, SGA press secretary, said organizations should be aware of their financial options so they can take advantage of the opportunity.
“This money is here for students,” Bryant said. “We want to give it away. That’s why we want students to know that it is available.”
For updates and information on the FAC funding request process, follow @uafac on Twitter.
