ASUW Finance & Funding

Special Appropriations Funding

The Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) aims to support Registered Student Organization (RSO) events and programs through the Special Appropriations Fund. This fund is appropriated to RSOs through the Special Appropriations funding process. The maximum total amount of Special Appropriations funding that any single RSO shall be eligible to receive during the 2023-2024 academic year is $2,500.

Funding Rules and Guidelines

Limitations on Fund Usage

Allowed:

  • Facility and equipment rentals
  • Advertising and promotional materials
  • Supplies and event materials
  • Speaker and performer honoraria (except for UW students, faculty, or staff)

Not Allowed:

  • Ongoing or subscription payments of any kind (including those that would be paid once and then canceled after)
  • Services where the final cost is not known up-front (such as certain online advertisement services)
  • Upgrades to RSO websites
  • Transportation services off-campus (UCAR, bike/scooter rentals, ridesharing, buses, etc.)
  • Prizes, scholarships, donations, and giveaways
  • Food and food delivery services
  • Payments to UW student, faculty, or staff performers/speakers
  • Events with any aspect of political campaigning and/or political affiliation

Funding Rules and Requirements

The following selection of rules and regulations regarding Special Appropriations funding are binding. Failure to follow these rules and regulations will result in a suspension/revocation of funding. Please see your SAO Advisor if you have any questions or concerns.

Eligibility: Only Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are eligible for Special Appropriations funding.

Student Involvement: Students must be involved in all stages of planning. Events initiated/controlled by faculty, staff, or the general public will not be approved.

Non-Discrimination: Our processes, criteria, or evaluation of requests shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, disability, or veteran status. 

Americans with Disabilities Act: All print and electronic advertising and promotional materials for funded events must include the Americans with Disabilities Act statement.

Honoraria: Honoraria (payment to speakers and performers) may not be granted to anybody on UW Payroll.

Timeline: Requests may take up to 4 weeks to process once submitted, so applying early is encouraged. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Outside Funding: RSOs must notify the Finance and Budget Committee of all outside sources of funding being sought or used to supplement Special Appropriations funds.

Ticket Sales: RSOs selling tickets for their event must utilize the HUB Ticket Crew. All admission devices (tickets, passes, etc.) must be drawn through the HUB Ticket Office. Exceptions may be made by the Finance and Budget Committee.

Revenue: A portion (15%) of all net profits from ASUW-funded events shall be returned to the ASUW Special Appropriations fund.

Budget: Applicants must submit a preliminary budget for their event alongside their application for funding. RSOs that receive funding must submit a final budget to the Finance and Budget Committee within the 4 weeks following the event.

Contracts and Purchasing: Only the Student Activities Director may sign contracts. Students are advised not to make verbal contracts as they are non-binding. All purchases must be made through your SAO Adviser and must comply with Federal, State, University, and ASUW policies.

ASUW Recognition: Events must include “ASUW’ in speaker introductions, publicly acknowledge the ASUW as a sponsor of the event and include the official ASUW logo in all promotional and advertising materials. RSOs must submit copies of promotional and advertising materials to the Finance and Budget Committee.

ASUW Representation: All ASUW-sponsored events shall admit at least two members of the Finance and Budget Committee and allow full participation in all event activities at no price. These attendees shall be chosen by the Finance and Budget Director and will report back to the ASUW’s Finance and Budget Committee on how the event went.

Considerations when Applying

The following guidelines have been established to ensure that Special Appropriations funding is allocated to as many RSOs as possible and can benefit as many students as possible.

Cost Per Student: This ratio allows the Finance and Budget Committee to review each request equally, regardless of the size of the event. We calculate this ratio by dividing the total request by the number of UW students reasonably expected to attend the event. 

Impact on Quarterly Fund: The Finance and Budget Committee will consider the impact that each request has on the quarterly Special Appropriations Fund amount in its decision to fund or not fund an event. This is to ensure that as many RSOs are funded while being mindful of the sustainability of the Special Appropriations Fund.

Preference: Preference will be given to events demonstrating a wideness of appeal; events directed primarily at UW students; organizations demonstrating a history of success in putting on well-attended events; organizations which have pursued other sources of funding; and to items in requests that are essential to the event’s success.

Apply for Funding

Application Forms

Steps to Apply

Steps to apply:

  1. REVIEW. Take a look and make sure you understand all the funding guidelines and policies listed above prior to applying. Let us know if you have any questions!

  2. DOWNLOAD. Download all of the applicable forms (linked above) you will need to complete your application for Special Appropriations.
  3. COMPLETE. Work with members of your RSO to fill out the application and create a preliminary budget. Adobe offers an Online PDF Filler (it’s free) that you can use to easily fill out the PDF application properly.
  4. SUBMIT. Email your completed application and preliminary budget to saofunds@uw.edu. If you are renting any facilities or equipment for your event, you must also attach the quotes for these rentals. Note: All forms must be typed and submitted via email. Please let your SAO advisor know if you need assistance completing the forms.

After you submit the application

After you submit the application:

Once you submit the application, your RSO will need to meet with your assigned SAO advisor. At the meeting, you will discuss the details of your event, and they can help you understand policies, come up with ideas, and figure out logistics.

After you have met with your SAO advisor, you will be invited to come present your funding proposal to the ASUW Finance and Budget Committee. The committee meets on Mondays from 1pm to 3pm, and the committee will only invite a maximum of three RSOs to present at each meeting. Your RSO may bring any number of its members to the presentation, as long as there is at least one member of your leadership present. Applying early gives you and the committee more flexibility with scheduling and gives your RSO a better chance at receiving funding.

Each proposal presentation is split into three, 5-minute sections. The sections are:

  1. Presentation (5 minutes) – Your RSO will present your request to the committee. Most RSOs choose to give a slideshow presentation, but you may present in whatever format and method you think is best and appropriate.
  2. Question and Answer (5 minutes) – The members of the Finance and Budget Committee will ask questions about your RSO, application, event, and finances. These questions can range from asking about the event advertising plan to asking about how you decided on ticket prices. Additionally, if there are any major concerns about your application, they will be addressed during this time.
  3. Committee Deliberation (5 minutes) – The committee will discuss their thoughts regarding your proposal and come to a decision. You may choose to stay in the room or step outside during this portion of the presentation.

After committee deliberation, the committee will let you know what they decided. If the committee decides to grant your RSO funding, the decision will go to the ASUW Board of Directors for a final review. Your RSO will receive an email on the Friday after your presentation that provides additional information and important reminders. This email will also give you permission to start using the granted funding (your SAO advisor will have access to the funds). If any unforeseen problems arise after the committee makes a decision, your RSO will be notified promptly.

Remember that funding is conditional and will be revoked if you do not follow the Funding Rules and Requirements!

We aim to make the funding request process easy and straightforward, and you can always email the ASUW Operations Coordinator (asuwaa2@uw.edu) if you have any questions or concerns.

Official ASUW Special Appropriations Guidelines: https://money.asuw.org/asuw-funding-guidelines/