Overview

The undergraduate student organization grant process is overseen by the Legislative Branch. The Speaker of the Senate must open a designated form for grant applications at least one week prior to the start of each legislative session. Organizations must submit grant applications a minimum of ten school days prior to the expected expense. While organizations may not apply for past expenditures, the Student Government Association may grant funds to an organization who submitted their application on time but was not approved prior to the expense due to the timing of Student Senate meetings. Student organizations should be aware that, if the Senate does not approve their grant request, they must obtain funds through alternative means or make significant changes in order to restart the grant application process.

Below, you will find eligibility for a grant request, guidelines and restrictions for that grant request, types of grants the SGA Student Senate may allocate to your organization, application instructions for the grant request, and accountability measures for organizations who receive a grant.

Eligibility

In order to be considered, you must be an approved student organization by the Office of Student Activities. However, FEAST Fund and Green Grants may be awarded to organizations and students who are not official student organizations.

Additional requirements include: being an active organization for at least one month prior to applying for a grant, the ability to demonstrate financial need, ability to demonstrate how your organization has had a positive impact on the Butler community, and must be in good standing with the Office of Student Activities.

Organizations that have a deficit in Student Activities account are not eligible for an SGA Grant.

Guidelines

1. The grant application must demonstrate need for funding. Grant applications must also justify their expense on their presented budget. Grant applications must properly complete a price comparison sheet. Additional information may be required by the Student Senate.

2. Grant applications may only be submitted by Student Government Association endorsed student organizations via Engage. Grant application information collected through the application form may be amended at the discretion of the Speaker of the Senate.

3. Organizations are expected to complete an itemized budget of expenditures as determined by the Speaker of the Senate. Student organization grant applications must list their total revenue sources on the presented budget. This includes, but is not limited to, dues paid by members, fundraising initiatives, and any other sources of income the organization receives and is routinely deposited in their Office of Student Activities financial account. This can include any previous grant funds that have not been spent and have not been audited by the Student Government Association Audit Board. Student organizations must also list their current Office of Student Activities financial account balance on the presented budget. Failure to provide any relevant information may disqualify an organization from receiving grant funding from the Student Senate.

4. The organization must provide all expected expenses for their events and/or initiatives on the presented budget. Total revenue listed on the budget will first be spent in order to fund the event and/or initiatives the organization is seeking to organize. The listed expenses that exceed the total revenue for the event and/or initiative as listed on their presented budget is the organization’s grant request amount from the Student Government Association. 

5. Student organizations who have been endorsed by the Student Government Association for less than 31 days or are inactive are not eligible to seek grant funding.

6. Student Government Association grant funding may not be used in order to accumulate profit for an endorsed student organization. Organizations are restricted from using a grant to generate any form of revenue from the student body.

7. Student organizations are able to apply for multiple grants in a single academic year, but no more than three grant requests can be processed in a single academic semester. Financial need must be demonstrated for each grant request. Out of session grant requests do not contribute to this limit.

8. Student organizations are not able to use a grant request to fund more than four distinctive events throughout the academic semester. Organizations cannot seek funding for events that span beyond the current academic year. Out of session grant requests do not contribute to this limit. Out of session grants are not considered events that span beyond the current academic year. Recurring student organization meetings do not contribute to this limit.

9. Student organizations seeking grant funding must properly demonstrate that they have attempted to fundraise on or off campus for the purposes of their grant request. The organization must show that they have attempted to generate financial support for their charity or cause to the Student Government Association Appropriations Committee and the Student Senate. Organizations who are unable to fundraise must present their rationale to the Appropriations Committee and the Student Senate.

10. Student Government Association grants are funded by the Student Activity Fee. A student organization’s grant request must directly impact Butler University students or support events organized by Butler University Students. The organization is responsible for demonstrating to the Student Senate how the funds will be used to benefit the Butler University student body. Efforts not focused on benefiting the entire student body will not be encouraged. Butler students must receive benefit from each line item within the organization’s presented budget.

11. Student organizations must properly update the grant budget and/or presentation material submitted through the formal grant application as needed. Organizations must send this updated material to the Appropriations chairperson by email 24 hours before the committee vote. Organizations are held responsible for any material not updated or given to the Appropriations Chairperson. If outdated material is voted on, the Appropriations committee must revote on the grant application. All updated grant applications that do not reflect the original grant application on Engage must be sent to the Speaker of the Senate by the Appropriations Chair at least 48 hours prior to the Student Senate’s vote. The updated budget must also be included as an appendix in the grant resolution.

12. Diversity, Equity, and Student Belonging grant requests must be approved by both that respective Senate committee and the Appropriations Committee. 

13. Service and Philanthropy grant requests must be approved by the Student Activities Committee and the Appropriations Committee. 

14. Any organization granted funds by the Student Government Association must acknowledge such funding in related digital or print promotional materials at their designated events and/or initiatives. The required digital and printed promotional materials are determined by the Public Relations Board. Digital promotional materials must be accessible to Student Organizations on the Student Government Association website for digital or printed promotional purposes. Failure to acknowledge the utilization of Student Government Association assistance on promotional materials both printed and electronic will result in a full audit by the Student Government Association Audit Board and forfeiture of funds.

15. Grant applications denied on the Student Senate floor must meet with the Appropriations Chair in order to resubmit their grant proposal. Their grant proposal must include substantial revisions that reflect the concerns of the Student Senate. Organizations resubmitting their failed grant requests should not expect their resubmission to allow automatic access to requested funds.

Restrictions

1. Student organizations may not use their grant funding to provide direct financial support to a recognized political candidate or party.

2. Funds may not be allocated to any lobbying effort or lobbyist organizations concerned with political candidates or political parties.

3. Student organizations may not use their grant funding to provide direct financial support to any private person, group, association, or business. This includes any direct or indirect donation to any for-profit or non-profit organization. Student Organizations are required to oversee any philanthropic efforts contained within their grant application.

4. Student organizations may not use their grant funding to provide direct financial support to any religious place of worship. 

5. Grant funding requests cannot be used to pay for any expenditures that occurred prior to their grant application submission. Accumulated debt in their Office of Student Activities financial account can not be reconciled by a Student Government Association grant.

6. Student organizations cannot use grant funding to purchase alcohol or any controlled substance.

7. Student organizations cannot use grant funding to provide a non-itemized donation or scholarship to a student.

8. Student organizations cannot seek funding for an event that is occurring after the current academic year.

9. Student organizations cannot use grant funding to purchase club apparel.

10. Student organizations cannot use grant funding to purchase merchandise with trademarked imagery without documented permission from the license holder.

11. Student organizations purposely withholding financial or operational information at any given time will be denied access to the floor of the Student Senate. Student organizations who withhold such information will be required to repeat the grant application process from its beginning. Organizations found to have withheld information prior to a grant disbursement will result in a full audit by the Student Government Association Audit Board and forfeiture of all funds.

12. Student organizations cannot seek funding for an event that does not comply with local food safety regulations. Organizations dealing with food and/or drink are required to formulate a plan with the Office of Student Activities that implements food safety regulations prior to the Student Senate presentation.

13. Student organization grant requests must comply with Butler University’s non-discriminatory policy. 

14. Student organization grant requests must not infringe on any guidelines established by the Office of Student Activities or the Butler University Student Handbook.

Grant Types & Amounts

All grant requests share the same form, but preference may be given for organizations who promote DEI or S/P. Please document the organization type when submitting the request.

1. General Purpose

General Purpose grants may be used to cover any general organization or operational expenses incurred during the corresponding academic year.

2. Diversity, Equity, and Student Belonging

Diversity, Equity, and Student Belonging grants may be used to cover any expenses that are incurred during the corresponding academic year and promote diversity within race, spirituality, gender, and sexual orientation in order to foster tolerance while cultivating an open-minded environment. The Student Senate’s Diversity, Equity, and Student Belonging Committee retains full discretion in determining if an organization qualifies for this grant type.

3. Service and Philanthropy

Service and Philanthropy grants may be used to cover any expenses that are incurred during the corresponding academic year and empower the Butler community to engage in thoughtful service and impactful philanthropy through educational programming and a positive environment. The Student Senate’s Student Activities Committee retains full discretion in determining if an organization qualifies for this grant type.

4. Green

Green grants may be used to cover any expenses that are incurred during the corresponding academic year and are used to promote environmental initiatives, projects, or educational events. The Student Senate’s Sustainability Advisory Committee retains full discretion in determining if an organization qualifies for this grant type.

5. FEAST Fund

FEAST Fund grants may be used to fund projects and initiatives that increase sustainability relating to food. The FEAST Fund Review Committee retains full discretion in determining if an organization qualifies for this grant type. Please click here for more information.

Part 5: Schedule a Presentation Time

Upon submission of all of the above application parts, your application will be voted on during a meeting of the Appropriations committee. If approved in committee, a member of the Student Senate’s Appropriations Committee will reach out to you with directions on how to schedule your presentation for the Student Senate. You will present your slides, explain your budget, and answer senators’ questions during a Senate meeting. The Student Senate’s decision may take up to two weeks following your presentation.

Note: All presentations are business casual or formal dress. You may have up to three speakers and are allotted no more than ten minutes to present. Grant requests below $250.00 do not have to present to the SGA Student Senate.

Accountability

If the Student Senate chooses to award your organization a grant, you will be required to update the budget provided in the grant application with any receipts. Accountability materials (forms and receipts) are due April 1st.

If accountability materials are not submitted and/or infractions appear to have occurred, organizations are subject to a comprehensive audit. Organizations may also be chosen at random for an audit. All infractions will result in a penalty evaluated on a case-by-case basis, including but not limited to, financial penalties, denial of future grant applications, and review of organization endorsement.

Student organizations purposely withholding financial or operational information at any given time will be denied access to the floor of the Student Senate. Student organizations who withhold such information will be required to repeat the grant application process from its beginning. Organizations found to have withheld information prior to a grant disbursement will result in a full audit by the Student Government Association Audit Board and forfeiture of all funds.

Any organization granted funds by the Student Government Association must acknowledge such funding in related digital or print promotional materials at their designated events and/or initiatives. The required digital and printed promotional materials are determined by the Public Relations Board. Digital promotional materials must be accessible to Student Organizations on the Student Government Association website for digital or printed promotional purposes. Failure to acknowledge the utilization of Student Government Association assistance on promotional materials both printed and electronic will result in a full audit by the Student Government Association Audit Board and forfeiture of funds.

All unused funding or funding spent on unapproved items may be audited back to the student Government Association at the end of each academic year.