SAFAC2015-2016Budget Workshops

What is SAFAC?• SAFAC allocates funding to undergraduate

student organizations that are registered with COSO

• At least 75% of membership must be undergraduates

• SAFAC only allocates funds for one fiscal year.  A referendum is required for multi-year expenditures.

• Fiscal year ends at the end of May → all unspent approved SAFAC funds will go back to SAFAC

• We are here to subsidize an organization’s expenditures

SAFAC Liaisons• Check online for who your liaison is

• Go to miami.edu/safac → “SAFAC Members”

• List of liaisons for 2014-2015• Contact your liaison via email to set up

an appointment or walk into the SAFAC office in SAC 210H to meet with a liaison

Contacting Your Liaison• Do’s

• Send an email• If there is no response after 48 hours send an email to

safac@miami.edu• Come to our office in SAC 210-H to meet with any liaison

• Don’ts• Forget we are students too so we have jobs, exams, like all

students• Contact your liaison in his/her personal space unless he/she

explicitly allowed it• Examples

• Calling• Texting• Knocking at our doors (especially late at night)• Social Media• While we’re at the gym

Requesting Funding

What does SAFAC consider when reviewing a budget?• Guiding Principles• Necessity of expenditure• On campus and open to entire

university community

Ensuring Fairness to all Organizations• Guidelines

• General policies deciding how much we fund for certain items and which items we do not consider

• Ex: T-Shirts will be funded at $5 per member, Flights will be funded at $200, etc.

• Precedents• Determined throughout the year as SAFAC makes

decisions• Early Budget Precedents apply to Early Budgets• Regular Budget Precedents apply to Regular

Budgets• Vary from year to year – new committee

Types of Funding• Early Budget Request (can ask for one)

• Must be submitted during the spring semester of the previous year

• Only for expenses taking place up until the first day of Finals

• Money is removed from your account after the Fall Semester

• Deadline is Tuesday March 3rd, 2015 by 5 p.m.

• Cannot submit this budget within the Fall semester

• Regular Budget Request (can ask for up to 2 per year)• Funding in excess of Early Budget Allocation

• Must make an appointment to present before the committee

• ***Capital Items will be requested on a Early and Regular Budget• Requests for equipment or items that will last more than three

years

The Budget Forms• Can be found online (with examples) at

www.miami.edu/safac• Download the forms from the website

for every budget• Do not use prior forms – they are not

updated with the correct formulas• This leads to problems with using the

budget• Make sure the budget is on the correct

form• Do not add/delete rows – this also causes

problems with the budget

Making a SAFAC Request1. Meet with your Executive Board to

determine what your organization needs1. Your presentation should be before your

events!

2. Fill out the 2015-2016 Budget Request Form

1. Documentation is required for everything that is not explicit in Guidelines

3. Meet with your liaison and get a signature4. Obtain signatures from advisor, president,

and treasurer AFTER the liaison signs it1. It will be reprinted if you have

signatures before the liaison signs it

Submitting your Budget• Submit the electronic excel copy on OrgSync

via the form found here (“2015-2016 Early Budget Submission”): https://orgsync.com/55364/forms/132830

• Submit the signed form with stapled documentation to SAC 206

• Sign up for a presentation time• No presentation is required for Early Budgets• Presentations for Regular Budgets are

Wednesdays from 2:45 to 4:30

Presenting to SAFAC• SAC Iron Arrow Room• Wait outside to be called in by a liaison• Bring quotes (just in case) or handouts

(if needed)• Treasurers must present• Advisors are NOT allowed to present

Room Layout• SAFAC members will be in a “U” shape• Your budget will be projected on the

screen• You will stand next to your screen and

present your budget, line by line

Understanding Your Budget after it is Reviewed

After Voting: Cover Sheet

After Voting: Detail Sheet

Dealing with the Money• Business Expense Reimbursement Form (BERF)• Interdepartmental Requisition (IDR)• E-Checks• Purchase Orders• Stipulated Funds – These funds must be claimed

via OrgSync - https://orgsync.com/53219/forms/103858• ALL Travel will be stipulated• These funds are NOT automatically put into your

account!• Talk to your advisor for account balance inquiries,

as SAFAC does not have access to your accounts• Consult the Student Organization Handbook for

more information on using funds

Stipulated Funds•Must be claimed via OrgSync•In order for funds to be released, you need documentation that shows that you have to pay for it (receipt, invoice, etc.)•For non-FCS organizations, must have trip registered for stipulated travel funds to be released•If stipulated money is used for a coach, speaker, entertainment, etc. you must attach the signed contract for the funds to be released

Stipulated Funds•Releasing Stipulated Funds for Trips

•Get approval from SAFAC•Register trip via OrgSync at least 2 weeks in advance

•If approved, go on the trip (keep all receipts)•Fill out the OrgSync form to release funds that were stipulated by SAFAC – attach copies of ALL receipts

•Fill out paper BERF to get reimbursed for expenses paid out of pocket – Attach ALL receipts

•Turn paper BERF to SASO (SAC 206)***Funds must be spent in the manner in which SAFAC allocated

Reimbursements• SAFAC does NOT fund reimbursements (not

to be confused with BERFs)• Consult the Guidelines for policy

• Usually a budget must be SUBMITTED at least two weeks before the first expense needs to be made.

• PLEASE PLAN AHEAD!• If an emergency arises – contact

safac@miami.edu immediately

APPEALS1. First contact safac@miami.edu to set up

an appointment to discuss your concerns2. If an agreement cannot be made, the

organization must fill out the appeals form at miami.edu/safac under “Funding Request Forms”

3. Policy and Finance Committee will decide if the appeal will go through to Senate

4. Senate opinions go to the Vice President of Student Affairs

Appeals Timeline

Allocation posted to OrgSync on Wednesday

Common Questions

• What is a SAFAC account?• Your SAFAC account will start with a 4 and will consist of

funds provided by SAFAC. Your SAFAC account will clear at the end of the fiscal year (around the end of May) and will go back to SAFAC to be used for the next upcoming academic year.

• What is an agency or ‘9’ account?• Not every student organization will have an agency

account. The account starts with a 9 and consists of funds from everything that is not SAFAC - member dues, fundraising, etc. This account will not clear at the end of fiscal year.

• Interested in getting an agency account? Please pick up the forms to apply for an account in SAC 210 or SAC 206.

• What is a donation account?• A donation account is used to track and deposit donations

from outside donors.• This account allows the donor to claim the donation as a

tax-deduction.• Donations can be made via check and sent to

Advancement or can be made via credit card on the Student Org Giving Site.

• Help! I can’t see my budget on OrgSync!• We will post your allocation by 5pm on Wednesday• If you aren’t listed as an administrator on OrgSync, you

will not be able to see your budget.

• I was funded an event (venue, conference, competition, etc.), but I would like to go to a different one. Can I spend my SAFAC funds on the new event instead?• NO! You must spend your money as allocated line by line.• You must request permission from SAFAC to spend your

allocation on different items. Contact your liaison for help.

• The price of an item has changed. Can SAFAC fund the difference?• In certain cases, some items can be re-looked for a cost

difference. • You would need to fill out the Cost Adjustment Form. It is

on OrgSync, under SAFAC’s page under “Forms.”• Contact your liaison for help.

• How do I find out how much money is in my accounts?• Your SAFAC liaison will NOT have access to your account.

Only your advisor has access to your account. • If your advisor is unsure how to check your account

please email a.langley@miami.edu

• What are stipulated funds?• Funds that have already been approved by SAFAC to

spend but are not yet placed for use in your account.

• By claiming your stipulated funds, you are providing documentation that you spent funds in the way that was presented on your approved SAFAC budget.

• Once the claim request has been approved, those funds will be transferred into your organization’s SAFAC account.

• All approved SAFAC stipulated funds can be claimed via OrgSync form: https://orgsync.com/53219/forms/103858. • Be sure to include as much documentation as possible,

including the approved University contract (for a performer, coach/instructor, speaker, entertainment, etc.) as well as receipts for all money spent.

• I accidentally put donation/fundraising money into my SAFAC account and it cleared when the fiscal year ended. How do I get that money back?• Contact the SAFAC advisor Josh Brandfon at

j.brandfon@miami.edu

• When can I ask for a UPrint card?• UPrint cards can only be requested the Spring Semester

of the prior year. They are typically due the day Early Budget Requests are due in the Spring. Fill out a form on OrgSync for UPrint.

• Can I request for both mileage & a rental car?• No, you must request one or the other.• The price for mileage is $0.575 per mile.• Please consult the Guidelines for mileage caps.

• Can I spend SAFAC money on items I didn’t request?• NO! You must spend your money as allocated line by line.• You must request permission from SAFAC to spend your

allocation on different items.• Organizations could be potentially audited if there are any

improprieties in the organization spending

Questions?