Hello club members!

My name is Olivia Tata and I am the SGA VP of Financial Affairs. On behalf of the Student Government Association's Financial Affairs Committee, we look forward to working with you over the 2018-2019 school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at OTata@lasell.edu.

Olivia Tata
SGA VP of Financial Affairs

Eligibility to Request Funding

Clubs that do not receive funding from another source (i.e. academic department or the Office of Student Activities) and are registered and recognized by the Student Government Association (SGA), may request funding each semester from SGA. In addition, clubs must demonstrate financial responsibility each semester.

Requesting Funds from SGA

The following steps will help your organization on the process of deciding on a proposed budget and completing the Student Government Association Funding Packet each semester.

Brainstorm with Club Members

What do you need for the upcoming semester? Figure out what the top priorities are, what things would be helpful, and what can wait. Try to focus on requesting funds for the most important things.

Research Prices and Options
Once you have a complete list of what your club will request funds for, start researching different options and prices. You should have a solid idea of the cost for each thing you request. Do not estimate or guess what things cost. The Office of Student Activities can help with this!

Complete the SGA Funding Request Form
There are two worksheets within the Funding Request Packet that should be completed (packets are not currently available, please send questions to studentactivities@lasell.edu). The Budget Summary Form is a line by line account of what you are requesting funds for. For each line on your Budget Summary form, your club should submit a corresponding Program Budget Worksheet. The Program Budget Worksheet allows your club to fully explain the costs associated with each event or item on your Budget Summary Form. Make sure you are clear and thorough with your explanations. It will help SGA understand what you are asking for and why it is important for your club.

Turn in the SGA Funding Request Form
Deadlines change each semester. The deadline for the Fall semester is in September and the Spring semester deadline is in January. Be aware of the deadline for turning in the SGA Funding Form. Do not turn in the form late. SGA will allocate all the money for the semester to clubs who have turned in the form on time. Late submissions may not receive funding.

Attend the SGA Funding Meeting
All clubs requesting money from SGA should send at least one representative to the SGA Budget Hearings. At this meeting, SGA will review all forms submitted for the semester and make final decisions regarding funding for your club. Having a club member there to answer questions from SGA or advocate for your request will increase your chances of receiving the funding your club has requested. In the Fall semester, the meeting will be in September and in the Spring semester it will be in January/Early February. If a club does not spend all their SGA funds or does not follow SGA and OSA spending policies they will be penalized in the next semester SGA budget hearings.

Allocation of Funds
After Budget Hearings are completed and the Financial Committee has had time to review all requests, your club representative and advisor will receive an email with the amount of funding your club has been allocated from SGA for the semester. This money will be put into your club account and recorded through Laser Involvement. SGA and OSA uses Laser Involvement to track and maintain all club budgets and accounts; this as your official budget.

During the semester, a member of the SGA Financial Affairs Committee will be in contact for a mid-semester review. During this time, any clubs that anticipates have funding left over at the end of the semester will be able to return any unspent budgets without being penalized. After this time, money that is collected will be offered up for reallocation. If your club needs more money, this would be beneficial. The SGA Vice President of Financial Affairs will send out an email with more information at that time. Please keep these guidelines in mind when completing your SGA budget request.

EARLY SGA BUDGET FUNDING PROCESS

Clubs in need of funding before the formal SGA Budget Hearing will have the opportunity to submit for an Early SGA Budget Request form. The entire process will be carried out through email with the SGA Vice President of Financial Affairs. In order to receive the form, the club must contact the SGA Vice President of Financial Affairs or the Coordinator of Student Organization. For Fall Early Budget, SGA President and Vice Presidents will discuss, the SGA Financial Affairs Committee will discuss Spring Early Budget. After the budget amount has been allocated, the club will have until the date of SGA Budget Hearings to completely spend their Early Budget Request funds.

Clubs sometimes choose to fundraise towards a certain goal for the club or for an outside charity. When fundraising, there are some additional guidelines that need to be followed. The Office of Student Activities works in collaboration with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to approve all fundraising initiatives on campus. When your club is thinking about fundraising, meet with the Office of Student Activities to ensure you are following all the necessary steps. In conjunction with the completion of an Event Request Form, fundraising activities also require the submission of a fundraising form.

Fundraise with a Purpose

When first brainstorming ideas for fundraising activities, ask yourself and your fellow club members the following: why does your organization want to fundraise? You should have a specific purpose or goal in mind. Some clubs will begin fundraising with no reason in mind and the funds end up never being used. Whether it is for your organization to save up for t-shirts, go on a trip, or donate to a non-profit, there should always be an end goal in mind. 

Event Registration Form and Fundraising Approval Form

The first step your organization should take is to complete an Event Registration Form with the Office of Student Activities through Laser Involvement. The form should be submitted to the Office of Student Activities as early as possible, but no later than 10 days before the fundraiser will take place. This must be completed before you can be approved on the Fundraising Approval Form.Once your fundraiser has been submitted by the Office of Student Activities, you may fill out the Fundraising Approval Form online (here).  This form is reviewed and approved by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. After the fundraiser is approved by both the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, you can move ahead in finalizing details.
 

