Skidmore College: Leadership Activities

The budgets allocated to all clubs, organizations, classes and residence halls are comprised of funds from the student activity fee. Therefore, these groups must use their allotted funds in such a way as to benefit the Skidmore community, not promote any exclusive or personal gains. The SGA highly encourages clubs to operate with unlimited membership and requires all clubs to open its events to as many participants as possible. Accordingly, these policies have been adopted to help ensure the proper use of such funds. The scenarios addressed below do not account for every possible financial concern that may arise throughout the fiscal year, therefore the Vice President for Financial Affairs should be consulted whenever questions arise that are not addressed below.

Senate approves every club/organization's annual budget during the preceding spring semester. The budget is derived through a method of shared responsibility between Senate and the all-campus Budget and Finance Committee. This Committee is composed of senators and appointed students via the Willingness-to-Serve process. The Committee operates autonomously of the Student Senate. In the spring, clubs apply for their budgets and initially meet with the Budget and Finance Committee. Applications will be accepted for budgets during a rolling budgeting process, as established by the Budget and Finance Committee, and announced to all clubs and organizations at the end of the spring semester. At the conclusion of this period, the Committee reviews all submitted budget requests, balances the budget-at-large, and makes recommendations to the Student Senate for their approval. The Senate passes the entire budget and has the authority to make changes to the Budget and Finance Committee's recommendations. Before the Student Senate votes, t he Budget and Finance Committee will hold a period to hear appeals from clubs and organizations not satisfied with their budgets. Additionally, any club or organization has the right to appeal directly to the Student Senate before the vote if they are still unsatisfied with their budget allocation.

Organizations have four sources for securing funding to support their activities:

All funds generated in any manner must be held in trust by the College. For example, any fundraised money must be deposited into the clubs or organizations account. Furthermore, expenditure of these funds must follow the guidelines set forth by the Student Government Association's constitution, the financial policy guidelines, and ultimately the College's financial policies.

All monies are allocated according to the budget request submitted during the previous academic year. Every dollar has been allotted for a specific purpose. Therefore, these dollars must be used for that purpose unless a change in a club's budget line has gone through the line reallocation process. If it is not known what specific items for which a club or organization is budgeted, a copy of a club's specific line-by-line budget can be obtained through the VP for Financial Affairs or in the Office of Leadership Activities on the 3rd floor of Case Center.

a. Making Purchases on Behalf of Your Organization:
Before making purchases on behalf of a club or organization, it is recommended that all spending be reviewed at by the Office of Leadership Activities upon their request.

1. T-shirts as fundraisers: Money for t-shirts will come out of a club's line-by-line budget and must be accompanied by a revenue line. In no instance can T-shirts be distributed below their manufactured cost.

2. T-shirts as needed to implement events: T-shirts may be distributed without generated revenue if they in someway add to the safety or security of an event.

3. T-shirts as uniforms: All requests for uniforms must be made through the SGA uniform fund.

4. T-shirts as a project: plain t-shirts may be purchased for arts-and-craft types of events and can be distributed without cost.

c. Current Balances:
An organization can obtain its current account balance from the Office of Leadership Activities or from the VP of Financial Affairs. It is the responsibility of the club or organization treasurer to keep track of the financial state of their club independently of this balance sheet to insure accuracy on each end.

1. There must be sufficient funds in the account related to the specific line item (as approved by the Senate the previous spring or as approved in a budget reallocation request).

2. The appropriate form, located in the Office of Leadership Activities, must be completed and signed by the clubs treasurer.

3. Any contracts related to the purchase must have been completed in the manner set forth below.

4. For any reimbursement, appropriate receipts must be furnished. These receipts must be from the current academic school year, and must clearly state the purchased product, along with its price. Under no circumstance is a credit card receipt an acceptable substitute for an itemized receipt acquired from the place the item was purchased. Additionally, a photocopy of a receipt is never an acceptable substitute.

