Budgets for New RSOs

Newly recognized RSOs are initially granted $500 if recognized in the fall semester or $250 if recognized in the spring semester, to be spent by the annual RSO purchasing deadline (May 15). When first recognized, no account has yet been created, so officers and/or advisors will need to work with the Specialist III in Student Life for any expenditures until the account has been created. Initial funds will be transferred to the RSO’s Fund 14 account once the account has been set up.

RSO Annual Budgeting Process

Each spring, currently active RSOs have an opportunity to apply for Student Activity Fee (SAF) funds so that they will have budgets for the upcoming fiscal year (9/1-8/31) by submitting a Budget Request for the Upcoming Year form. There will be a minimum of two weeks for submission of funding applications. Late submissions will not be considered. In order to qualify for funding, the RSO must have completed the following in the current academic year:

• RSO Annual Registration Form - Due October 15
• RSO Advisor Agreement Form (submitted by each advisor) - Due October 15
• RSO Officer Agreement Form (submitted by each officer) - Due October 15
• RSO Membership Roster (for fall and/or spring, with at least 2 active student members) - Due October 15 & March 15
• RSO Risk Management requirements (all advisors complete training, all officers complete training, member briefing completed, and Risk Management Training Compliance Form completed)

These forms can be found on the RSO Forms & Information page.

The projected maximum amount awarded (cap) through this process will be listed on the Budget Request for the Upcoming Year form. The maximum amount will be reviewed annually by the SFAC, and the SFAC may recommend that this amount be adjusted for the next fiscal year. The projected maximum amount will be listed on the annual application for funds. The Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) reviews requests (submitted by the deadline) to ensure that all itemized expenses requested by the RSO are allowable per LSC policies and procedures. Any non-allowable expenses will be deleted from the request. Once non-allowable expenses are removed, requests will be approved for the amount requested, up to the maximum amount. RSOs may appeal a denial or partial denial of funds by requesting a hearing through the process found in the Non-Academic Misconduct Procedures (Section 8). Using this procedure does not imply that fund denial is non-academic misconduct; rather, the hearing process ensures that an RSO receives all protections available against arbitrary denials. No budgets funded by the SAF, including RSO budgets, are officially approved until the overall SAF budget has been approved by the college president and the LSC Board of Trustees.

Returning RSOs Not Funded through the Annual Budgeting Process

Sometimes RSO officers fail to follow through with the Annual Budgeting Process in the spring, leaving the subsequent officer team without financial resources. Student Life has reserve funds that will be allocated to clubs that find themselves in this situation. Once all RSO requirements have been completed (see list and links in previous section "RSO Annual Budgeting Process"), Student Life will transfer $500 to the RSO account if the requirements are completed during the fall registration window (by October 31), or $250 if completed in the spring registration window (by March 31).

Fund 14 Accounts

All SAF funds granted to an RSO are posted to the RSO’s Fund 14 account and are available for use on September 1, as long as the RSO has submitted the RSO Annual Registration Form and RSO Advisor Form. There are a number of forms that need to be completed for RSOs to retain their recognition and the ability to use SAF funds. The following items must be completed:

• RSO Annual Registration Form - Due October 15
• RSO Advisor Agreement Form (submitted by each advisor) - Due October 15
• RSO Officer Agreement Form (submitted by each officer) - Due October 15
• RSO Membership Roster Form (for fall and spring, with at least 2 active student members) - Due October 15 and March 15
• Risk Management Training Compliance Form - Due October 31

After these deadlines, RSO funds will be frozen until requirements have been completed. 

Fund 14 accounts do not roll over from year to year and must be spent prior to May 15 each year. After that date, Student Life offer an opportunity for RSOs to request unspent RSO funds through a request process. Any unspent RSO funds after that process will be pulled back to spend on other Student Life expenses (e.g. Welcome Back events, summer student initiatives, promotional items, etc.). A few RSOs need funds reserved past that date for specific expenses. In these instances, an RSO may submit a Budget Extension Request by May 15. Extensions will only be approved for specific, itemized expenses that cannot be paid in advance.

RSO funds from the SAF can be used only for RSO expenses and all LSC purchasing guidelines and policies must be followed. RSO budgets are NOT to be used to offset departmental expenses, but rather are intended for student organizational use. Funds are not transferable from one RSO to another. To review an RSO budget balance and account activity, contact the Specialist III or Manager of Student Activities & Leadership in Student Life. Allow at least one business day for the Specialist III or Manager to email you the information. If you have questions about your budget printout, Student Life can assist you.

Approved expenses:

• On- and off-campus event expenses. This includes contracted services including rentals, performers, speakers, as well as food and non-alcoholic beverages, advertisements, and other event-related expenses.
• Student Travel. This includes conference fees, airfare, lodging, meals, and other travel-related expenses including mileage reimbursements.
• Organizational Fees. These are fees paid to outside organizations (e.g. dues).
• Promotional Items needed to support recruitment and marketing efforts.
• Supplies that support the organization and its mission.

