Spending Guidelines

Approved by Council July 14, 2009

39th Council of AFS

Spending Guidelines

(2009-2010)

MISSION STATEMENT:

It is the charge of the AFS Council and Finance Committee to be responsible stewards of student money, to treat all groups and individuals fairly and without bias, to maintain an open and transparent process for setting an operating budget and monitoring group spending, and to generally refrain from dilatory or obstructive action or consideration beyond stewardship or fairness concerns.

SECTION I: GENERAL FUNDING PRINCIPLES

  1. The following spending guidelines apply to all funds allocated by the AFS Council in the fiscal year
  1. The fiscal year will be from July 1 to June 30.
  1. Funding will be approved only for registered student groups with a constitution approved by AFS and a line-item budget approved by the Finance Committee.
  1. Events and activities funded by AFS should be open to all Furman students, whose attendance or participation at such should take precedence over that of non-students.
  1. AFS Monies cannot be spent on Furman graduates or faculty/staff with a related university budget.
  1. Expenses will be recorded in the fiscal year in which they are incurred.

SECTION II: SUBMISSION, PRESENTATION, AND ALLOCATION OF BUDGETS

  1. The date for budget hearings shall be set by the AFS Treasurer. Groups must submit preliminary budgets to the AFS Treasurer prior to the initiation of budget hearings.
  1. Allocation criteria includes, but is not limited to group involvement and role on campus, fiscal responsibility, necessity for furthering the group’s mission, the sensibility of the request, and the ability of the Council to fund all requests.
  1. Previous funding does not guarantee subsequent funding, in any form.
  1. No group receiving direct funding from AFS shall be budgeted an amount greater than 10% of the total monies received by AFS from the student government fee.
  1. A previously unfunded student group may request a budget of up to $500.
  1. Upon request, student groups may be required to present any organizational dues necessary for membership.  Otherwise, student groups are encouraged to seek additional funding from sources other than AFS, and will never be penalized for doing so in any funding allocation process.
  1. If a group either submits a late budget or misses budget hearings without previously contacting the treasurer, it will receive no more than 80% of its current year budget for the following academic year.
  1. The Finance Committee will vote upon the annual budget within two weeks of the fiscal year end.  The AFS Council will vote on the annual budget within two weeks of the following fiscal year beginning.

SECTION III: FINANCIAL FORMS AND DOCUMENTS

  1. No payment will be made unless complete documentation of the expense is provided in the request.  This may be a receipt, invoice, contract, or some other form as approved by the AFS Treasurer.
  2. Direct payment to speakers or guests shall be agreed upon and documented in a signed and submitted contract prior to the date of the event.  Groups wishing to provide an honorarium without a contract may contact the Finance committee at least two weeks prior to the event for approval.
  1. Payments will be made, when possible, by reimbursement or direct payment to the vendor by submission of a completed Check Request Form
  1. For purchases under $1000, the AFS credit card may be used given prior documentation of expenses, and availability.  Receipts from credit card expenses must be turned in immediately after usage.  The AFS credit card cannot be used for partially-funded purchases without a prior agreement with the Treasurer (See Section IV)
  1. A group may reallocate money among line-items by submission of a completed Reallocation Request form.  Any group wishing to reallocate more than $1000 will be required to attend the next Finance Committee meeting to discuss their request. New line-items may be created during the fiscal year with the approval of the Finance Committee.  New line-items created over $2500 must go before the AFS council for approval. The AFS Treasurer may approve reallocations of less than $1000; the Finance Committee may approve reallocation requests for amounts greater than $1000.
  1. After a group’s budget has been exhausted, additional funds may be requested by submission of a completed New Money Request form.  The request will be voted upon by the Finance Committee and may be funded fully, in part, or denied depending on the merit of the request, use of budgeted funds, and present ability of the Council to allocate new money. New Money Requests must me made two weeks prior to the event. All requests for new money must be approved by the Finance Committee; requests for more than $1000 must also be approved by the full AFS Council.
  1. All forms of payment and reimbursement must be requested two weeks prior to the fiscal year end.

SECTION IV: RESTRICTED AND PARTIALLY-FUNDED PURCHASES

  1. AFS monies are not to be used to purchase food items, organizational dues, prizes, giveaways, or personal items, here defined as a material good that is to come under sole, permanent ownership of individual members of a student group (e.g. t-shirts, senior gifts, personal accessories).  AFS funds will not be used to pay for closed celebrations, banquets, end-of-year/semester events, or staff appreciation items. As per university guidelines, AFS monies cannot be used to purchase gift cards or gift certificates of any kind.
  1. AFS funds can neither be directly donated nor used to purchase material items for outside donation.
  1. No item purchased with AFS funds shall be in any form resold; voluntary donations for goods indirectly purchased with AFS funding may be accepted.
  1. AFS will fund no more than 50% of student lodging costs.  Personal car travel will be reimbursed at a rate of $0.18/mile – other transportation costs will be reimbursed at 75% of the total cost.
  1. Groups may be reimbursed up to $25 spent on food for an outside guest (e.g. meals, bottled water, etc). To reimburse food purchases for multiple guests, this cap is increased by $25 for each additional guest.
  1. Payment for judges of competitions will be reimbursed for up to $25 per judge.  Students cannot be paid for judging.
  1. Current Furman students may not receive payment (direct or indirect) with AFS funds for any service or commitment, other than as reimbursement for approved, budgeted expenses.
  1. Groups may be reimbursed for up to $25 spent on a non-contractual gift for a speaker (i.e. Furman paraphernalia, gift bag)
  1. Exceptions for items that fall under this description but which are to be distributed or open to the student body at large must be presented for approval each year during the budget process; any of these expenses, if an exception is approved, should have their own line item in the submitted or reallocated budget.  Subsequent exemptions for pre-budgeted items will not be accepted.  Exemptions requested due to a change in the spending guidelines, the creation of a new-line item or a New Money Request may be requested of Finance at least two weeks prior to the use of funds. The Finance Committee is able to approve exemptions to any of the clauses in this section without the consent of the full Council, up to $500, so long as the Committee vote is unanimous and the Council is duly informed of the decision. Under special or extraordinary circumstances, exceptions to any other spending rules can be made with a majority vote of the Finance Committee and, subsequently, a 2/3 vote of the AFS Council.

SECTION V: VIOLATIONS OF THE BYLAWS AND SPENDING GUIDELINES

  1. Unapproved purchases, including those made with the AFS credit card, will become the personal responsibility of the individual who made the purchase.  Failure to pay can result in a referral to the Office of Student Life for disciplinary processing.
  1. Any purchase that is not included in a group’s line-item budget will not be funded or, if already made, reimbursed.  New money requests received for non-budgeted items after the costs have been incurred will not be eligible for reimbursement.
  1. Lost or stolen checks may be rewritten with a possible financial penalty equal to the amount charged by our bank.
  1. Appeals to the decisions of the Finance Committee may be made within one week of the decision.  If the decision remains unchanged after an appeal, the appeal may be brought to the AFS Council. AFS Council may overrule an appeal by 2/3 vote.
  1. If other violations of the spending guidelines occur, disciplinary action may be taken at the discretion of the Finance Committee.

SECTION IV: POWERS OF THE COUNCIL AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

  1. The Finance Committee must adopt spending guidelines for its council by the end of each the fiscal year.
  1. The AFS Finance Committee reserves the right to adjudicate upon improper use of student money not specifically restricted here, as well as the right to amend or expand the spending guidelines as necessary.  Any votes not otherwise specified will require majority rule by the Finance committee and a 2/3 vote by Council.  The AFS Treasurer will only vote in the case of a tie.