By Kelsi Peace, Managing Editor
The Students’ Association will divvy up funds to student organizations after groups complete the forms and interview process next week.
Requests are due Friday by 5 p.m., and a representative of the organization must sign up in the SA office to review the request next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
Last year, the process went online, allowing student groups to fill out the form electronically and then meet with the SA executive treasurer or chief financial officer to discuss their plans and financial needs.
Treasurer Kevan Kirksey said this semester the process has not changed, but he did attach a financial guide to the email he sent to organizations announcing the process.
Several groups did not receive funds last spring because they missed the deadline or failed to schedule a meeting. Kirksey said filing early is a good idea in case groups have questions about the process.
Organizations are not guaranteed to receive all the money they request-and in the meeting Kirksey or Spencer Hemphill, chief financial officer, will discuss budget items and goals with the organizations.
“It all depends on how much is requested,” Kirksey said. Once Kirksey and Hemphill have reviewed all budget requests and met with student organizations, they will present a recommendation to Congress for approval.
Emphasis was put on grant writing last spring as a way to garner extra funding, and Kirksey said it’s still a possibility, though not the only one.
“It’s on the horizon,” he said. “But grants are a one-in-a- million chance.”
Instead, SA will work with organizations to fundraise and obtain donations through chief advancement officer Ryan Stephen.
Stephen worked with donors this summer and organized about $3,000 from sponsors for SA’s Welcome to Abilene event last week.
This year, Stephen said he will work to stretch SA’s funds, which come in part from the $35 collected from the $70 student activity fee. Stephen said local businesses are often willing to help ACU organizations, and he will work to obtain donations and sponsorships from them that can be used instead of SA funds, thereby freeing up money to use elsewhere. Stephen does not participate in applying the budgetary principles, but will work with organizations after Congress has appropriated its funds.