Unapproved expenses:

• Purchasing alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
• Lending, scholarships, or monetary gifts or awards.
• Using funds for the benefit of an elected official or a candidate for public office.
• Philanthropic endeavors.
• Any activity or item prohibited by law or LSC policy/procedure.

RSOs are encouraged to carefully plan for and track expenditures to maximize the dollars granted from the SAF. Remember that this money is essentially a grant from the student body for your RSO to utilize to the best of your ability. As stewards of SAF funds, it is imperative that we maintain the confidence of the student body that supports our endeavors. Student Life reserves the right to deny purchases of items deemed to be excessive or outside the scope of the RSO. 

Fund 50 Accounts

RSOs funds collected through dues, sales, donations, and fundraisers are held in fund 50 accounts. This type of account does roll over from year to year. RSOs may use revenues from fund 50 accounts for student scholarships or to make donations to other entities, including non-profit organizations. They may not be used to cover expenses for any department. Fund 14 money cannot be used to support fundraiser events. All LSC policies and procedures must be followed when spending Fund 50 money.

Fundraising

The approval process for fundraisers takes some time to work through, requiring approval from Student Life and the VP of Finance & Strategy. Prior to conducting a fundraiser, an RSO must submit a Student Life Logistics Request Form at least one month in advance. No fundraiser events will be approved for an RSO that has not completed ALL of the RSO annual requirements (RSO Annual Registration, RSO Advisor Agreement(s), RSO Officer Agreement(s), RSO Membership Roster Form, Risk Management Training Compliance). If a room/space reservation is needed, the RSO must have also complete the RSO Facility & Equipment Use Agreement). 

For all fundraiser events, the following information will be needed:

• Name of the RSO Advisor(s) who will be present during the entire fundraiser event. It is required that an advisor be present throughout the entire event. 
• Who will receive the proceeds from this event? This can be either the RSO itself (for club expenses) or a charity/non-profit organization. Simply listing a cause is not acceptable. You must name the organization you plan to donate funds to, and will need to ensure that this is not a for-profit organization. 
• Method(s) of payment that will be used to collect funds. 
  • Payment Made Directly to the Charity Receiving Funds - This is the preferred method. The RSO should contact the organization to determine if they have a website where people can make donation directly to the organization. This avoids potential problems with collecting cash or checks by the RSO. If the organization has a website, the RSO should consider creating a flyer with a QR code linked to their payment site so that event participants can pay them directly. 
  • RSO Storefront - LSC has a web-based payment site. RSOs can have a Storefront account set up so that event participants can pay directly to the RSO's Fund 50 account. If the funds will be used by the RSO for club operations, there are no further steps for handling the funds, as they are deposited directly to the account. If proceeds are to be donated to a non-profit organization, that organization will need to be set up as a vendor in the LSC system and the RSO will need to work with Student Life personnel to get details so that payment can be made to the organization. 
  • Cash or Checks (payable to Lone Star College) - This is the least preferred method to collect funds. When handling money, it is critical that proper procedures are taken to protect the funds and the people handling them. Upon completion of the fundraiser, all cash/checks collected from the fundraiser must be brought to Student Life (CASE 102) IMMEDIATELY after the end of the fundraiser. If the Student Life office is closed, the RSO Advisor must lock the funds in a safe place and bring it to Student Life as soon as it opens the next business day. Funds will be counted in front of an officer or advisor. If funds are to be used for RSO operations, a  Deposit Memo will be completed and the funds will be taken to the Payment Counter by Student Life staff for deposit into the RSO's Fund 50 account. Copies of receipts will be available upon request. If the funds will be donated, the recommended method to pay the organization (if not using the direct pay option...see first bullet point above) is for the RSO to purchase a money order paid directly to the non-profit organization. For the RSO's protection, the best practice is to present a copy of the money order receipt to Student Life so that it can be filed in the RSO's electronic file. 

Student Life may require a meeting with club leaders to discuss fundraiser logistics.

Other rules when conducting fundraising activities:

• No marketing/publicizing of a fundraiser may be done before the fundraiser event has been approved. All printed flyers/posters must be approved and stamped by Student Life prior to posting. 
• Due to sales tax code and per LSC policy, RSOs are allowed to do only 1-2 sales per academic year, and each sale must be conducted within a 24-hour period. 
• LSC does not permit RSOs to use devices, such as a square or card reader, to capture credit/debit card information.
• Any expenses associated with the fundraiser must be paid from the same Fund 50- account or out-of-pocket.
• Whatever the use of the funds raised, it is critical that RSOs be honest and upfront with those contributing to their fundraising efforts. Funds must be used as promised, and good stewardship is a must!

Dormant RSOs

If an RSO goes dormant for 2 years, their accounts are closed, and any remaining Fund 50 money is pulled back to the Student Life Fund 50 account. If an RSO re-groups before that 2-year deadline, they will have access to the balance left in the Fund 50 account (not their Fund 14 account).