Student Union
Funding Rules

Spending Before Funding:

Student Union will not reimburse students for expenses incurred before funding is available to your group.

Outside Bank Accounts:

Student Union groups can't use personal bank accounts, Venmo, GoFundMe, Paypal or other similar apps to hold or collect money - the University allows Cashnet for this purpose.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Students conducting business on behalf of student groups registered with Student Union have a responsibility to do so in a manner that is objective and ethical. The goal of all such dealings must be to benefit the student group and University students in general.

Student group members will conduct student group business ethically and objectively, in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and University policies, including the University Judicial Code.
The purchase of goods or services from a business in which a student, family member or friend has a financial interest, or may directly benefit from such purchase, is a potential conflict of interest. Such situations must be disclosed to the Student Union Business Manager for review prior to the disbursement of funds for that item or service.
Any breach of the above and below policies may result in referral of the student(s) to the University Judicial Administrator and may also result in legal actions, freezing of the student group account, and the termination of the business relationship with the supplier

On Receiving Gifts from Businesses:

Gifts of cash or monetary gifts of any kind or amount may never be accepted by students.
While there may be occasion to accept gifts of nominal value (for example company promotional trinkets, pens or note pads, etc.), these or other gifts should never be accepted in return for a business favor. Such gifts may not directly or indirectly influence the student’s business judgment or give the appearance of impropriety.
Any promotional benefit that results from a business transaction must be provided to the student group (or any other student group registered with the Student Union) and not to an individual student.
No member of a student group may accept any sum from any supplier attempting to “reward” a student for the decision to do business with the supplier.
Student group members must provide equal opportunity to firms wishing to pursue business relationships with the University.
Students should review with the Student Union Business Manager all offers of gifts prior to acceptance.

Restrictions on Accounts

Prohibited Spending in All Accounts:

Alcohol and drinkware
Donation payment: made from personal account and request a reimbursement
Dangerous/Harmful items
Gifts, Gift Cards, and Prizes
Purchases using Meal Points/Bear Bucks
Security Deposits
Service provider payment: made from personal account to pay an individual for their services and request a reimbursement

Prohibited Funding/Spending in Operating Account:

Advertising/Publicity
Costs pertaining to non-WashU or non-undergraduate students
Donations
Events/Items directly related to the recruiting process for jobs or internships
Fines, Damages, Late or Cancellation Fees
Fundraising Efforts
Giveaways: something that is given away, especially as a thank you or promotion
Memberships, dues or purchases pertaining to an individual as opposed to the student group
Plastic or non-compostable dinnerware (these items are available through Student Sustainability Board)
Resources SU Offers to Student Groups

Charging and Revenue Policy

For any SU-funded event 80% of any revenue generated from the event will return to SU, while 20% will go to the group's Fundraising Account. Revenue shall be defined as money accrued as a result of ticket sales or other similar processes. Should a fundraising event be funded out of a group’s Fundraising Account, the group shall keep 100% of the revenue.
Student Union heavily discourages the charging of tickets as it goes against SU’s principles of funding equity. Student Union works to ensure that all critical portions of an event are funded to ensure that members of groups do not bear the burden of the cost of programming; requests for events with revenue generating components will be looked at with immense scrutiny.

Financial Guidelines

Flat Funding

Flat Funding allocations are made annually based on a group’s funding category. Category III groups will receive $150 per year. Category II and Category I groups will receive $15*Active Member capped at $1350.
- Active Membership will be determined by the number of members a group has on their most up-to-date WUGO roster. Groups will only be exempt from listing their membership on WUGO if compliance with the policy risks the safety of a group’s members, in which case an alternative method of gauging Active Membership will be reached between the Vice President of Finance and the student group.

Social Guidelines

Student groups can be funded at maximum for 1 non-mission social event/year. At least 60% of attendees at a social must be group members. Some mission events have social components–Treasury will delineate between the mission and social aspects and will count the social aspects towards the social cap. Items that may be seen as social rather than mission are those that are not critical to the purpose of the group or the event.
- Group-wide social and formal events for cultural, diversity & inclusion, and affinity groups may be considered mission-related, and therefore do not count toward the social cap.
  - For social events with attendance under 140 Treasury will fund the event to occur on campus. Exceptions will be granted by Treasury on a case by case basis for cultural or religious reasons

Travel Guidelines

Travel funding will be capped at $850 per active traveling member, per year. Groups that appeal for travel 4 or more weeks in advance are more likely to be funded in full for lodging and transportation costs. Groups that appeal less than 4 weeks in advance (for any reason) will be subsidized at the following rates, at maximum:
- Hotels: $150/room/night
- Flights: $300/flight

Post-Event Form

Student groups must complete, within fourteen (14) days of any event which has a corresponding Event Registration, a Post-Event Form on WUGO. This shall serve as a verifying mechanism for Student Union and Campus Life to ensure that events occur and to provide data. The form will also be available to the group for future reference when programming events. Failure to complete this form will result in a group being denied a place on Treasury’s agenda or review of appeals from the Vice President of Finance until any incomplete Post-Event Forms for previous programming are completed. The Campus Life Business Staff also has the discretion to not allow student groups to spend on future programming if Post-Event Forms for previous events have not been completed. The data gathered will be used by the Treasury and its various committees during the budget cycle, category upgrades, etc. as well as being provided to Student Affairs and the Student Body to analyze Student Group Programming trends.
- For events which occur multiple times a month, a group may complete, after the final iteration, a Post-Event Form for all of the iterations for that month.

Reallocations

Student groups should not spend over what they were allocated for each line item or event. Minor reallocations will be handled at the discretion of the Business Staff during spending. Any other extenuating circumstances can be reported using this Google Form, and will be handled by the VP of Finance, Meris Damjanovic.