It is very common for a club member to pay for something using personal money with the intent of being reimbursed at a later date.

a. In all cases, the club treasurer must produce a receipt and the funds must be available in the club's line item budget.

b. Checks are to be signed by the VP for Financial Affairs twice a week (days/times to be posted in the Office of Leadership Activities) at the beginning of each semester.

a. All overnight trips must receive the written consent of the VP for Financial Affairs before they are taken. A brief letter detailing the trip and its purpose must be submitted to the VP for Financial Affairs two weeks before the trip. Additionally, all clubs and organizations taking trips must make a full faith effort to publicize these events to all students.

b. In order for a club to be eligible for reimbursement for hotels, car rentals, gas associated with car rentals, mileage for private cars, or tolls, the treasurer must fill out an Expense Report Form for each person on the trip. They are located outside of the Office of Leadership Activities.

c. All associated receipts must be accounted for in an itemized format. All reimbursements will be taken out of appropriate lines in a club's budget and is subject to approval by the VP for Financial Affairs.

e. SGA will allow a club member to be reimbursed at the College's rate for reimbursement per mile when the member's car was used for appropriate club activities. Note: Typically the cost of gas is less than this rate. Accordingly, a club may decide to limit reimbursement to the actual cost of gas in order to save its funds. In this case, the Expense Report Form must show that the gas cost is less than the mileage cost.

In the rare instance that a club needs to reallocate funds from a specific line in its budget to a separate or new line, the club must fill out a “budget reallocation request” and submit it to the VP for Financial Affairs. Under no circumstance can a line be reallocated if revenue is not associated with that line, nor can a club reallocate money into a revenue line to avoid that obligation. The reallocation will be approved or denied at the discretion of the VP for Financial Affairs. It is the sole responsibility of the treasurer to make sure the line reallocation was approved.

No student is expected to spend their own money to pay for a club event. In order to obtain a cash advance, a treasurer must fill out a Check Request Form explaining where the funds will go and from which budget line they will be deducted. The granting of a Cash Advance is at the discretion of the VP for Financial Affairs. After funds are spent or the event is over, all itemized receipts must be given to the Office of Leadership Activities. Within three days of the cash advance, the entirety of the cash spent and remaining from the Cash Advance must be accounted for. The lack thereof can result in a frozen budget or further action taken by the VP for Financial Affairs, including but not limited to charging the difference to the College account of the student who took the advance out.

A SGA credit card is available for use by clubs and organizations. The credit card is to remain in the Office of Leadership Activities at all times; the credit card is never to be in the possession of a club affiliate . In order to use the credit card, the treasurer of a club must fill out a credit card authorization form. This form must be accompanied by a detailed explanation of what is to be purchased, from where, the cost, and the purpose. The same rules apply as outlined above in the Cash Advances section. All purchases must be pre-approved by the VP for Financial Affairs at least two weeks prior to when the credit card is needed. All purchases will be deducted from a relevant line in the club's budget.

Your club is tax-exempt. When purchasing anything in your club or organization's name, you may receive the benefit of tax-exempt status, which means that you need not pay sales tax in New York State (this may vary with the inclusion of other states, check with the SGA Bookkeeper). You may make use of this benefit by presenting an off-campus establishment with a tax-exempt form. They are available in the Office of Leadership Activities. No one will be reimbursed for tax paid on any purchase for a location where SGA is exempt. Any misuse of the tax-exempt status is a violation of the Honor Code, and will be handled accordingly.

SGA holds a membership to BJ's in order to help clubs save money by buying in bulk. The BJ's card is available in the Office of Leadership Activities, and may be checked out by a club officer. The club officer must inform the SGA Bookkeeper how long they intend to keep the card, not to exceed 2 business days, and if the card is not returned by that time the VP of Financial Affairs will be notified and can deduct a penalty of up to $10.00 per late day from the negligent club's budget. Additionally, the BJ's card may only be used for club purchases, and any misuse is a violation of the Honor Code.

Events occurring during the first six weeks of the fall semester may appeal to the incoming and outgoing VP of Financial Affairs and the Office of Leadership Activities to spend money, in accordance to these policies, during the summer. This is to ensure quality, successful programming during these first few weeks. This request will be approved or denied at the discretion of the incoming and outgoing VP for Financial Affairs.

The SGA realizes that some students respond to online advertising. However, this should not be the primary form of advertising, and is limited by past SGA resolutions. Thus, any clubs seeking to employ online advertising must receive the written consent of the VP of Financial Affairs. Additionally, no club hosting an event under $1,500.00 may purchase advertising online, with the exception of SGA elections.

In subsequent years if the college over-enrolls and SGA consequently is running in surplus, the following must occur:

a. The SGA President and Vice President for Financial Affairs will be promptly notified by the SGA Bookkeeper.

b. The VP for Financial Affairs will convene the Budget and Finance Committee to create a resolution to submit to the Senate for approval to allocate the surplus funds.

c. If the Budget and Finance Committee fails to create a resolution, or if the Senate votes down all of Budget and Finance's resolutions, at the end of the academic year the surplus funds will automatically be rolled into the SGA endowment.

