By Erin Greenhalgh, chair CUSG Student Group Funding Board
As the chair of the Student Group Funding Board (SGFB), I get a lot of questions from student groups who are looking for funding. It鈥檚 no wonder. Information about SGFB is not at all centralized or easy to find. (Coming soon鈥擟USG鈥檚 new website, which will ease some of these problems.) When you can find information, it鈥檚 often full of student government jargon, references to documents you鈥檝e never heard of, and so many acronyms. In this article, I will break down the basics of the SGFB so your group can go forth and get funding.
What is SGFB? How is it different from other funding boards?
There are many boards at CU that fund with student fee dollars: Rep Council, Council of Colleges and Schools (CCS), Arts and Sciences Student Government (ASSG), the Cultural Events Board (CEB), and the SGFB. Because these boards distribute funds that you as a student have contributed to, they all follow guidelines called the , which dictate how to responsibly allocate that money.
While all the boards listed above can fund events and travel for groups, SGFB is unique in that we can also give money for operational costs, such as office supplies. SGFB is also able to fund in higher amounts than many of the boards, and is often a good option for student groups. SGFB is governed by the , which gives more specific guidelines for how the board should operate.
How do I know if my group is eligible for funding?
In order to fund with student fee money, we board members need to make sure that as many students as possible will benefit from the spending. Think of it this way鈥攜ou paid into student fees, so we want you to have the opportunity to enjoy the activities and events they fund.
The SGFB code has clear requirements for the kinds of groups we can fund. Your group must be open to everyone鈥攇rads and undergrads. You cannot have any exclusionary measures, like accepting only women or men or having a GPA requirement. This means, unfortunately, that in general sororities and fraternities are not eligible for funding. Your group can charge a membership fee, but you have to accommodate people who want to join but are unable to pay the fee.
In addition, your group must have regular meetings -- at least three per semester -- and maintain an account with the Student Organizations Finance Office (SOFO). This means meeting with them at least once a semester to update your signer information and check on the status of your account. SGFB can only fund groups that are in good standing with SOFO.
Finally, when you apply for funding, SGFB requires your group to send a copy of its by-laws. This is important so that the board can get a better sense of how your group functions, and so that we can double check that your group meets the open access requirements.
If you have questions about your group鈥檚 eligibility, you can find more information in Chapter 5 of the SGFB code.
How can I apply for funding, and what is the process like?
You can find our application online on the or the . There are several sections on the application; only fill out the ones that are applicable to your request. When filling out the application, be as detailed and specific as you can. The groups who get funding the quickest are those who give a detailed breakdown of the cost of the items they are planning on buying in addition to a description of how these items are important to the mission of their group.
When you finish your application, send it to sgfb@colorado.edu. Remember to attach a copy of your group鈥檚 bylaws as well. I look at the applications every Friday and sort them for the upcoming hearing.
Hearings take place every week on Wednesdays starting at 5 p.m. For meeting locations please check the . Your group will have up to five minutes to present your funding request and then the board will ask questions. The board will discuss your proposal and vote on an amount to fund. If the board has more questions, we will ask you to add to your proposal and will vote on your funding the following week. If your proposal is clear and detailed, you will get an allocation notice from your liaison by the following night. Then all you need to do is have a short meeting with your liaison and SOFO, and you are free to use your funds.
The funding process can seem complicated, but gathering all the information beforehand will help your hearing go smoothly and get you to accomplishing your group鈥檚 goals faster. If questions come up along the way, email me at erin.greenhalgh@colorado.edu or at sgfb.chair@colorado.edu.
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