Finances

The Student Activities Budget Advisory Committee (SABAC) is charged with making recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs regarding funding for registered student organizations (RSOs).  The funds that are allocated come from the pool of Student Activity Fees collected from students at KSU, thus Student Activity Fees should only benefit KSU students.  RSOs have the ability to obtain funds through two methods:

1. Annual Budget: Every March, RSOs have the ability to apply for funding for the entire upcoming fiscal year.
2. Supplemental Funding: SABAC meets periodically throughout the fall and spring semesters to review individual event/travel requests.

Once your RSO receives SABAC funding, you will work with the Department of Student Activities to purchase items, pay invoices, etc. More detailed information, including the meeting schedule and funding processes can be found on the SABAC website. 

All Student Fee funded events are open KSU students and are subject to KSU’s Non-Discrimination Policy, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which protects people from discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance), and Title IX  of the Education Amendments of 1972, (which prohibits discrimination or exclusion, on the basis of sex, from any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance).”

Some academic department have funding available to RSOs.  We are working to collect information about these resources and will update this section once we have a comprehensive list of academic department funding opportunities.  If you know of any, please notify us by emailing studentactivities@kennesaw.edu.

Some RSOs collect membership dues as a form of revenue.  Your RSO constitution outlines whether or not your organization requires members to pay dues.  If your RSO does require membership dues, we encourage you to follow the money management tips below for collecting dues.

RSOs are able to raise funds on- and off-campus for organizational operations as well as charitable causes (i.e. philanthropy).  However, the following additional guidelines apply:

1. All RSOs who wish to raise funds on campus, including selling sponsorships off campus for an on-campus event, must complete a Student Organization Fundraising Approval Form.
2. Under no circumstances is an RSO allowed to provide the University’s tax information as a means of soliciting donations. Unless your organization is truly a non-profit with 501(c)(3) status, your donors will not be able to receive a tax deduction for their donations to you.
3. No sales will be allowed for the financial gain of individuals outside of the common interests of the RSO with the exception of the student organizations that have 501(c)(3) status.
4. There are limitations on the ways Student Activity Fee money (i.e. SABAC funds) may be used towards the cost of hosting or producing an event where the primary focus is fundraising (this includes philanthropic fundraisers as well). Please check the SABAC Protocol Manual for additional details.

Specific types of fundraisers are detailed below.

Per the Georgia Code, a raffle is defined as “any scheme or procedure whereby one (1) or more prizes are distributed by chance among persons who have paid or promised consideration for a chance to win such prize. Such term shall also include door prizes which are awarded to persons attending meetings or activities provided that the cost of admission to such meetings or activities does not exceed the usual cost of similar activities where such prizes are not awarded”. RSOs are prohibited from hosting raffles pursuant to GA State gambling laws. However, groups may engage in “opportunity drawings” in which people can become eligible to receive a prize without having to purchase a ticket or be present to win (e.g. everyone who attends an event is given a ticket at no cost and can leave the event and still win).

RSOs are allowed to sell food or other merchandise if 100% of the proceeds are to go towards a charitable non-profit or directly to the sponsoring RSO and follow the guidelines below.

1. RSOs selling food for fundraisers must adhere to restrictions on campus food set forth in the RSO Manual.
2. RSOs cannot sell food in front of, or adjacent to, campus-based food vendors (e.g. the Commons, Stingers).
3. Only members of the official group may sell or conduct promotional services and sales.
4. No sales, sales promotion, or other action taken by an RSO shall be conducted in such a manner as to establish or to extend to the campus the appearance of a commercial enterprise.

All proposed sponsorships (or other agreements that could be interpreted to be such) are subject to the University Sponsorship Policy, as well as the Advertising Policy and Solicitation Policy. A few points of the Sponsorship Policy are highlighted below, but this list is not exhaustive.

