All organizations applying for funds through the Student Government Association (SGA) or the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) must be registered with the Student Involvement Office and approved by SGA. Accessibility to funding is dependent on registration status of the organization. Student organizations can register at the following website: studentorgs.charlotte.edu/registration.
Graduate student organizations receive funding from the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG), and must be chartered with GPSG in order to receive any funding. See “Types of GPSG Grants and Funding” section for more information.
Sport Clubs receive funding from Recreational Services. Visit recservices.charlotte.edu/sport for more information.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
- All expenditures begin and end with the Student Involvement Financial Associate or SAFC Business Manager.
- All expenditures require the signature of an authorized organization/committee representative and the divisional representative before being presented to the SAFC Business Manager for processing. • Your organization is not allowed to spend more than it is allocated by SGA or GPSG as directed by SAFC.
- It is the traveler’s responsibility to settle travel reimbursements with the Student Involvement Financial Associate or SAFC Business Manager within 10 days after return date.
- Funds cannot be expended from your account until all authorized representatives from your organization complete an Acknowledgement and Signature Authorization Form that will be filed in the office of the SAFC Business Manager for verification of signatures.
- Personal items (including alcohol, tobacco, and drugs) cannot be purchased with student fee allocated funds.
- Do not make arrangements with vendors prior to completing the necessary paperwork. Failure to do so may mean you get stuck with the bill!
- Keep the original, itemized receipt for reimbursement. Receipts for reimbursements will only be accepted two weeks from date of purchase. Copies of receipts will not be accepted for reimbursement.
- Reimbursements will be paid to individuals and not student organization accounts. (Student organizations should utilize on-campus resources whenever possible.)
- Make travel arrangements at least three (3) weeks prior to travel date or once travel funding has been approved.
- Lodging will be reimbursed at the current state rate. Mileage will be reimbursed at $.625/mile.
- Air travel purchased by the student may be reimbursed after the trip.
- All reservations for state vehicles must be made by the Student Involvement Financial Associate or SAFC Business Manager. Only state employees (including student employees and graduate assistants) are eligible to reserve and use a state vehicle.
- All monies generated from student fee allocated funds must be deposited to the University Cashiers Office within 24 hours of receipt.
- Any publications, advertisements, or promotional materials for events sponsored by any organization shall display a tag line stating that the program, event, or service is Funded by your Student Activity Fees.
- Food cannot be purchased with student activity funds to be consumed during a general business meeting of your organization.
- Plan ahead! Please consult SGA or GPSG for established timelines and requirements for purchases and travel.
TRAVEL PROCEDURES
1. Contact the Student Involvement Financial Associate or SAFC Business Manager with any questions.
2. No cash travel advances will be issued to individuals representing clubs/organizations. Any requests for an exception to the “no travel advance” policy can be brought to the monthly SAFC meeting after channeling through the proper administrative bodies of Student Government Association, Campus Activities Board, Graduate Professional Student Government or Student Media Board. In the event that a travel advance is granted to a club or organization, the advance must be made payable to the faculty/staff advisor of that organization.
3. When awarded a travel grant, student organizations must pay for all travel pre-payments and expenses and are then reimbursed after the travel. Please do not allow your department to pay for any SGA or GPSG approved expenses. The department will not be reimbursed.
4. Once students return, all original receipts must be turned in to the Student Involvement Financial Associate or SAFC Business Manager within two weeks.
5. All reimbursements will be made to individual student accounts. No reimbursements will be made to student organization accounts or advisors, or transferred to departments that pay for any expenses.
6. All travel will require proof of attendance in order to be reimbursed.
Student organizations can apply for operational funds to assist with the necessary day-to-day operational needs of the group and its recruitment of new members. Groups may request operational funds beginning 10 business days before the first day of classes during the Fall and Spring Semesters, and ending 10 business days prior to the last day of classes each semester. Funds are requested by consulting the Student Involvement Financial Associate.
Student organizations can apply for these grants to support the programming needs of registered student organizations on-campus and within the greater Charlotte area. There is a maximum on the amount allocated for each grant. Please refer to the Financial Procedures Act for more information. There is no limit to the number of on- or off-campus events/ programs the group may organize for the campus community.
Student organizations can apply for this grant to support the programming needs of two or more student organizations wishing to co-sponsor events together. There is a maximum for each co-sponsored event grant. Please refer to the Financial Procedures Act for more information.
Student organizations can apply for this grant to travel to conferences and competitions not organized by the student organization. There is a maximum for each travel grant. Please refer to the Financial Procedures Act for more information.
Operational Funds are available by request during the academic year to graduate organizations that have both registered with the Student Involvement Office and chartered with GPSG for the purposes of group recruitment, fundraising, and other day-to-day operations.
Event Funding is a special grant made for a specific event to be held by the organization. Requests must be made three weeks before the event date and follow the process outlined on the GPSG website.
Travel Funding is a special grant given to individual graduate students for the purpose of attending or presenting original research at professional conferences. Travel Funding becomes available three times during the academic year.
Co-sponsorship of programs is a good funding alternative because it combines resources of existing groups and/or departments, and it generally benefits all co-sponsoring organizations, as well as the general student population. The most successful co-sponsorship arrangements consist of the following components:
• Create a proposal during the early planning stages that combines the resources of two or more groups in order to carry out a successful program or service.
• Involvement by all co-sponsoring organizations in the planning, marketing, and execution of the event. Requests for monetary contributions for co-sponsorships do not always create a sense of ownership on the part of the organizations and may discourage groups from assisting financially or otherwise in the future.
• A written agreement outlining specific responsibilities each organization will carry out for the program or service. Written agreements should list time and date of program, the agreed-upon responsibilities of all co-sponsoring parties, and the signatures of all co-sponsoring parties. This agreement should provide all the necessary details in order for all groups to contribute to the success of the program or service.
• All co-sponsoring organizations or departments should be recognized in advertising and promotional campaigns before, during, and after the event. Student organizations should be aware of, and are forbidden to participate in, “fronting.”
T he Popp Martin Student Union has created a Movie Theater Programming Grant for registered student organizations to be used Monday - Wednesday. The funding would pay for the acquisition of a movie license, worth roughly $300 to $800. Any films shown for public viewing must have public viewing rights secured. These grants only cover the cost of the rights. Student organizations must cover all other costs, such as staffing for the space. Student organizations can submit a movie grant application to the Movie Theater Committee. All movie grants will be reviewed by the Movie Theater Committee and scored based on an evaluation form.
Prior to submitting the Movie Theater Programming Grant application, the registered student organization must reserve the theater through the CRES Office.
The Movie Theater Programming Grant is intended to provide an outlet for diverse, engaging, and culturally rich movie based events. More information can be found at studentunion.charlotte.edu/theater-grant.
Funds which are generated by student organizations, not using student activity fees, can be placed in off-campus accounts or can be set up as an agency account. If these revenues were generated from student fee funds, they must be deposited into your on-campus student activity fee account and cannot be spent on the purchase of alcohol, drugs, or other illegal activities, nor can they be used for personal gain. Always be aware that your organization is using the UNC Charlotte name, and funds should be managed appropriately. Monies generated must be in compliance with all federal, state, UNC Charlotte, and SAFC laws, regulations, and guidelines.
Groups can use campus facilities to host fundraisers. Reservations can be made through the Conference, Reservations, and Event Services (CRES) Office. Any sales on campus must be in compliance with University Policy 601.9 and be approved by completing a Sales Request form and returning it to the CRES Office at least 2 weeks prior to the sale.
Please also be aware that if your student organization receives student activity fee funds to host an event/program, and your student organization decides to charge an admission fee in order for students to gain entry to the event/program, any revenue generated must be returned. This money will be used to supplement future events/programs sponsored byUNC Charlotte student organizations. The intent is that all events/programs that use student activity fees are FREE to UNC Charlotte students!
Fundraising by soliciting donations, whether cash or merchandise, can be a powerful way to raise large amounts of money for important programs or events. Different ways to solicit donations are (a) person-to-person requests, (b) phone calls, and (c) mail solicitation.
All donations requested by a student organization must be requested and accepted on behalf of the student organization (NOT UNC Charlotte). The request should be on the student organization’s letterhead. Contact Student Involvement staff for assistance.
Gifts designated for a student organization are received by the Office of University Advancement made payable to T he Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Inc., with the designation to the specific student organization documented in writing. No gifts received through the Foundation will be given directly to the student organization or deposited into a student organization’s agency fund or outside bank account. Donated funds will be deposited into an on-campus Foundation Trust Fund account that the group can access, and can carry over each year. Please contact the SAFC Business Manager to get access to the account once you have received a donation.
The Office of University Advancement takes a 5% processing fee which offsets Foundation staff support that allows the donation to be tax deductible for the giver and also supports the giver’s employer Matching Gift Program (not all employers do matching gifts but many private corporations do).
North Carolina law (NC General Statute §14 309.15) provides the following guidance related to raffles:
• “Raffle” means a game in which the prize is won by random drawing of the name or number of one or more persons purchasing chances.
• A raffle conducted pursuant to NC General Statute §14 309.15 is not “gambling.”
• A non-profit organization may hold only four raffles per calendar year.
• The maximum cash prize (or fair market value for goods) that may be offered in any one raffle is $125,000.
• The total cash prize (or fair market value for goods) offered in one calendar year may not exceed $250,000.
• Raffles shall not be conducted in conjunction with bingo.
• No less than ninety percent (90%) of the net proceeds of a raffle shall be used by the nonprofit organization for charitable, educational, civic, or other nonprofit purposes.
• “Net proceeds of a raffle” means the receipts less the cost of prizes awarded.
• None of the net proceeds of the raffle may be used to pay any person to conduct the raffle, or to rent a building where the tickets are received or sold or the drawing is conducted.
• Real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle.
• The maximum appraised value of real property that may be offered for any one raffle is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
• The total appraised value of all real estate prizes offered by any nonprofit organization may not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in any calendar year.
Subject to these rules, groups may also offer a “half-and-half” raffle, where the earnings are split between the winner and the organization. Groups planning raffles must complete the proper application at the Conference, Reservations, and Event Services Office. A federal or state issued tax exempt number is required. A non-profit organization may not conduct more than two raffles per year. For more information, see Section III.H of University Policy 602.11, Gifts, Awards, and Prizes.
T hese rules are set forth in North Carolina General Statute Section 14-309.15. As set forth in this statute, “Any person who conducts a raffle in violation of any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.” The raffle winner’s prize, whether cash or merchandise, is subject to federal income tax.
“Pools” or “brackets” fall under the definition of “gambling” as set forth in North Carolina General Statute 14-292: “any person or organization that operates any game of chance or any person who plays at or bets on any game of chance at which any money, property or other thing of value is bet, whether the same be in stake or not, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.” Gambling will also subject a student organization to conduct action under the Code of Student Responsibility. It is advised that student organizations not engage in pools or brackets.
Student organizations may choose to establish on-campus agency accounts. While off-campus accounts are more flexible because funds can be available immediately, and debit cards may be used, they include no oversight by UNC Charlotte. On-campus agency accounts are often beneficial because they require UNC Charlotte staff approval of expenditures and monitoring of accounts to prevent misuse of funds. An agency account does not require a tax identification number from the IRS.
All accounts must maintain a minimum balance, and cash advances are not available. Please visit studentorgs.charlotte.edu/agency-accounts for minimum balance information. The funds in these accounts typically originate from membership dues or monies received through fundraising and carry over each year with the student organization.
If your organization wants to establish an on-campus agency account, one of your organization’s officers should meet with the SAFC Business Manager to create a new Banner Fund Form.
It is often beneficial for student organizations to have an off-campus checking account to deposit dues and any revenue generated from fundraising other than student activity fees. By having an off-campus checking account, student organization leaders can more readily make payments and purchase items. It is beneficial for the group to have at least two signatures on each check to ensure that fraudulent spending does not occur.
Student organizations may establish off-campus checking accounts and/or on-campus agency accounts. While offcampus accounts are more flexible because funds can be available immediately, and debit cards may be available, they include no oversight by UNC Charlotte staff. On-campus agency accounts are often advantageous because they require UNC Charlotte staff approval of expenditures and monitoring of accounts to prevent misuse of funds, though funds are not available immediately upon request.
If your organization wants to establish an off-campus checking account, you will need to receive a tax identification number (now known as an Employer Identification Number or EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You can contact the IRS at the following number, (800) 829-4933 or visit their website, irs.gov, and search for form SS-4, or go to irs.gov/uac/Form-SS-4,-Application-for-Employer-Identification-Number-(EIN), and apply for the EIN online. Please make sure that you are requesting an EIN and not a tax exempt number; there is a fee associated with a tax exempt number, whereas an EIN is free. In order to establish an off-campus checking account or receive donations, businesses/banks require you to have an EIN. A student organization’s off-campus bank account may not use or be associated with the UNC Charlotte tax ID number or any form of the UNC Charlotte name or logo. If the bank requests proof of your status as a registered student organization, that can be provided.
Please note, the Student Involvement Office and SAFC Business Manager do not maintain information about off-campus checking accounts. All details and account information must be maintained within the student organization. UNC Charlotte staff have no responsibility for oversight or management of such accounts, and there is no recourse available to a student organization against the University for any mismanagement or misuse of funds in off-campus checking accounts. Theft of funds (including misuse or mismanagement) from an off-campus checking account by a member of a student organization, however, may subject that student or the organization to discipline under the Code of Student Responsibility.
If your organization wants to establish an on-campus agency account, one of your organization’s officers should meet with the SAFC Business Manager to create a new Banner Fund Form.