Funds for your student group’s activities are obtained through one of the following three sources: the ASSU, the University or off-campus organizations. We encourage you to consult this source for more detailed fundraising information, including sample budgets and solicitation letters. Remember that all monies raised must be deposited directly into your ASSU account.
Every student pays an ASSU fee on his/her University Bill. This fee goes entirely to supporting the Special Fee system, of which a majority goes directly to Special Fee student groups approved by the student body in the Spring Election. Special Fees provide funding for student organizations, individual and umbrella, for an entire fiscal year. These organizations typically have high levels of activity and a large, recurring operating budget. Special Fee groups are not permitted to apply for General Fee funds.
The other portion, called the General Fee, is allocated by the Undergraduate Senate, via the Appropriations Committee, and/or by the Graduate Student Council, via the Funding Committee, to smaller student organizations. Groups can apply for funds from the General Fee throughout the academic year, as the Undergraduate Senate and Graduate Student Council meet every week. The maximum amount of funding that a student group can receive from the General Fee is $6000 in a fiscal year. Both legislative bodies have policies (listed on their webpages) that govern what will and will not be funded; these policies were made to ensure the most efficient use of student funds.
To be eligible for ASSU funding, student groups must be a registered VSO and must complete the application, as specified on each legislative body's webpage. Applications include an itemized budget broken down by line item. ASSU funds are then allocated to specific line items and may only be spent on items appropriate to that line item. If a group wishes to transfer funds between line items, a Budget Modification form must be completed and approved by the appropriate legislative bodies.
For more information regarding application, policies and proce- dures, please check the following websites:
Or email the Fees Coordinator, who oversees the adminstration of ASSU Fees.
Fundraising Events for On-Campus Beneficiaries Fundraising events can be extremely effective in raising funds for student groups, especially if these programs become annual fundraising endeavors. A fundraising event is a program or event that produces revenue for a recognized student organization. (Raising funds for third-party, non-profit entities is described under Benefit Fundraisers.) University approval is not required for groups conducting a fundraising event for their own activities, but there are a number of state laws and campus policies that impact these events:
The distribution of prizes or gifts by chance, where money is exchanged, is against University policy (see Important Considerations: Lotteries, Raffles and Free Drawings under Event Planning).
Some groups have been quite successful in conducting regular concession sales for items such as T-shirts, flowers, etc. There are a number of state laws and campus policies that impact concessions and other sales.
All student organizations must collect and pay state sales tax on goods sold including food, beverages, T-shirts, CDs, flowers and other retail products.
Ticket sales are one of the most effective ways of raising funds to support student programs. If you already charge admission, remember to increase the charge by the annual CPI (consumer price index) rate each year so that your income earned will keep pace with your expenses.
Membership fees are useful for raising basic operational expenses for your organization. They are particularly well suited to athletic groups, recreational groups and other groups that travel or purchase personal items, such as uniforms.
Selling items, such as T-shirts, bearing the Stanford name is permissible as long as the vendor providing the product is licensed by Stanford. As a purchaser of such products, you must ensure that the proper license has been obtained. The Office of Technology Licensing (723-0651) has a list of 180 licensed vendors who provide a variety of products (see Stanford Name under Critical Policies).
Some University offices and departments will contribute funds to student-initiated programs, particularly if the proposal is related to the department’s activities. Funds are limited and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Remember to plan sufficient lead time when contacting various departments since many have specific requirements (including submission of written proposals and budgets) to fulfill. Some departments that have provided funding in the past include the Haas Center for Public Service, the Office of Religious Life, Cowell Student Health Center, Bechtel International Center, the Dean of Students, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, as well as many academic departments and the professional schools. Although each department has its own procedures for reviewing and evaluating proposals, the following tips may be helpful:
When a department agrees to support your program, ask to have the funds transferred to the ASSU University account (0ZZZ103-58103) with your group name and ASSU account number. Ask the department administrator to give you a copy of the transfer and to route the transfer for approval to Linda Whitcomb, the ASSU Office Supervisor. Contact Linda Whitcomb at the ASSU Office, 723-4331, for further information.
Registered student organizations may earn funds for their group in exchange for service that members perform for The Stanford Fund, Stanford's annual alumni fund. During the course of the year, groups may earn up to $13,500 (or $4,500 per quarter).
The activities for which funds are sought are expected to be: 1) consistent with the academic goals and mission of the University, 2) beneficial to the general University community and 3) planned at least one quarter in advance.
The Partnership aims to fund on-campus programs open to all students, newsletters and publications available to the entire campus, U.S. travel (with several restrictions) and capital equipment that remains the property of the group. The Partnership will not fund items for personal use, debt or events with alcohol. Only limited funds can be devoted to food.
| Application Deadline | Quarter Hours Worked | Funding Available in Your Account |
|---|---|---|
| October 25, 2002 | Winter 2003 | Spring 2003 |
| February 14, 2003 | Spring 2003 | Winter 2004 |
| May 9, 2003 | Fall 2003 | Winter 2004 |
All groups wishing to apply for funding must send a representative to attend a Stanford Fund Partnership workshop before submitting an application. If you are a new contact person for the current quarter, you must attend an OSA Stanford Fund Partnership Workshop, even if someone from your group has attended before. See the Activities Planning Calendar or the OSA website for details.
Permission to raise funds for your group from off-campus entities is a privilege granted to those groups that have a successful history at Stanford, are well-organized, have realistic funding goals and have exhausted on-campus funding sources first. Groups are eligible to seek University approval for off-campus fundraising as long as they successfully complete a thoughtful and detailed funding proposal that is submitted by the required deadlines. OSA proposal deadlines range from 10 weeks to six months. University approval is required for any solicitation of alumni, parents, loal businesses, corportations, foundations or individuals not affiliated with the University.
New groups have limited ability to raise significant funds from off-campus. This University policy ensures that student groups have well formulated plans, set realistic goals, are well organized and represent Stanford appropriately. It also ensures coordinated fundraising through- out the University, which complies with state and federal tax laws. Specific limitations for the solicitation of alumni include the following:
Some organizations may wish to support an off-campus charitable entity. In order to protect its nonprofit status, Stanford must closely monitor uses of facilities and resources that raise money for charitable organizations since Stanford’s name, facilities and resources cannot be used in profit-making ventures for individuals or organizations that do not have legal “non-profit status.” All benefit projects must receive prior University approval before speakers are arranged, sponsors are sought or advertising conducted. Students planning a benefit activity for an off-campus charity should first consult a staff advisor in the OSA and fill out an application at least five weeks prior to the event. The University requires that student groups meet a number of important expectations before approval is given and plans can be made. The following factors will be among those considered:
