L & S: How to support a student organization

HOW DOES A DEPARTMENT SUPPORT A STUDENT ORGANIZATION? 

 The only way a department can support a registered student organizations is with UW - Foundation funding. You cannot use a 233 project, the funds need to come directly from UW foundation via a check request to the student organization,   To find out if the student organization is registered with UW-Madison please go to this website: https://win.wisc.edu/organizations. 

FOR QUESTIONS ON ALLOWABLE EXPENSES OR POLICY OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS please see Student Organization Resource & Policy Guide – UW–Madison (wisc.edu) or call 608-263-0365.

Departments can only support REGISTERED student organizations in this way. If the organization is not registered, there is no way for departments to provide financial support. This is a great incentive for student organizations to register.

Payments are done with a check request by ACH only (no physical checks).  The routing number and account number for the student organization financial institution will need to be provided on the "Five question document".       

Below is the process for completing the check request to provide support to the student organization:

1. Create a UW Foundation (UWF) check request payable to the student organization in the amount of support that the department currently wishes to give. (When creating the check request form, the form still requires that you fill in an address even though it will be sent via ACH).   Use the UW Foundation Check Request.  Login, click on Fund Management in red navigation bar, then select "Check/ACH request" from the pull down menu.
2.  Attach a completed Five Question document. The department or the student organization can fill out the form. NOTE: If you are unable to access the form please email mary.machaj@wisc.edu and I will send it to you. 
3. Email the check request and five question document to Mary Machaj at mary.machaj@wisc.edu
4. After the form is approved, it will take 1-2 weeks for UWF to process the ACH transfer.

Additional information:

There are two reasons for this policy, one is to keep student organization activity distinct from UW activity, and the second is to give the members of the student organization experience in handling their own financial affairs.  A by-product of the policy is that the department does not have to do so much for the student org and can concentrate more on departmental business.

The amount of support the department provides is wholly up to the department.  There is no maximum to the number of check requests or dollar amount of the payments to the student org.  In some cases, departments want to provide a lump sum that the student org can use over a length of time, covering various anticipated or unanticipated events.  Sometimes there's a specific invoice the department wants to provide support for, in that case, the department can provide the student org exactly the dollar amount of the invoice, or the department could decide to round up the dollar amount.  Sometimes the department wants to provide a set amount for a particular event, say $500 to support a student org conference.  Some departments provide a lump sum every year to the student org.  Again, the dollar amount and frequency of support is entirely up to the department.

Questions about this policy of providing support to student organizations should be directed to Mary Machaj in the L&S Budget Office. 

FOR QUESTIONS ON ALLOWABLE EXPENSES OR POLICY OF STUDENT ORGAANIZATIONS please see Student Organization Resource & Policy Guide – UW–Madison (wisc.edu) or call 608-263-0365.

See Also:

• L&S: How to pay using UW Foundation Funds