Student Government Association

This form is created to designate what items can be stored in the SGA Office. Please keep in mind that the SGA Office is primarily a work space, not a storage space. 

This form must be completed four (4) weeks prior to the event.

Who can request funding from Senate?

• Any student organization that has registered through the Office of Campus Life and has an agency account at Samford University is eligible to request funding from Senate. Information about registering a student organization and setting up an agency account can be found in the Office of Campus Life (University Center 110).
• Each student organization may only request funding once per semester.

How does an organization request funding?

• To request funding, an organization must complete the attached Funding Request Form and submit it to the Vice President for Senate in the SGA Office (University Center 115). Incomplete forms will not be accepted.
• Funding may only be used as outlined by the organization in the Budget Spreadsheet portion of the Funding Request Form. For example, if $25 is requested for printing, only $25 may be used for printing even if the organization does not use all funding allocated in another area. Therefore, organizations should carefully research and plan their budgets before submitting them to Senate for approval.
• An organization should allow up to four (4) weeks for its funding request to be processed (i.e. for money to be transferred to its agency account). If a request is not submitted far enough in advance, the organization may have to cover expenses out of its existing budget and be reimbursed by SGA after the program/project has occurred.
• After the VP for Senate has received the Funding Request Form, he/she will contact the organization to schedule a date for an organization representative to speak at Senate. In most circumstances, organizations that submit requests prior to 5:00pm on Friday will be invited to speak at the next Tuesday night’s Senate meeting (6:00pm). Requests submitted after 5:00pm on Friday will be held an additional week to allow time for processing. During the Senate meeting, the organization representative will present the request and answer questions offered by Senators.
• The VP for Senate will notify the organization about the Senate’s decision within 2 weeks. If Senate votes to appropriate funds to an organization, the money will be transferred directly to the organization’s agency account using the budget information provided on the Funding Request Form.

How much money can an organization request, and what can the money be used for?

• Each student organization may request up to $2,000 per semester; however, all funding allocations are subject to approval by the Senate. Money is available on a first-come, first-serve basis while funds are available.
• Funding may be used for the following purposes:

-Supplies, equipment, fees, and advertising/printing costs associated with an event or program

-Conference registration fees

-Food and drinks for events that are open to the entire campus community

• Funding may NOT be used to purchase the following:

-T-shirts or other promotional items for an organization (i.e. Film Club t-shirts)

-Food and drinks for meetings or social gatherings that only involve organization members

-Transportation and lodging expenses

-Donations to organizations outside Samford University

How does Senate decide how much money to appropriate to a student organization?

• Senate may vote to approve or deny an organization’s funding request. If approved, full or partial funding may be appropriated. When reviewing an organization’s funding request, Senate will consider the following criteria:

-Thoughtful Planning-Does the program/project seem well planned? Has the organization established goals for the program/project and developed strategies for reaching those goals? Has the organization considered potential obstacles to success? Is it likely that the program/project will meet the organization’s goals?

-Impact-Will the program/project positively impact Samford’s campus? Does the program/project support Samford’s values? Will it build community and provide opportunities for students to get involved? Will the program/project have lasting impact? Will the program/project reach beyond the confines of a particular organization?

-Stewardship-Will the organization be responsible with the funding appropriated by Senate? Is the budget spreadsheet accurate and well thought out? Has the organization handled money appropriately in the past?

What happens after Senate decides to appropriate funds to an organization?

• Within two (2) weeks of a program/project, the organization must submit a Student Organization Expense Report and all receipts to the VP for Senate.
• If an organization does not use all of its allocated money, it must return the leftover funds to SGA using a Request for Departmental Transfers form.
• Organizations must reimburse SGA for purchases not accompanied by a receipt.
• Organizations may be required to reimburse SGA for purchases that exceed the allocated amount in any given category. For example, if an organization’s allocates $20 for advertising/printing in their Budget Spreadsheet but spends $30, the organization may be required to pay SGA $10.

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in a Code of Values violation.

For more information, contact
 David Reece, Vice President for Senate: dreece@samford.edu
Janna Pennington, SGA Advisor: jpenning@samford.edu, (205)726-2471