SGA Finance - Budget
Training Workshop
SGA Committee on Financial Affairs
November 2014
Brian Nowak, SGA VP of Financial Affairs
Intro & Agenda
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Who I am
SORC Intro
Resources
The Student Activities Fee
Normal Funding Process
Budget Walkthrough
Emergency Funding
SORC / University Accounts
Feedback / Contact Me
Questions
SORC – Student Involvement Suite - Stamp
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Assists with groups applying to become a new organization
Provides assistance and support to existing organizations.
Assists student groups in spending their SGA allocated funds.
Can also visit SORC for help/advice before you’re allocated SGA
funds
Resources
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Your #1 Resource: The Website – umdsgafinance.weebly.com
SGA Funding Guide
SGA Finance Manual & Discretionary Guidelines
[SGAFINANCIALAFFAIRS] Listserv
• Created from your group’s Orgsync profile, so make sure that your profile is
up to date
• Orgsync
• Account Management
• SORC
• STARS
The Student Activities Fee (SAF)
• $74 a school year for full time students, less for part time
• The SGA Finance Committee allocates the SAF to recognized
student groups’ programs
• SGA Recognition
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Group must not be exclusionary in any way
Group must have at least 25 members & a constitution
Group must not charge dues
Contact the Director of Student Groups, Katherine Swanson, at
SGAstudentgroups@gmail.com
The Student Activities Fee (SAF)
• The SGA’s Committee on Financial Affairs (COFA) is charged with
fairly and equitably distributing the SAF
• Every decision we make is meant to fall in line with that mission
• It is also on student groups to be using SAF funding honestly and
appropriately
• Committee on Audit & Review
• Random Audits
The Finance Process
• The SAF is split into 12 monthly pots
• i.e. we have roughly $45,000 left to disperse for programs in the month of
February, and will need to make cuts if student groups are able to be
awarded more than that amount (more than $45k worth of funds approved)
• 3 main deadlines per semester, 6 per school year
• September, October, November, February, March, April
• COFA accepts, reviews, and makes decisions on budgets for the 6
deadlines
Main Restrictions
• 30 day rule: A program will not be funded unless it occurs at least
30 days after the budget deadline
• 60 day rule: A program of $1,500.01 or more will not be funded if
it is less than 60 days after the budget deadline
• 5 month rule: A program may not be funded if it is further than 5
months away from the date of the deadline, unless the group
provides sufficient reasoning for needing to apply more than 5
months in advance
Other Main Restrictions
• Student groups cannot ever be reimbursed for money they’ve
already spent
• Date of Payment / Date of Program: use whichever comes first as
your main date on the application, and always just let COFA know
the full story
• Always visit SORC before applying if you are unsure about a
purchase or contract agreement
The Budget Application
• 1 application per program your group is planning
• Always consult the Finance Manual & Discretionary Guidelines
while preparing a budget
• All numbers, dates, and math on the form must be exact and
correct
• All line items must have documentation that proves the exact
costs and cost breakdown
The Budget Application - Certification
• By being here, you’re in the process of being certified for the
remainder of the school year
• Again, always check the Finance website, email, and the Manual
and Discretionary Guidelines. Rules may change from now to April
• The actual application – must be filled out using the Orgsync login
of a certified President or Treasurer:
• On to the application - https://orgsync.com/59742/forms/123822
Submitting Your Application
• Form must be submitted online by Thurs November 13th at 5:00pm
• 1 printed copy must be turned in in-person in the SGA Office,
0209J Student Involvement Suite, Stamp Student Union during
Finance committee office hours
• Hours have not yet been determined for November, but will
definitely be held all day on the 13th (10am-5pm)
• Check the form as well as the Finance website for office hours
• Once it is 5:00pm on Thursday, Nov. 13th, your submission is
considered final and is not able to be edited, so double and triple
check your work
After the Deadline
• COFA will spend the next week and a half or so reviewing and voting on
budgets
• You will receive a decision of Fully Funded, Partially Funded, or Not
Funded
• You may then choose to sign up for an appeal with the Finance
Committee
• We explain in further detail why your application was Partially or Not funded,
you make your case
• New information, such as additional documentation, is not allowed, as the
purpose of these appeals is more to determine if the Committee made a
mistake in reviewing the budget
• Decisions of the Committee appeals are announced, and if you are still
unhappy with the decision, you may appeal to the SGA Legislature, and
will receive further instructions informing you how to do so
Spending of Funds - SORC, STARS
• Funds will be available in STARS roughly 2 business days after
legislative approval of the finance bill
• Planned for, but not guaranteed on Dec. 3rd
• Must also complete the mandatory SORC officer online training
and quiz before any SGA funds can be spent
• You should have already received an email about the training, and it is
recommended that you complete it as soon as possible
• Different from this workshop in that it will teach you about the spending of
funds, rather than applying for funds
• Spending Guide document to be made available closer to the
deadline
• Remember, if you ever have a spending question just go to SORC!
Emergency Funding
• The Group Help fund is meant to serve as a last resort to groups who
cannot fund their event through traditional means
• Applications are considered ONLY if the time constraint on receiving the funding
is sooner than the upcoming regular Funding Allocation period (if you cannot
apply for the next available budget deadline)
• Applications are considered ONLY if submitted more than 10 business days prior
to the Date of Program*
• Each group is limited to $1000 in total funds awarded per semester
*If there is an off-campus contractual agreement, the committee reserves the right to deny the
application if SORC is unable to process the contract in time (DG0003-09201305)
Emergency Funding
• Co-Sponsorship Grant
• Similar to Group Help, but meant for co-sponsored and collaboratively
planned events
• While the applying group must be SGA-recognized, not all co-sponsors need
to be SGA-recognized
• Applications are considered ONLY more than 10 business days prior to the
Date of Program*
*If there is an off-campus contractual agreement, the committee reserves the right to deny the
application if SORC is unable to process the contract in time (DG0003-09201305)
Closing Points
• November Budget Deadline: November 13th
• First date we can fund from that is Dec. 13th (under $1500)
• Application is live now
• Constantly check Finance website for all updates
• To any publications and policies, such as the Manual
• For an announcement about Finance office hours to collect budgets
• Update your group’s Orgsync profile to make sure you receive
important emails
Questions / Feedback?
• Anonymous ‘Contact Us / Feedback’ form on Finance website
• If you have a specific question that the website, the Manual, and
Orgsync (incl. the SORC training) can’t answer, email me at:
sgavpfinance@umd.edu