Each club has the right to raise funds to supplement any existing line in the club's line-by-line operating budget.

a. Money raised is to be deposited into the club account through the SGA bookkeeper in the Office of Leadership Activities.

b. Deposits cannot be completed without a “line” designation. If a club wishes to fundraise for a purpose not already established in a line in the existing club line-by-line budget, the club can create such a line with the permission of the SGA VP for Financial Affairs.

c. It is the responsibility of the club treasurer to keep an accurate record of all deposits. As long as the club treasurer can accurately show that fundraised money remains in the account at the end of the SGA fiscal year, that money can be rolled-over into the same designated line for the next fiscal year by submitting a Budget Carryover Request Form.

d. All money a club fundraises must be deposited as stated above. Failure to deposit club funds appropriately is a violation of the Skidmore College Honor Code. The VP for Financial Affairs can address such violations by freezing club accounts and bringing the alleged violation to the SGA Executive Board.

In the event a club needs additional funding to carry out its programming, an online application form for "supplemental budget requests" must be filled out.

a. Requests for additional funding must be made to the VP for Financial Affairs in writing using the online form.

b. These requests are brought before the SGA Budget and Finance Committee, which may make a recommendation to Senate to allocate additional funds to a club budget for a specific purpose.

c. In order for clubs to meet with the Budget and Finance Committee to discuss their requests, they must contact the VP for Financial Affairs to be added to the Budget and Finance Committee meeting agenda. Requests must be submitted at least two weeks before the funds are needed so as to allow time for a review and a recommendation by the Budget and Finance Committee, and a decision from the Senate.

d. After a club meets with the Budget and Finance Committee, the Committee will make a recommendation to the Senate with respect to the request for additional funding. The recommendation may be in support of all or part of the requested funds or against any supplemental allocation. The request then goes to the Senate for a vote. A representative from the club requesting the supplemental funding must be present at that Senate meeting.

Conference funds are not guaranteed, even if the conference is a central theme for the club. The club must submit a “Conference Request Form,” and then establish a meeting with the Budget and Finance Committee for review. Requests must be submitted at least two weeks before the funds are needed so as to allow time for review and a recommendation by the Budget and Finance Committee. Funds are limited, so clubs that have not already received funds in a given year will be given priority. The approval of conference requests is at the discretion of the Budget and Finance Committee.

SGA has a limited amount of funds set aside to enable individual non-affiliated students to participate in activism events or causes to expand their sense of community involvement, service, and awareness. Please Note: This is a SGA funded program, only students may apply. Requests must be submitted at least two weeks before the funds are needed so as to allow time for review and a recommendation by the Budget and Finance Committee.

Upon a positive decision from the Budget and Finance Committee, funds will be made available to the individual student. The student will be bound by all SGA Financial Policies, i.e. logging expenses, receipts, and tax-exemption. Additionally, within a month of the conclusion of the activism event, the student is required to submit a write-up about the event: purpose, accomplishments, difficulties, etc.

The Budget and Finance Committee must actively promote and publicize this opportunity, as well as establish criteria each year as for the definition of activism.

SGA believes that uniforms provide athletic teams with a form of identification that builds unity and representation. Accordingly, SGA has set aside funds to provide uniforms for our club sports teams with the following provisions:

a. Uniforms have to be generic, not personalized, and must be reusable for future members of the teams.

b. Uniforms are just that. Under no circumstance can SGA funds be used to by individuals sporting equipment, such as cleats, helmets, and padding. SGA will not pay for protective gear worn by individual players or individual clothing attire.

Club sports teams must apply to receive the grants through the Budget and Finance Committee, but can only do so once every 3 years. The approval of uniform requests is at the discretion of the Budget and Finance Committee.

A new club or organization chartered at a point in the year that does not allow the club to budget through the annual process is highly encouraged to meet with the VP for Financial Affairs and Budget and Finance Committee.

Most clubs are required to generate some form of revenue. Revenue lines are used when an event or initiative is anticipated to generate funds. Revenue is used to help offset the cost of events and initiatives. This offsetting of cost helps SGA keep the student activity fee reasonable.

-Club X wishes to hold a dance. The total expenses for the event are $1,000.00
-Club X expects $250.00 in ticket sales.

