Club Funding

Club Funding Disclaimer: These regulations may be reviewed by the Student Representative Council (SRC) and changes may be enacted at any time it is considered necessary. All changes will be reviewed and approved by a two-thirds vote of the SRC. Changes will become effective at the discretion of the SRC.

CLUB FUNDING PROCESS

PURPOSE OF CLUB FUNDING

The Student Representative Council, SRC, annually establishes financial support of UNC chartered student organizations in order:

A. To help develop and maintain the commitment to a meaningful student leadership development.

B. To budget student fees for various programs, activities and materials which are beneficial to chartered student organizations and toward increasing meaningful participation from the student body.

Note: The Bylaws in this Chapter apply to chartered Student Organizations only.

FUNDING TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS

Student Organizations Team (SOT)- is the SRC committee that assists the Vice President of Student Organizations in matters of SRC funding and chartering of student organizations and reviewing grievances.

Vice President for Student Organizations- is the elected SRC officer who facilitates the chartering and funding of all student organizations. (See definition in Part 1)

Student Fees- are mandatory monies, which are collected from all students in addition to tuition.

ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING

A. The organization must be chartered through the SRC charter recognition process. (See Part 1 of this Chapter.)

B. The group must have a good financial history with the business office as determined by the SOT.

C. The group must be of non-profit in nature.

D. The group must not be funded through general revenue dollars or through the SFAP process.

EVENT SPECIFIC AND OPERATING BUDGET FUNDING PLAN

Every eligible organization may go through the funding process only once per academic year.

A. Funding Requests Limitations

SRC provides funding for no more than five events yearly if the organization does not request an operating budget, or may provide funding for up to four events and an operating budget.
Each event request must not exceed $1,000
Each operating budget request must not exceed $1,000

B. Procedure for Event Specific and Operating Budget Plan

Student Organizations must select one representative to attend one of the Funding Meetings. If your organization is unable to attend, then funding may not be applied for unless your group contacts the SRC VP for Student Organizations to make other arrangements prior to orientation meetings.
Student Organizations will complete a funding packet, specifying amounts of money needed for specific programs.
If an organization is requesting an operating budget only, the Operating Budget form must be as detailed as possible.
The Student Organizations Team, will use an evaluation process to determine which groups and events should receive funding and how much funding for each group.
The committee will use the following criteria to review requests:
1. The credibility of the applications line item budget.
2. The credibility and completeness of the events planning.
3. The benefit of the events to the university, the students, and the club.
4. The financial need of the club*.
5. Roll-over from account two funding is deducted from funding recommendation.
6. Fundraising will be encouraged.
The decision of the SOT will be given to the Vice President for Student Organizations. The SRC VP for Student Organizations will consider the suggestions and forward their final suggestions to the SRC. The SRC shall review the SOT suggestions in a public meeting and approve all organizations budgets by a 2/3 majority vote.

GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS

A. Grieving an Unfair Process

In the event that an organization believes that components of the funding process were unfair or the SOT acted unfairly or unethically, then that organization may file a grievance with the SRC VP for Student Organizations. The Vice President for Student Organizations will then forward a copy of the grievance to the Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Facilitator. The VP for Student Organizations will then address the issue during the next SRC meeting. At this time the VP for Student Organizations will decide whether the grievance is valid and if it is, will take measures to make the process fair in the current and future processes.

B. Grieving an Unfair VP of student Organizations.

In the event that an organization believes that the SRC VP for Student Organizations has acted unethically or unfairly in the handling of a previous grievance, then that organization may file a grievance against the VP for Student Organizations with the AA/EO Facilitator. The grievance will be delivered to the SRC Advisor and SRC President. These individuals will then facilitate the formation of a committee to resolve the grievance. This committee must hold a hearing to resolve the issue within 14 days of the grievance being filed, provided that so many remain in the academic term.

C. Appealing your Groups Fund Allocation

In the event that a grievance against the funding process or the SRC VP for Student Organizations is found to be valid by the AA/EO facilitator or SRC VP of Student Organizations, then the organization has the right to appeal to SRC for a change the of their funding allocation. If approved by a two thirds vote of SRC, the SRC President will alter their allocation, allowing all organizations in which the same flaw applies the opportunity to request funding under the corrected process.

PROCEDURES FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF SRC FUNDS

A. When SRC approves the organization's budget allocation, funds will be transferred into an individual organization's account through the University Center Business Office.

B. In order to use SRC funds, the organization must complete an Account Authorization Signature Card, which includes all signatures of those members approved by the organization to process expenditures and the group's advisor.

C. All revenue generated by the organization from student fees must be deposited in the Student Organizations account.

D. All organization expenditures must start with a Work Copy. On this document must be the signatures of the treasurer of the organization and of another officer in that organization. The signatures must conform to the ones on the signature card. The group advisor may not authorize expenditures.

E. Upon completion of the Work Copy, the SRC VP for Student Organizations, or in his/her absence the SRC VP for Finance must approve and countersign the Work Copy.

F. Expenditures or commitments made without an approved Work Copy will be considered a personal transaction and SRC will not be responsible for payment.

G. Purchases of services or goods may not exceed the total amount, which the organization has earned and deposited into its account. At no time will an organization be allowed to deficit spend. Deficit spending will have a negative impact on subsequent funding allocations.

H. All travel must be processed in advance through the University Center Business Office. The University requires special forms and procedures be used. NO travel will be reimbursed unless it has been processed in advance through the UC Business Office.

I. If the above procedures are not followed, the organization will be personally responsible for unapproved expenditures.

J. Any funds remaining in the VP for Student Organizations account will transcend the fiscal year.

USE OF CLUB FUNDS

A. Student organizations will not disseminate student fees or revenue generated from student fees in the ways outlined below:

Alcohol or drug purchases.
Salaries, stipends, or scholarships for elected or appointed student organization officers.
Direct contributions to charitable organizations or agencies. A service or product must be rendered for all monies disseminated.
Private dinners, receptions, or parties. All sustenance served must be available to all the members of the student organization.
The VP for Student Organizations is authorized to interpret whether the use of funds is appropriate. The VP for Student Organizations will consider how much private (self-generated) money the organization has deposited into its account.

SPRING SEED MONEY

In recognition that some groups are unable to organize sufficiently in the Fall semester to utilize the funding process and in recognition that some groups may charter after the completion of the Fall funding process, SRC has established Spring seed money in order to forward minimal funding to these groups. Only groups that did not receive any funding in the Fall semester are eligible. The funding allocation process for Spring Seed Money proceeds as outlined in SECTION 4 of this document.

SEIZURE AND/OR SUSPENSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL FUNDS

A. In the event that strong evidence is presented that an organization may have violated UNC, SRC, state, or federal law, the SRC VP for Student Organizations has the authority to suspend the organization's account. During the next SRC meeting, the suspension must be affirmed by the Council or it cannot remain in place.

B. If the matter is serious, the VP for Student Organizations or a student at large may defer the allegation to the SOT as outlined in Part 1, SECTION 7 of these Bylaws.

C. In the event that strong evidence is presented that the organization has misappropriated funds then the SRC VP for Student Organizations will forward that information to the internal auditor. Following the findings of the auditor, action against the groups charter may be taken as outlined in Chapter X: P1: 7.