Student Leadership & Involvement

1. For a club/organization to request funds, it must first have and maintain approved Bylaws of SGA prior to the request for funds
2. Club/organizations’ membership shall be limited to persons who are full-time or part-time, activity fee paying students.
3. Clubs/organizations that practice exclusion cannot be budgeted by SGA. Exclusion shall be defined as voting by the current membership to extend invitations for future membership.
4. Clubs/organizations defined by the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement as “Greek Letter Organizations,” or “Honor Societies” shall not receive budgeted funds from SGA, with the exception of Greek Governing Councils. In addition, “Service Organizations” which practice exclusion shall not be budgeted.
5. Organizations, defined by the office of student leadership and involvement as "Religious Organization" may receive funding for items/events that are deemed content neutral.
6. Clubs/Organizations may only submit one (1) budget, regardless of any subdivisions. Subdivisions will consist of different levels, teams, or ensembles within the SGA recognized club/organization
7. To be eligible for funding, SGA funded organization treasures must attend the annual mandatory SSI treasurer training and SGA budgeting seminars. Failure to attend these seminars, unless excused by written consent of the SGA treasurer or executive director of SSI, will result in an organization becoming ineligible to receive funds for the next fiscal year

Organizations approved within the previous spring or current fall semester are eligible to apply for up to $300 in funding for their first probationary year. 

All SGA-funded student organizations must have a treasurer elected or appointed on
or before the fall semester budgeting seminar.

To receive consideration for funding, the club/organization must properly complete and submit the budget request to the SSI executive director and SGA treasurer. The deadline date for submitting a budget request will be determined by the SGA treasurer. SGA funded organization treasurers and advisors will be notified by the Finance committee about the budgeting process in the Fall semester. 

Budget requests that are vague, incomplete or improperly prepared shall be returned to the organization submitting the request. That organization will need to resubmit a properly prepared budget request within the time specified by the SGA treasure to be considered for an allocation.

Budget requests shall include all anticipated gross income, expenditures, and carryover balances for the fiscal year.

The Finance committee may contact a club/organization’s treasurer during the budgeting process to answer questions concerning the budget request.

The SGA Finance committee and SGA treasurer will present the tentative budget for all organizations to the SGA Senate to be voted upon as a whole. After approval, the Finance committee will notify all organizations of their tentative budget allocations in The Quad newspaper.

Organizations may appeal their tentative budget allocations from the Finance committee by submitting notification of appeal, in writing, to the SGA treasure by the deadline set by the SGA treasurer and listed in the Quad newspaper.

Budget recommendations of the Finance committee are not final until approved by the SGA Senate, SSI Board of Directors, and the president of West Chester University. No club/organization will spend monies before approval by the president of West Chester University. The Finance committee may impose a penalty if money is spent or contracted before the final approval.

SGA Budgeting Guidelines (Link)

The following guidelines are to be used by the SGA Finance committee during the budgeting process. They do not govern the expenditures of student organizations, nor should they be used by student organizations to leave line-items out of their budgets. Organizations are encouraged to submit the full range of expenditures planned by the organization. Due to the large amount of funds requested, certain activities must take precedence during the budgeting process.

1. The following line items, while being permissible expenditures, shall not be budgeted by the SGA Finance committee:
   • Clothing items/uniforms that are not made available to all members of an organization.
   • Newsletters for Members
   • Membership dues for individual members of the organization to a larger organization
   • More than (1) closed award banquet or social event for members only 
   • Donations to charity or other similar organizations 
   • Food for events or meetings that are not open to all WCU students
2. The SGA Finance committee, before beginning the budget process, shall set the following guidelines:
   • Events determined by the Finance committee to be outside the organization’s purpose shall not receive funding for that event.
   • The number of speakers or guest artists per year and a dollar amount cap on each. These guidelines can be flexible or waived for organizations whose main purpose is to bring speakers to campus. If the speaker is paid, no money for food, travel, lodging, or gift shall be budgeted.
   • The number of trips taken per year is limited. A maximum cap will be set on conference expenses. Expenses that can be budgeted for are registration, travel, and lodging. Admission to events or attractions shall not be budgeted.
   • There is a limit to the number of events/concerts per year as well as a dollar amount cap. Publicity shall be budgeted, but not receptions before or after events. This item can be waived for programming organizations.
   •  Fundraising supplies can be budgeted, but not actual items to be sold

