Student Organization Funding
Only those registered student organizations whose presidents, treasurers, and advisors have completed their respective training sessions, and who are in financial good standing with the Ohio Union (i.e. active organizations), may receive CSA funding. Organizations may apply for funding while the group is in pending status, but must be active in order to receive funds. The listed treasurer is the only officer with access to the online request forms. Please review the student organization guidelines for complete information on fundable and non-fundable expenses. The new fiscal year (FY) for student organizations begins on July 1, and all funding availability starts over. Unused funds from one fiscal year do not roll over to the next year for the organization.
More detail on the funding process, including fundable and non-fundable items, programs, and eligibility, is outlined in the Student Organization Registration Guidelines. It is recommended that the treasurer consult training documents and the Guidelines before submitting funding requests.
Operating Funds
Registered student organizations are eligible to apply for up to $200 in operating funds, to be used for the general operation of the organization during the year. The chart in the Student Organization Registration Guidelines (page 16) outlines fundable and non-fundable expenses for operating funds. Treasurers should submit one request with all estimated budget items for the year, rather than multiple smaller requests.
Each year, operating funds requests can be submitted starting on July 1. Requests must be submitted before April 1 of the end of the academic year in order to be reviewed and processed. Audits for funds received must be turned in by May 1 each year for the group to keep good financial standing with the Center for Student Leadership and Service. See below for audit details.
Funds for 2011-2012 can no longer be requested and must be audited no later than June 1, 2012. Audits may be turned in anytime prior to June 1 once spending is complete. See below for additional audit information.
Registered treasurers may access the online request form by logging into the management site at the top right of this and every page on the student organization website. Presidents and advisors cannot access the request form. While it is not a requirement to have attended training to access the forms, it is highly encouraged to attend training first, to ensure accuracy in the request process.
Programming Funds
Registered student organizations may also apply for up to $2000 or $3000 in programming funds depending on established status. Programming funds are to be used to host a program or event on-campus that is open for any Ohio State student to attend. Requests must be submitted by the fifth Friday of the prior quarter in which the event is to occur. The Programming Expense Categories chart from the Student Organization Registration Guidelines (page 19) outlines fundable and non-fundable expenses for programming funds. Funds are issued on a reimbursement basis upon successful completion of an audit within 30 days of the originally scheduled program date (see below).
Organizations do not need to be active to submit a request - pending groups may access and complete the request form. Groups must be active by the time the program occurs and the audit is submitted, in order to be eligible for reimbursement.
The Program Examples document provides a sample of possible programs.
Programming Funds Deadlines for 2012-2013 Academic Year
As part of the switch to semesters, funding deadlines will shift to allow for peak periods of event planning. The dates below are proposed and will be approved during the 2011-2012 year. Please plan accordingly to ensure your program requests are submitted on time, based on the scheduled date of their occurrence. Late requests cannot be reviewed.
April 15: events occurring June 1 - August 15
July 1: events occurring August 16 - October 15
September 1: events occurring October 16 - December 31
November 15: events occurring January 1 - March 15
February 1: events occurring March 16 - May 31
Registered treasurers may access the online request form by logging into the management site at the top right of this and every page on the student organization website. Presidents and advisors cannot access the request form. While it is not a requirement to have attended training to access the forms, it is highly encouraged to attend training first, to ensure accuracy in the request process. A separate request must be submitted for each event in a series, rather than submitting one request for all events together.
CSA Allocations (see below) will review all requests once the funding window has closed. All notifications of approval, denial, or follow-up are sent by the third week after the deadline. No advance notifcation can be given for early submissions, as each funding window is viewed as a collective.
Audits
Operating audits are due by May 1 at the conclusion of the Student Organization year. Organizations in receipt of operating funds that fail to turn in an audit by May 1 will forfeit future funding and registration status for their organizations. Organizations that did not receive operating funds during the student organization year are not required to submit an operating funds audit.
Programming audits are due no later than 30 calendar days after the scheduled event date. Organizations approved for programming funds will be reimbursed after submitting their audit, including original itemized receipts, according to the Student Organization Guidelines regarding fundable expenses. Failure to submit audits within 30 calendar days may result in the audit being void and not reimbursable. Date changes to events must be communicated to the CSA Fiscal Coordinator to ensure funding will remain available.
Treasurers should complete audit forms using the following tips for success:
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Audited items may deviate from the original budget as submitted on the request form, as long as expenses submitted are still fundable
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Use original, itemized, legible receipts
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Provide cancelled checks and/or bank statements along with any invoices, pick-up slips, delivery orders, etc. that do not show proof of payment
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Provide accurate, specific information on the vendors, amounts, and description of expenses
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Do not sub-total any expense categories - list all receipts individually
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Do not highlight expenses on thermal register receipts
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For direct payment to OSU vendors, write "please pay directly" on invoices being submitted
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For reimbursement to other OSU departments, please provide appropriate chartfield information
Audit forms should be turned in to the Center for Student Leadership and Service at The Ohio Union. Audit forms can be found here:
2011-2012 Operating Funds Audit Form
2011-2012 Programming Funds Audit Form
If you'd like to complete your forms electronically:
Fillable Programming Funds Audit Form
Fillable Operating Funds Audit Form
Additional Helpful Information for Treasurers
Treasurer Training - Follow this link for information on Training, and to register for a training session.
Fundraising - There are many different ways to raise the funds necessary to make your organization successful. The Student Organization Insider is one of the best ways to learn of fundraising opportunities, as any information received is passed on via this weekly e-mail. Additional information can be found in the Fundraising Resources for Student Organizations document on our website.
Tax Information/ EIN Information
An EIN stands for employer identification number. All registered organizations at OSU must have an EIN number. You can obtain an EIN from the IRS by calling 1-800-829-4933 or by applying online
When you apply online, you will be asked to identify your organization's type of legal structure. Select: "View Additional Types, Including Tax-Exempt and Governmental Organizations", then "Social or Savings Club."
Treasurers may log-in to the management system and click on "EIN Information" to view the EIN on file for the organization.
AP Compliance Form
In order to request funding checks, organizations need to have an AP Compliance Form on file, to create an OSU assigned vendor number.
1. Fill out the full student organization name where it says Business Name
2. Use the primary leader or treasurer's phone number
3. Enter your EIN.
4. Sign and date the form.
Return form to the Center for Student Leadership and Service, Ohio Union, attention: Jeff Pelletier. You may also fax it to the number at the bottom of the form.
Non-Profit Organizations - Student organizations are not legal entities of the Ohio State University, and thus are not tax-exempt or non-profit by virtue of their existence as a student group. Student organizations can apply to be considered a non-profit, tax-exempt organization (501c3). These organizations may be subject to additional restrictions in accordance with the IRS rules and regulations. For more information on the policies associated with being a non-profit and for more specific directions on how to apply for non-profit status, you can go to the IRS Charity/Non-Profit page, or review the 501C3 general information document (for educational purposes only).
Council on Student Affairs - The Council on Student Affairs (CSA) is a Subcommittee of the University Senate. It serves as the link between the student governments, the faculty and the administration. It also is serves as the advisory body to the Vice President for Student Life.
CSA Allocations - CSA Allocations is a subcommittee of CSA made up of students, staff, and faculty working together to determine how Student Activity Fee funds and some Student Life funds are allocated. In the case of student organizations, CSA Allocations decides funding issues and reviews program proposals.
For more information on CSA and CSA Allocations, please visit their website at http://studentlife.osu.edu/csa/
Please contact Jeff Pelletier at pelletier.12@osu.edu with questions regarding the student organization funding process.