Expenses:                                                 $1,000.00
Revenue (ticket sales):                              - $250.00
Actual Allocation:                                       $750.00

Profit is defined as any money generated that exceeds an event or initiative's actual expense. If a club generates a profit on an event, the club may wish to keep said money in their club's budget for the next fiscal year (See the Budget Carryover process). SGA understands that in order for some events to function a club might have to withdraw the entire anticipated expenses, with the knowledge that revenue will be brought in to repay this debt. This can be done with the approval of the VP of Financial Affairs.

-Club X holds the dance above.
-Club X had an amazing turn out and brings in $1,200.00

Total Ticket Sales:                         $1,200.00
Expenses:                                   -$1,000.00

Profit:                                         $200.00

In the event that a club raises funds that exceed their anticipated revenue, the excess money is considered “fundraised” and is more loosely governed by SGA than allocated funds. If a club fails to make a good-faith effort to meet their anticipated revenue line(s), they may be subject to disciplinary action.

When a club has money left in its budget at the end of the fiscal year, the excess normally goes back to the SGA for surplus reallocation. If, however, a club has a compelling reason for retaining some or all of its profit beyond the end of the fiscal year, it may apply for a Budget Carryover. Forms are available outside of the Office of Leadership Activities. In the proceeding fall, the incoming VP for Financial Affairs will review requests, and if appropriate, grant a Carryover Request.

When a club or organization hires the services of a band, speaker or any type of outside entertainment, a contract will be needed to document the arrangement. CLUB OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH AN OUTSIDE ENTITY OR PERSON WITHOUT THE SIGNATURE OF THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES . Individual students who purport to enter into contracts with an outside entity or person on behalf of SGA and/or Skidmore College may be personally liable to the outside entity or person and/or may create liability for other club or organization members. By following the contracting rules, a club or organization's event is covered by the College's insurance, thereby providing significant protection for individual members. Contracting with an outside entity or person can be tricky, and the Office of Leadership Activities can be very helpful -- so use the Office in this process.

1. Donations may not be solicited from Alumni or parents for any purpose without the approval of the Associate Director of Leadership Activities and the Director of Alumni Affairs and College Events. Solicitation of parents or other members of the college community man not be made without the approval of the Vice President for Advancement.

Neither SGA nor any of its subdivisions may donate funds out of their respective budgets; the following two examples are exempt from the policy.

1. If your club fundraises for external charities, so that it is generating funds that will eventually be donated, you must submit a brief letter of intent to the VP for Financial Affairs two weeks before the event. This letter must detail the nature of the event and how the fundraising will occur. Upon approval, your club will be able to raise money under with the knowledge that it will be donated to an outside source, and all donors must be made aware of this. Additionally, money generated from events/fundraisers must be deposited into your SGA account but is available for immediate withdrawal.

2. In the interest of creating and building a spirit of caring and concern at Skidmore, the Student Government may contribute a cash gift to charity or flowers when there has been a death that impacts the student body. If you or one of your peers experience a loss in their family, or in the event that a student dies or is injured significantly, please notify the VP for Financial Affairs as well as the SGA President so that arrangements may be made in a timely manner. The SGA shall not use its surplus to make a charitable contribution that exceeds $50.

a. SGA will not pay for protective gear worn by individual players or individual clothing attire. For example, the SGA might pay for hockey nets but would not pay for hockey helmets.

b. SGA will not pay any event that is not open into the entire campus community. Exceptions may include class events, hall events, and leadership banquet. Accordingly, all events must make a full faith effort at advertising events. If an event is not advertised appropriately, it is at the discretion of the VP for Financial Affairs to consider that event a closed private event, and thus something SGA will not pay for.

1. Alcoholic beverages, unless it is important to the club's or organization's mission.

It is the role of the SGA Executive Board to oversee the manner in which the officers of the clubs and organizations conduct themselves. Therefore, if an officer of a club or organization consistently breaks the SGA rules, they may be removed from office by the Executive Board, and/or referred to the Integrity Board for disciplinary action. In addition, if for any reason the VP for Financial Affairs feels that a club is spending its money irresponsibly, is not working in accordance with the SGA financial policies, or lacks a treasurer and president, they may freeze the funds of the club. In this case, the officers of the club may not access any of the club's money until the issues have been resolved. Any club or individual has the right to appeal a disciplinary decision imposed by the VP for Financial Affairs. In order to appeal a decision, a written testimony must be presented to the SGA Executive Board. The VP for Financial Affairs then has 24 hours to write a justification for his/her decision. The Executive Board will review both statements without the presence of the VP for Financial Affairs. Majority rule will determine whether the disciplinary action is upheld.