Written Proposal:

Any organization that wishes to sponsor a fundraising program or project must submit a written proposal specifying the method of fundraising and the distribution of proceeds to both appropriate allocating body and to the Office of Student Life and Development (SLD). This proposal should be submitted four (4)-weeks in advance to the proposed date of the fundraising activity. A Fundraising Proposal template is available on the Student Life Webpage or can be requested from the SLD office.

All fundraising requires approval from SLD before commencing. Please Note: Collections may only be made in cash (no exceptions). Failure to comply will result in your club being placed on inactive status and subject to disciplinary action. Electronic transactions, including Zelle, Venmo, Paypal, and Cash App, are not permitted.

Fundraising Costs:

All costs of the program or project must be detailed on your fundraiser proposal.

Auditing and Accounting Controls:

All fundraising activities must include appropriate auditing and accounting procedures to ensure full transparency regarding expense, income, and the distribution of net proceeds. All money collected must be deposited into the organization's account at the Bursar’s Office within one business day of collection. A deposit receipt must then be submitted to the Student Life & Development office and the Student Life Coordinator for record keeping purposes. Organizational monies in the Bursar’s office may be expended through the same payment request system utilized for student activity fees. The expenditure of these monies requires the authorized signatures of the organization's treasurer and advisor. An organization's unspent student activity funds shall revert to the appropriate allocating body's unallocated surplus at the end of the fiscal year. At the end of the fiscal year, any funds that have been generated through fundraising shall be carried over to the next fiscal year. Upon an organization's dissolution, any funds on deposit in an organization's account shall revert to the appropriate allocating body.

Use of Student Activities Fee Funds:

Student activity fee funds may be used to cover program expenses. Any income to these expenses must be deposited to the credit of the appropriate allocating body. Net proceeds- defined as income after expense - may be either:

1. Donated to the recognized non-profit charitable organizations; or
2. Retained by the club for future use. If funds are being given to a charity, it must be deposited within 10 business days of the fundraiser end date.

Expenditure of Organization Account Money:

Funds raised and deposited in club organizations accounts may be expended using the same purchase procedures as Student Activity fee funds. Utilization of these funds is limited to activities and projects scheduled during the academic year in accordance with the Fiscal Guidelines of the College Association.

Fundraising for outside organizations:

Fundraising for outside organizations is generally discouraged, but not prohibited. Exceptions are typically made for catastrophic events that directly impact the campus or NYC (9-11, Hurricane Sandy, etc.). Organizations must provide a letter of non-profit certification, 501(c)(3). Dated record of donations - including donor names, amounts, and the recipient organizations - must be maintained.

Funds received from other outside sources (e.g., agencies, grants, etc.) earmarked for specific purposes (e.g., leadership development, national organization affiliate revenue, etc.) shall be deposited into the organization's account." The expenditure of these funds requires the authorized signatures of the organization’s treasurer and advisor. Funds left on deposit in an organization account, upon the dissolution of an organization, shall be revert to the appropriate allocating body.

Dues and Donations:

Organization members may voluntarily pay minimal dues to the organization. A student cannot be denied membership to, or any benefits of, the group on the basis of an unwillingness or inability to pay dues. The Student Life and Development office must review a statement of the proposed voluntary dues structure. The organization's treasurer must utilize a receipt book for dues collection and all dues, together with a copy of the collection record must be deposited to the credit of the organization.

Raffles:

Raffles are highly regulated by NYC and NYS, particularly if one has to pay something for a ticket. Among other things, no single prize can have a value over $100, and no series of prizes in a single raffle can exceed $1000 in value in total. The distribution and sale of raffle books and the deposit of revenues must be approved by the Student Life and Development office before offering. Raffles must be conducted with a specific purpose intended. The following information must appear on the face of the ticket; name of the organization, purpose (of the fundraiser), cost of ticket, and prizes.

Prizes:

All prizes or sufficient funds to purchase stated prizes must be on deposit in the organization's account before commencing raffle sales. Raffle tickets will be consigned to each seller by the Office of Student Life and Development. The sale of raffles in classrooms is prohibited. The sponsoring organization and the individual raffle seller must account for and are liable for all raffles and cash receipts.

Events Utilizing Tickets Sales/Distribution:

Organizations hosting events as fundraising projects are encouraged to use e-tickets through the City Tech Connect platform for event tracking and management. While the platform does not currently support payment collection, organizations must collect ticket payments in cash and provide clear instructions for cash payment and ticket distribution to attendees. Electronic records must be kept of all ticket transactions. Any tickets sold must follow the same guideline as fundraised money.

Crowdfunding:

Whether or not clubs can crowdfund is up to the college. A club or group may not use the CUNY logo on any crowdfunding site and the Office of General Counsel’s strong preference is that colleges prohibit clubs from using the college logo as well. Clubs must use their logo and their name. The solicitation page needs to make clear that it is the club that is looking for funds, not the college.

Sales:

The sale of food or other items on consignment will be permitted only in designated areas of the college. All monies collected from sales must be deposited within one business day in the Bursar's office.

Cash Prizes/Gift Cards: Clubs are not allowed to issue cash or gift cards as a prize. No exceptions!