Funding Resources

Funding Guide & Resources

The Student Government Association (SGA) is given a portion of student activity fees (SAFs), a fee in all students’ tuition, to allocate to student organizations on campus. It is SGA’s role to be good, responsible stewards of SAFs and maximize the benefit for all undergraduate students. This funding is limited; it is SGA’s goal to be fair, equitable, and consistent in the process and funding decisions. This funding is intended to support student organization activities of all sizes that are open and inclusive to the student body.

The following guide is intended to support all organizations in the funding process from beginning to end. This guide can be used in full or section by section.

Download the full guide:

What’s on This Page

Section 1: Submitting a Request — how to submit a funding request on PhoenixCONNECT, quarter deadlines, requests over $5,000, individual requests, and tips
Section 2: Funding Caps and Guidelines — items SGA cannot fund and items SGA has set caps for
Section 3: Viewing Decisions — how to view the decision made on your funding submission
Section 4: Funding Requirements — the requirements to be approved for and use SGA funding, including the SGA logo requirement
Section 5: Purchasing — how to make purchases with your allocated funding, plus approved food vendors and contracts
Section 6: After the Event — the required post-event form

Section 1: Submitting a Request

SGA uses a quarter system for student organization funding requests. All requests are submitted on PhoenixCONNECT a number of weeks before the start of each quarter to allow time for the Finance Board’s review, organization marketing, and purchasing/contracting activities. Below are the steps for submitting a request, the quarter deadlines, and tips for submissions.

Submitting a Request on PhoenixCONNECT

See the for a visual walkthrough of how to submit a Budget Request.

Log in to PhoenixCONNECT using your 乱伦视频 login
Click the menu icon in the top left corner
On the left side of the screen, all your organizations will be listed
Hover over the organization requesting funds and click the settings gear
From the list of options, select Organization Tools and then Finance
- Tip: Once in this section, you are able to see all previous requests made for your organization and click into these requests to see notes and previous decisions. These are a great tool to benchmark the events your organization hosts and their costs.
Click on the blue Create Request button in the top right corner
Under SGA Funding Request, choose Budget Request and begin your funding submission
- Please be sure to title your request with the quarter it is for — ex. Q1: Your organization name

Quarter System Dates — Request Deadlines

Quarter 1 2026: June 1st – October 31st — applications were due by April 11, 2026
Quarter 2: November 1st – January 31st — applications must be submitted by September 19, 2026
Quarter 3: February 1st – March 31st — applications must be submitted by November 7, 2026
Quarter 4: April 1st – July 31st — applications must be submitted by February 13, 2027
Quarter 1 2027: August 1st – October 31st — applications must be submitted by April 10, 2027

Requests Over $5,000

Your lead requestor and organization advisor must meet with the Vice President of Finance (VPF) and Jackie Allred at least 90 days in advance of the event date.
Requests must be submitted 90 days in advance of the event date.
For these events, you will be contacted by the Vice President of Finance (VPF) to present to the Finance Board and then to the SGA Senate.
If your organization receives funding for an event over $5,000, in addition to the post-event form, your organization will be asked to come to another SGA Senate meeting to report for 5 minutes on the event.

Individual Funding

New this year, individual students are not able to reserve space or host events.
If, as an individual student, you are interested in hosting an event, it must be supported by a student organization or university department.
SGA remains committed to supporting student events and is open to being a supporting organization and/or helping connect you with other student organizations or university departments.
These requests are handled on a case-by-case basis and go through the SGA Senate Legislative Process if SGA is the supporting organization; the VPF and other members of SGA will support all students in this process.
The request cannot be made by an individual on behalf of any groups that are not in good standing or are otherwise ineligible to receive funding.

Tips for Submitting a Request

Requests must include the following:

A description of the event — the more detail, the better. The Finance Board reviews all of the descriptions; for the board to understand the necessity of an item being requested, it needs to be included in the event or item description
Expected attendance
An itemized list of anticipated expenses (include tax, shipping, gratuity, and setup costs)

Tips for a strong submission:

Be specific — clearly describe the event and break down costs
Explain the expected impact and number of students served
If submitting multiple requests, label everything clearly
If you have a quote for a budget item, it must be included (ex. quote for a DJ, speaker, etc.)
Look for co-sponsorship and collaboration opportunities with other organizations
Submit early — requests must be approved before anything is purchased
Meet with the VPF for help and to ask any questions before submitting

What the Finance Board is looking for when reviewing submissions:

Inclusivity and accessibility
Collaboration between student organizations
Broad campus-wide interest and engagement
Alignment with 乱伦视频’s mission and SGA’s values
A balance between large and small-scale events

Events to consider submitting for in each quarter:

Q1 — Fall org fair, homecoming
Q2 — Lights and Luminaries, End of Semester Events
Q3 — Spring org fair
Q4 — End of year events and summer events

Section 2: Funding Caps and Guidelines

Non-Fundable Items

Because SGA’s funding comes from Student Activity Fees, we must be good stewards of your fees and our focus must be on activities that are open to all students. Because of that, we are unable to fund:

Personal or private-use items
Alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, or lookalike items
Donations/contributions to individuals, charities, or nonprofits
Fundraisers or revenue-generating items
Late fees, penalties, or expedited shipping
Scholarships, tuition, loans, or grants
Conferences
Membership dues (local/national/international)
Organization promotional t-shirts (for t-shirts to be funded, they must be event-specific)
Events requiring a ticket purchase
Individual (personal) travel
Graduate student events
Events supporting/opposing a political candidate, party, or campaign
Exclusive/membership-selection events (must be open to the full undergraduate student body)

Funding Caps

Because the funds SGA allocates are limited, we’ve set caps on certain types of items and events to help ensure we can fund as many groups/activities as possible. Although we can fund these, when quarterly requests exceed our allowance for that period, the Finance Board may need to further limit what we can fund.

These caps serve as maximums; it is possible your organization may not be approved for the full amount requested.

Off-Campus Events — $35/person with priority for one event per organization on a first-come basis
Decorations — $200/event and essential to the event
Food — $25/person/meal; food must be essential to the programming of an event (ex. a cooking class would have essential food items; a weekly organization meeting would not). Food must come from an approved vendor — see the .
Printed materials/marketing — $300
Prizes — $30/item; prizes must be integral to the event
Guest Speaker Gifts — $20/guest; honorariums will not be funded
Open Tab Events — $500/event; these events must be planned and structured; they may not be “grab and go” style
Tailgates — $500/tailgate
Religious/Culture Food Events that Reoccur — $3,500/quarter (ex. Shabbat, Sunday Supper, Chat and Chai)

Other Items of Note

The Finance Board is looking for essentialness of items at events — please be sure to include a description of why items are essential
Items are also expected to be reused if possible, like costumes, props, and decorations
For larger items and reusable items, a clear storage plan needs to be established — these items will not be repurchased in future quarters, making the storage plan essential

Section 3: Viewing Decisions

After the submission deadline for each quarter, the Finance Board reviews all requests for the entire quarter and makes their funding decisions.

Decisions will be input in PhoenixCONNECT with reasoning if the funding amount approved is different from the amount requested.

The original requestor will receive an email from PhoenixCONNECT when the review and decisions have been completed.

You can find your original request by following the steps below.

Log in to PhoenixCONNECT using your 乱伦视频 login
Click the menu icon in the top left corner
On the left side of the screen, all your organizations will be listed
Hover over the organization requesting funds and click the settings gear
From the list of options, select Organization Tools and then Finance
Click into your quarter submission
Review the comments and notes on the submission

Requests may be fully funded, partially funded, or denied — reasons behind any reduced funding will be shared with your organization.

Section 4: Funding Requirements

Once your organization has received decisions on funding from the Finance Board, the following steps must be completed. As you plan your events, use this as a checklist.

Register/list the event on the PhoenixCONNECT Events page
Display “Funded by SGA” and the SGA logo clearly and prominently on all marketing — fliers, emails, tickets, programs, and social posts
Track attendance (Event Pass/PhoenixCONNECT Check-In App encouraged) — this is required information in the mandatory post-event form
- and save it to your phone for regular access
- using the Check-In app
- For further assistance, visit Student Involvement (Moseley 205, studentinvolvement@elon.edu, 336-278-7214)
Only spend approved funds on the approved items — unused funds can’t be repurposed, and SGA will not cover any costs above those approved
Provide a storage plan for any approved equipment/physical assets (must stay with the organization, not an individual)
Use funds only within the quarter they were awarded. To roll over unused funds to a future quarter, request VPF approval within one week of the start of the next quarter — after that, rollover requests won’t be considered
Be aware the Finance Board may audit your organization’s accounts, membership, and events; evidence of fund mismanagement can jeopardize future funding
Submit the within one (1) week of your event’s conclusion
- It must include: a summary of the event, attendance data, and an itemized list of actual expenditures
- This history is also considered when the Board evaluates future requests (attendance/participation at past funded events is one of the review factors)
- All required questions must be answered in detail

Failure to include the SGA logo and complete the Post-Event Form will result in the following:

Submissions for the next quarter may not be accepted until the requirements of funding are completed
Possible required meetings and review of marketing materials by the VPF and/or VP of Communications
Possible suspension of funding in future quarters
Possible audit of organization’s accounts, membership, and events

SGA Logo & Branding

Marketing materials for each event must include the statement “Funded by SGA” and prominently display the SGA logo. This requirement applies to all promotional items (flyers, programs, tickets, and social media posts) per the Finance Bylaws (Article IV, Section C, Subsection K). Failure to do so may jeopardize the organization’s access to future funding.

Visit the SGA Brand Kit to download both logo files and review usage guidelines.

For support with the creation or modification of your promotional materials, contact Tyler Mastrangelo (tmastrangelo@elon.edu), the SGA Vice President of Communications.

Section 5: Purchasing

All approved purchases must be made by the Vice President of Finance, the Administrative Assistant in Student Development, or a university credit card checked out through that office — currently VPF Cayce Becker or Jackie Allred, or via the Credit Card Check-Out process. Do not use personal funds expecting reimbursement — reimbursements won’t be processed without prior approval. Funds are event-specific and cannot be combined, transferred, or pooled across events or quarters. Please note that if you ordered or purchased supplies before the funding request was approved, you will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Online Purchases

For online purchases, please meet with the VPF, Cayce Becker (cbecker9@elon.edu), in the SGA office (Moseley 213) during their office hours, or schedule a time with Jackie Allred (jallred@elon.edu) in Student Life (Moseley 201) to utilize her university card.
Amazon Purchases
- Please create a Wishlist in your Amazon account and then click the button to share it with the VPF and include the VPF’s email. This will send an automatic notification and give the VPF access to the list.
- As a reminder: please allow space within your Wishlist budget for the taxes that will be applied once the order is placed.

In-Person Purchases

For purchases you wish to make in person, please submit the on PhoenixCONNECT.
Once the form is approved, Jackie Allred will schedule a time with you to pick up a university credit card from her in Moseley 201. All receipts must be itemized, clearly showing the vendor’s name, the purchase date, and the method of payment.

Approved Food Vendors

乱伦视频 Dining has exclusive right to sell, deliver, or distribute alcohol and food on University property. Any use of outside food vendors must be approved by 乱伦视频 Dining in advance.

Student organizations are encouraged to first consider the , a budget-friendly on-campus option designed for student events, with online ordering and on-campus pick-up. You can also call 乱伦视频 Catering at (336) 278-5333.

If 乱伦视频 Catering does not meet your event needs, you may choose from the .

Catering orders must be placed more than 10 business days prior to your event and coordinated with Jackie Allred (jallred@elon.edu).

Contracts & Service Providers

For any event involving a vendor (whether an individual or a business) providing a service, a contract must be processed. All contracts are handled by Jackie Allred, Administrative Assistant for Student Life, located in Moseley 201. Student organization representatives should not sign contracts independently.

How the process works:

If you already have a contract, email it directly to Jackie Allred (jallred@elon.edu) for review.
If you do not have a contract, email the invoice and vendor contact information to Jackie so a contract can be created.
This process can take several weeks depending on the vendor and complexity, so plan accordingly.
Submit all contract materials at least six weeks before your event date to ensure adequate processing time.

Section 6: After the Event

The post-event form is a requirement for receiving SGA funding and must be submitted within one week after your event date. This allows for your organization and SGA to track and understand the impact of funds your organization receives and how events and SGA funding can be improved in the future.

Submit the Post-Event Form

The must be completed on PhoenixCONNECT within one (1) week of your event’s conclusion.

It must include: a summary of the event, attendance data, and an itemized list of actual expenditures
This history is also considered when the Board evaluates future requests (attendance/participation at past funded events is one of the review factors)
All required questions must be answered in detail

Failure to complete the Post-Event Form will result in the following:

Submissions for the next quarter may not be accepted until the requirements of funding are completed
Possible required meetings and review of marketing materials by the VPF and/or VP of Communications
Possible suspension of funding in future quarters
Possible audit of organization’s accounts, membership, and events

Questions?

For questions about funding requests, caps, decisions, or purchasing, contact Cayce Becker, SGA Vice President of Finance, at cbecker9@elon.edu, or stop by the SGA office (Moseley 213) during office hours.

For questions about marketing materials, the SGA logo, or the “Funded by SGA” requirement, contact Tyler Mastrangelo, SGA Vice President of Communications, at tmastrangelo@elon.edu.