1. It is generally permissible for RSOs to accept external support or sponsorship (financially or through the provision of products or services) for University events, programs, publications, or other activities.
2. Acknowledgment of Sponsorship is not the same as paid advertising. A sponsorship agreement may include a provision for sponsorship signage (e.g., baseball field sign) or other acknowledgement of support (e.g., sponsor’s logo on event program).
3. Sponsorship support from tobacco and alcohol companies are not permitted at KSU.
4. The support or sponsorship may be in the form of a gift of money or a gift-in-kind of goods or services.
5. An acknowledgment of sponsorship or recognition of the sponsor’s support, may not include an endorsement by the University, department, unit, or RSO of the sponsor’s product or service. The name, logo, images of the University may not be used in any statement, website, print or electronic communication to market, sell, promote, or endorse any product, business, service, or candidate for public office. An endorsement may lead to the conclusion that the support is an advertisement.
6. Special guidelines apply when a department or unit uses campus facilities as part of a sponsorship. Campus facilities must be scheduled through a campus event request form (i.e. KSU Reservations) and the appropriate authorization obtained.

RSOs are permitted to host silent or in-person auctions for merchandise or donated professional services (e.g. certificate for free manicure). RSOs are not permitted to host auctions of any type that offer acts of personal servitude outside of professional services through a licensed vendor or business (e.g. date auctions).

RSOs are allowed to host ticketed events so long as 100% of proceeds are to go towards a charitable non-profit or directly to the sponsoring RSO and follow the guidelines below. An event is considered ticketed if there is any exchange of goods or moneys in order to gain access to the event, including required donations.

1. RSOs may not sell tickets to events where alcohol will be served.
2. Tickets and entrance to ticketed events must be available to all KSU students. An RSO can limit access to non-KSU students or charge a separate price for non-KSU students.

RSOs are permitted to host percentage nights (i.e. events where a portion of a business’s proceeds on a specific date and time go to the organization) or similar events with restaurants and other licensed businesses. However, RSOs are not permitted to host percentage nights or similar events with taverns, bars, or other establishments where the majority of earned profits come from the sale of alcohol.

All RSOs reserve the right to maintain an off-campus bank account; however, NO University Funds are permitted in these accounts.  RSO bank accounts are not permitted to contain the name of the University or any variation/abbreviation anywhere in the account name.  It is recommended that the account be set up using a unique Federal Tax Employer Identification Number (EIN) to the individual RSO, but it is not required. However, the KSU Federal Tax ID/EIN may NEVER be used by any RSO.  More information regarding EINs and off-campus accounts are available in our Off-Campus Bank Account Resource Guide.

The Department of Student Activities and other offices and departments within Kennesaw State University reserve the right to review the amounts and use of these accounts for the following reasons:

1. RSO conduct issues
2. Requests for Student Activity Fee funding (i.e. SABAC requests)
3. Compliance with requested audits

Advisors should not personally handle RSO funds or assume signature authority over organization off-campus bank accounts. RSOs are responsible for ensuring that On-Campus Advisors and other employees of the University are not given control of signatory access to their off-campus bank account.  On-Campus Advisors are not permitted to do the following:

1. Open an off-campus bank account in the name of or for the benefit of any RSO.
2. Be included as a signatory on any RSO’s off-campus bank account.
3. Have access to funds associated with any RSO’s off-campus bank account (e.g. depositing funds, withdrawing funds, or spending funds).

When transferring signers of your off-campus bank account, you will need at least one current signer on the account to go to the bank with you, along with an updated bank letter from the Department of Student Activities.  See the Resource Guide hyperlinked above for more information about requesting a bank letter!

When collecting money from dues, fundraisers, etc., we encourage RSOs to utilize electronic money transfer apps that are tied to the organization's bank account rather than an individual's bank account.  Examples include Zelle and Paypal.  We encourage RSOs to avoid the use of Venmo because that is associated with an individual's personal account rather than the organization's account.

Information Coming Soon...