Cash Box Requests

Since fundraisers involve collecting money, your organization will need to request a cash box. To do so, a Cash Box Request Form must be filled out through Laser Involvement at least 3 business days before the event. A good rule is to complete this form at the same time as your Event Registration Form. Cash boxes can be picked up between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. the same day as your event, or the business day before your event if it is on a weekend or holiday.
The cash box must be returned the next business day between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Money collected will be deposited into your organization's club account and will be recorded through Laser Involvement. If your organization is donating to a charity, the Coordinator for Student Organizations or your club's advisor must go to Village Bank, located on 307 Auburn Street, Auburndale, MA 02466, to receive a money order in the amount the club fundraised. Once the money order is received, it can be sent to the charity

Follow Up

Always make sure to follow up with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to report how much money was raised. It is important for Lasell to keep accurate records of any money being raised or donated.

SPENDING SGA, FUNDRAISING OR OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES BUDGETS

When you are ready to make purchases here are the funding options for payment in the order they should be considered. All requests must be submitted by completing a Purchase Request through your club's portal on Laser Involvement.

Order online or credit card purchases

The Office of Student Activities will use a credit card to purchase items online for your club. This is the preferred means by which to make purchases. Ordering online ensures that no club members or advisers use their own money. Items will be shipped directly to Lasell College. This method requires at least 10 business days to notice to the Office of Student Activities, and additional time for shipping depending on the purchase.

Payment via contract or invoice

Clubs need to request a contract for any performer or vendor coming to campus. At least 30 days is required for submitting a contract for signatures and to request a check for payment. Another related method of payment is to request an invoice from the performer or vendor for the full amount of the service or performance. This requires at least for four weeks to be approved and to have a check request.

Request petty cash

Clubs may request a maximum of $50 in petty cash from the Office of Student Activities at any one time. Requests for petty cash must be submitted at least three business days in advance of the date needed. After items are purchased, all the receipts and unspent money must be returned to the Office of Student Activities by the next business day.

The College is exempt from paying any tax. When making any purchases with club funding, you should use a tax exemption form. This form is available on Laser Involvement or the Coordinator of Student Organizations. Failure to utilize the form could result in an out-of-pocket expense by the club not payable by the club's semester budget.

Some clubs may have access to funding whether through an academic department or in conjunction with other offices on campus. The best step for looking at what this budget might look like is to talk with the club's advisor about the funding opportunities for your club or organization.

SPENDING SGA, FUNDRAISING OR OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES BUDGETS

When you are ready to make purchases here are the funding options for payment in the order they should be considered. All requests must be submitted by completing a Purchase Request through your club's portal on Laser Involvement.

Order online or credit card purchases
The Office of Student Activities will use a credit card to purchase items online for your club. This is the preferred means by which to make purchases. Ordering online ensures that no club members or advisers use their own money. Items will be shipped directly to Lasell College. This method requires at least 10 business days to notice to the Office of Student Activities, and additional time for shipping depending on the purchase.

Payment via contract or invoice
Clubs need to request a contract for any performer or vendor coming to campus. At least 30 days is required for submitting a contract for signatures and to request a check for payment. Another related method of payment is to request an invoice from the performer or vendor for the full amount of the service or performance. This requires at least for four weeks to be approved and to have a check request.

Request petty cash
Clubs may request a maximum of $50 in petty cash from the Office of Student Activities at any one time. Requests for petty cash must be submitted at least three business days in advance of the date needed. After items are purchased, all the receipts and unspent money must be returned to the Office of Student Activities by the next business day.

In order to receive SGA Funding, clubs must participate in the Budget Hearing Process. Information about Budget Hearings will be disseminated through Laser Involvement in the weeks prior to an upcoming semester. Below are some of the guidelines that may help you and your club/organization best prepare for the semester Budget Hearings.

• Be on time for your budget hearing time slot. Make sure you have booked an appointment with the Financial Affairs Committee in advance. If you are late consequences may arise.
• Business casual attire is highly recommended.
• The club's treasurer must be present for the budget hearing. It is also highly recommend that the entire executive board attends.
• Have a copy of your club's budget packet so that you are able to refer to it. Know your budget packet and make sure that all of your executive board members know it as well.
• Be prepared for questions from the Financial Affairs Committee. If your club did not spend all of your allocated money in the previous semesters, you may be questioned about it.
• Know your club's mission, membership, and goals for the semester.

Once your club has received funding, the goal should be to spend according to the plan presented to the Financial Affairs Committee. At the end of the semester, a club account balance that ranges from $0 to $10 shows that the clubs was responsible with spending, but a balance that exceeds $10 will be noted and could result in a reduction of funds from the Financial Affairs Committee in future semesters.

If you have more money in your club account that you do not anticipate spending by the last of day of the semester, it is recommended that you reach out to the Financial Affairs committee to learn how to return unused funds without penalty. Showing that your club is responsible with their given funds will serve as a benefit to your organization at future Budget Hearings.

The Office of Student Activities does not reimburse club executive officers and members for out-of-pocket expenses for the organization. It is the responsibility of the club to request funds from their club budget at an appropriate time.

If a receipt is lost, you must submit the following in writing within one business day:

· Date

· Place where items were purchased

· The total amount for purchases

· Why it was lost

The Office of Student Activities will determine if the explanation is reasonable. If not, you will not be able to request petty cash or credit card requests for one week. If repeated a second time, you will not be able to make petty cash request for one month. If a repeated a third time, you will not be able to request petty cash for the remainder of the semester.