RSO Finance Requests

Procedures are current and approved by the SGA General Assembly as of January, 2020

Truckee Meadows Community College is a public institution and is subject to state laws governing the handling of funds (which includes yearly audits of all accounts). TMCC has established policies and procedures that govern financial practices for the college. All TMCC Departments, Committees and Student Government Association (SGA) recognized student organizations must abide by the rules.

Each year the SGA General Assembly adopts an annual budget that approves the appropriations of funds for the subsequent fiscal year. Within this budget, the SGA General Assembly allocates a fixed amount of money for Department/Committee requests as well as Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) requests.

The funds provided through the SGA come from the Student Association Fee. The funds must be spent appropriately, following SGA, TMCC and NSHE policies and procedures. To ensure the finance process is transparent and efficient and funds are spent in a responsible manner, the Finance Committee has a set process to review and approve requests.

In order to receive funding:

TMCC Departments and Committees

  1. A Finance Request must be submitted.
  2. Only requests for the funding of events will be considered by the Finance Committee.
  3. The proposed event must be open to TMCC students to attend free of charge.
  4. Finance requests may be submitted for up to $500 in funding once per semester.
  5. Inform the Finance Committee of the event as an Information item.
  6. Include a detailed description and budget, including backup documentation.
  7. Attend the Finance Committee meeting where your request is to be heard.
  8. The Finance Committee will decide on funding at the following meeting as an Action item.

RSOs

  1. RSOs must be currently recognized.
  2. Include a detailed description and budget, including backup documentation.
  3. Attendance to the Finance Committee meeting where your request is to be heard is preferred but not required. RSOs that attend will be given preference.
  4. An RSO Event Request must be submitted (if applicable).
  5. A Finance Request must be submitted.
  6. Finance requests may be submitted for up to $500, No RSO will be able to receive more than $1,500 per semester in funding.
  7. Probation will disqualify the club/organization from being able to request any funding.

Note: Please review the RSO Recognition and Renewal Procedures for definition of Recognition, Probation and New Clubs.

Purpose of SGA Funding

The purpose of department/committee and club/organization funding is to assist in developing programs, events and activities for students on campus, marketing materials (for RSOs), and educational opportunities for TMCC students.

Each funding request is evaluated on its ability to serve TMCC students. This ability is defined as including (but not limited to):

  • On-campus programming which has the potential to benefit all students.
  • Promotion of academic, service, professional, cultural, and leadership development for TMCC students.
  • Funds may only be used for current TMCC student related purchases.

It is important to note that SGA funding is meant to be auxiliary in nature, and should not be the only source of fundraising. The SGA Finance Committee will consider this when making decisions about Finance Requests.

SGA Mission Statement

The entity requesting funds must include how the event/items promote the SGA Mission Statement in the SGA Finance Request form.

How Requests are Prioritized

The SGA Finance Committee prioritizes each finance request by its total impact on the student body.

Priority is given to:

  • New RSOs (as defined in the Club Recognition and Renewal Procedure)
  • Department/Committee/RSOs hosting events that:
    • Collaborate with other departments or clubs/organizations
    • Promote leadership development
    • Encourage student engagement
    • Are open to all TMCC students

Procedure for Requesting SGA Funding

Person calculating expenses

To ensure the finance process is transparent, efficient, and funds are spent in a responsible manner, the SGA Finance Committee has a set process to review and approve requests. There are important components necessary to receive funding, listed below.

Each academic year has a specified amount budgeted for allocation for department/committee and RSO requests. At the end of the year, unused funds will be reabsorbed into the main SGA Student Association Fee budget. Each RSO may apply for an amount up to $500. No RSO will be able to receive more than $1,500 per semester in funding.

Finance requests are not accepted July 1–September 1 and December 1–February 1.

Finance Requests

A complete finance request includes: a budget, supporting documents for each requested item with actual costs, not estimates, and why the items requested help support TMCC and the SGA’s mission and goals.

The SGA Finance Request form must be completely typed. Failure to include a detailed description and budget, including supporting documents, will result in the automatic denial of a request.

SGA Finance Committee Meeting

SGA Finance Requests will be voted upon at SGA Finance Committee Meetings. SGA Finance Committee meetings are public meetings at which the SGA Finance Committee approves/denies each individual request. Attendance is mandatory by a representative of the RSO, TMCC Department or Committee requesting funding at the finance hearing where the request is reviewed (in person, by phone or video conference).

Dates and times of SGA Finance Committee meetings will be determined by the SGA Finance Committee chair.

SGA Finance Committee meetings are required to follow the Nevada Open Meeting Law; therefore, agendas for the hearings will be posted in accordance with the Nevada Open Meeting Law.

Guidelines to Avoid Common Mistakes

  1. Read the SGA Finance Request Procedure.
  2. If any of the main components of a finance request have not been submitted by the established deadline, the request will automatically be denied. Supporting documents must include actual proof of the cost of items, not your best guess.
  3. The RSO must be currently recognized and in good standing with the SGA.

What SGA Will Not Fund

Below are items that the SGA absolutely will not fund:

  • Alcohol
  • Weapons, firearms, or ammunition
  • Direct donations or contributions (a service or product must be rendered for all disbursed monies)
  • Events that are fundraisers for non-TMCC organizations
  • Events or items that do not directly benefit TMCC students
  • Religious and political activities (The College and its units cannot sponsor or fund religious activities and cannot sponsor or fund political activities except when authorized by the Nevada System of Higher Education)
    • Religious and political organizations shall have access to designated College properties on the same basis as all other non-College related organizations (see TMCC Policy 5380: Use for Religious and Political Activities)
    • Religious activity is defined as any activity that primarily promotes or manifests a particular belief in or about a deity or an ultimate reality
    • The term "political activity" means doing something in active support of or opposition to a political party, a candidate for partisan political office (e.g., president, senator, representative, ballot measure, state or local legislature or office), or a partisan political group (e.g., "Historians for Smith")
  • Capital expenditures (which generally include payment for property, fixtures, or machinery)
  • Retroactive funding (effective starting in the 2018–2019 academic year)
  • Illegal activities or supplies
  • Grants, wages, or gift cards (compensation for guest performers will be considered on a case by case basis)
  • Cost of items that honor, thank, or congratulate an individual or group
  • Transportation costs for an individual or group engaged in non-club/organization related activities
  • Enrollment in college courses, academic requirements, or required academic activities
  • Legal services or bail bond funds
  • Duplication of services which are provided for free or at a discounted rate within the Reno/Sparks community
  • Travel (See SGA Club Travel Award Program)
  • Single candidate political events that do not adhere to the bylaws of the Board of Regents (Title 4, Chapter 10, Page 42)
  • Advisor-related purchases

Note: All expenditures approved by the SGA must be spent in the funding period that they were approved. The SGA Finance Committee will make every attempt to honor these funding policies; however, they reserve the right to disburse funds in any manner they see fit. Misuse of funds, using funding for anything not approved by the SGA Finance Committee or keeping excess funds in an RSO's account will result in probation at a minimum.

Approval Process

To request funds from the SGA:

  1. Submit the SGA Finance Request form.
  2. Finance requests must first be reviewed by the SGA Vice President. RSO Finance requests must also be reviewed by the RSO Assistant.
  3. Upon the SGA Vice President and RSO Assistant's review, the request will be placed on the next SGA Finance Committee agenda.
  4. Final finance request approvals/denials occur during SGA Finance Committee meetings.

If funds are approved:

  1. All receipts must be submitted to the SGA within one week of purchase.
  2. Any additional paperwork (Host – for food, gift, or award purchases; see Host Procedures) must be submitted to the SGA within one week of purchase.
  3. Any money not spent will be transferred back to the SGA to be allocated toward future RSO Finance Requests.

Note: Attendance is mandatory by a representative of the RSO, TMCC Department or Committee requesting funding at the finance hearing where the request is reviewed (in person, by phone or video conference). Failure to attend this meeting and include a detailed description and budget, including backup documentation, will result in the automatic denial of the request.