Other SSI Guidelines

• There will be no funding for in-service training or professional development meetings, workshops, seminars, or conferences that have as their function the education of the faculty advisor and/or administrator of any club/organization.
• There will be no funding for coaching equipment.
• All clubs/organizations are expected to operate within the current year’s budgeted allocations. Deficit spending will not be allowed.
• All organizations must seek approval from the SGA Executive committee and SSI Executive Director in order to use funds from spring commencement to the first day of fall semester.
• Legal services are not to be budgeted for nor are they a permissible expenditure

Student Services, Inc. offers the opportunity for student organizations to accept money for events via Venmo and Credit Card.

SSI has set up a general Venmo account for students to utilize. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT UTILIZE THEIR OWN VENMO OR OTHER SIMILAR ACCOUNTS FOR COLLECTING ORGANIZATION MONEY. If student organizations are accepting Venmo at an event, we ask that all individuals send their funds directly to our Venmo account (wcu-ssi). When sending money to the account, SSI requests that individuals write in the description box the organization's name and number and the reasoning behind the money being sent. This way when funds are reconciled SSI will know which organizations the funds are to go to and why. 

In order to request to use the Credit Card option student organizations will be asked to sign out one of the iPads offered in the SSI Business Office. The iPads both have the Credit Card services as well as the Venmo App. After an iPad has been returned to the office, funds earned for that prior event will show up at months end in the organization’s account balance.

**Please keep record of how much money is coming in the day/night or the event for your own records! This way you will know the estimated amount that should be entered into your account at the months end

In order to obtain a cash box and start-up money for an on-campus event (e.g. – bake sale, fashion show, dodgeball tournament, etc.), your student treasurer should notify the SSI Service Center (lower level of Sykes Student Union, 610-436-2266) at least one hour prior to the event but preferably 1-2 business days in advance.

The Cash start-up must be paid back the following business day. The funds that were raised from your event will then be deposited to your SSI account (minus the cash start-up). 

Student organizations can use the SSI credit card to make purchases. A Credit Card Request Form must be filled out with advisors' signature, submitted, and approved to use the card. All purchases will be made in the SSI Business Office by a staff member, the SSI credit card does not leave the SSI Business Office.

Minimum amount: $100
Maximum amount: $1,500 - Any purchase over that amount must be approved by the SSI Executive Director. 

Cannot be used for rental purchases or deposits. 

SSI Payment Voucher Form

Voucher for Services

When paying a vendor or an individual person for a service, vouchers for these individuals must be filed out with their address, date of birth, and Social Security Number in order to process through our payroll department. 
In order for a check to be ready for individuals performing a service, the voucher must be submitted two weeks prior to the service.

Voucher for other items

Both treasurer and advisor need to sign voucher before turning in.
Receipts for purchase need to be attached to voucher.
Make sure to write a detailed description of what is being purchased and why. Please also include the organization's name and organization's number. Your organization's number can be found here.

Turn-around time for a check to be cut is 2-3 business days

Advances

An advance is typically made payable to an individual

Minimum amount: $100
Maximum amount: $350

Turn-around time for a check to be cut is 2-3 business days

The initial ADVANCE request does not require documentation, but receipts must be submitted back to the SSI Business Office within 5 days.

 If less money is spent than initially requested, it must be returned with the receipts. If more
money is spent, an additional voucher can be submitted for reimbursement

For any services from an outside vendor at your event, you must have a contract. STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SIGN CONTRACTS WITH AN OUTSIDE AGENCY. 

SSI/SGA funded student organizations

All contracts and/or agreements with outside agencies for on or off campus events and programs must be approved and signed by the SSI executive director.

Non-SSI/SGA funded student organizations

All contracts and/or agreements with outside agencies for on campus events and programs must be signed by the executive director of SSI if the amount is over $300. 

All contracts and or agreements with outside agencies must be signed by the organization's faculty/staff advisor if the amount is $300 or under. 

Aramark, Krapf’s Bus & Coach along with Kelly’s Sports will not process any order until they receive a Purchase Order from the SSI Business office. Once a purchase order request (link) is filled out and returned a purchase order will then be generated. Payment to the vendor will be submitted with the Purchase Order approval.