Campus Funding

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Student Organization Funding

The Student Organization Funding Committees are an initiative of Vanderbilt Student Government tasked with allocating funding to student organizations. Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG) appoints co-chairs who oversee an application process to select committee members from the undergraduate student population. The Graduate Student Council (GSC) appoints co-chairs for the graduate/professional committee and the governing councils of the professional schools each appoint one representative as committee members. On an annual basis, the Student Organization Funding Committees recommend to the Vice Provost and Dean of Students allocations for Registered Student Organizations that sponsor programs, projects, and services that benefit the students who have paid the Student Services Fee. Applications for a regular allocation for funding in the subsequent academic year are available—and due—according to the schedule announced annually by the Student Organization Funding Committees.

In general, programs must demonstrate a wide campus appeal or need and/or build community on campus, be available to all students, be free of charge or provided at a reduced rate for students, align with an organization’s mission, and must enhance the overall educational, social, or cultural climate. Recognizing that the core activities of certain student organizations (such as community service initiatives, intercollegiate/interscholastic competitions, or field-based academic endeavors) predominantly occur off-campus, these organizations can demonstrate their fulfillment of the university’s general program and funding criteria in the following ways:

  • Demonstrating Wide Campus Appeal or Need and/or Building Community on Campus:
    • These organizations address a wide campus appeal or need by providing focused avenues for students interested in specific forms of external engagement, competitive pursuits, or hands-on service that may not be available through on-campus activities. They cater to niche interests and provide valuable experiential learning opportunities.
    • While their primary activities are external, they build community on campus by fostering strong camaraderie, shared purpose, and collaborative skills among their participating student members. Furthermore, they are expected to actively contribute to the on-campus community by:
      • Conducting on-campus recruitment and outreach to ensure visibility and awareness of their mission and opportunities.

In order to maintain events at a reduced rate for students, student organizations that receive Student Organization Funding may charge no more than $20 to members of the campus community (students, faculty, and staff) for event attendance, with the exception of Rites of Spring, Commodore Quake, and Lights on the Lawn. In addition, no more than $3,000 of a student organization's Student Organization Funding allocation may be used for purposes internal to the organization, such as retreats, t-shirts or other similar items. Exceptions to these restrictions may be made with approval from the Vice Provost and Dean of Students or designee.

Only Registered Student Organizations and their respective programs are eligible for Student Organization Funding allocations. Student organizations are encouraged to fully spend their allocated amount consistent with how they indicated they would use their funds in their application. The awarded amount of Student Organization Funds will be uploaded into the student organization’s financial account via Anchor Link during the Fall semester. Student Organization Funds will not roll over to the following year, and any adjusted funding will be reallocated to other student priorities. Revenue above the Student Organization Funds allocated amount will remain in the student organization’s account, including fundraising, donations, ticket sales and any other external revenue. Registered Student Organizations that overspend the available funding in their account will be frozen for up to a full academic year. If an organization is unable to remedy the deficit after a full academic year, the organization will operate under the requirements of a newly approved student organization. Student organizations are strictly forbidden from providing SOF funds to other organizations to support travel or to assist in reducing an organization’s deficit. Registered Student Organizations that are inactive will be closed after three years of inactivity, and the monetary balance will be reallocated to support other student priorities.

Further, funds allocated through the Student Organization Funding Committee’s recommendation process are subject to some restrictions on their use. More information on student organization eligibility and programming restrictions for Student Organization Funding allocations, may be found on the SOLS website.

The Registered Student Organization Contingency Fund

The fund provides limited support for new Registered Student Organizations that were not eligible to participate in the annual Student Organization Fund allocation process, and for established organizations with new initiatives or unexpected circumstances. The application form is available during the academic year in the Forms section on the Student Organization Funding Committee Anchor Link page.

Co-Sponsorships

Student organizations should prepare their budgets to meet their annual needs, and participate in the annual Student Organization Funding Committee allocation process. However, there may be times when new organizations form after the process has been concluded, when a new initiative arises, or when an unanticipated opportunity presents itself. Registered Student Organizations seeking co-sponsorships for programs or events have several options.

Vanderbilt Student Government also administers co-sponsorship funding, the application for which may also be found in the Forms section of the VSG Anchor Link page.

Student Affairs has no central funding for co-sponsorships, but a number of its component departments do maintain limited co-sponsorship budgets.

Please note that student organizations may not approach offices outside the scope of the Student Affairs, more than one department within the Student Affairs operation, academic departments, or other programs, services, and centers across the University, for financial co-sponsorships. Students who believe that a particular department or office might be interested in its program initiative, or who wish to inquire whether a particular academic department routinely supports a particular organization, should consult either their own advisers or liaisons within Student Affairs or Student Organizations, Leadership and Service.

Dues, Ticket Sales, and On-campus Fundraisers

Registered Student Organizations are entitled to charge dues to their membership. Dues must be deposited in an organization’s University account upon receipt. Registered groups may also charge admission to events, provided that the primary purpose of sales is to raise money for the benefit of the organization, or for the benefit of a charitable group, and not for the benefit of individual members of the organization. In accordance with Tennessee state law, students may not sell tickets for a raffle or lottery. Drawings for door prizes awarded to ticket-holding participants at an event are permitted.

No approval is required for the sale of tickets for admission, or for the distribution of items for suggested donation for fund raising when raised funds are solely for the organization or its charity and are deposited into the organization’s University account. Students must make arrangements with Student Centers to reserve a table or to sell tickets or distribute items.

Students must secure the approval of the Vice Provost and Dean of Students or designee in order to sell or deliver items door-to-door in campus residences.

Registered Student Organizations wishing to sell event tickets, including use ofthe Commodore Card, must make arrangements with Student Centers and must comply with the requirements for such sales. Organizations are required to use AudienceView for ticket sales. Ticket sales for all events are final and not subject to refund or cancellation. Additionally, there is no option for collecting donations on the Commodore Card.

Distribution of items for a suggested donation and other promotional activities must be conducted by members of the Registered Student Organization. No organization may sponsor the sale of goods or services to students on behalf of a non-Vanderbilt commercial enterprise, except where the sales activity provides a value-added service during a traditional Vanderbilt event, such as orientation, Homecoming, or Rites of Spring. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Vice Provost and Dean of Students or designee.

For information regarding other on-campus sources of funding, consult the Student Organizations website.

Auctions

Some Registered Student Organizations might choose to undertake auctions or silent auctions as an element of a fundraising event. In so doing, the sponsoring organization must ensure compliance with applicable statutes and University policy. Tobacco, alcohol, or promotional items for these products may not be used for auctions or any other fundraising activity. The Vice Provost and Dean of Students or designee may prohibit other items at the Dean or designee's discretion. Such items might include animals, gift cards or other items from adult entertainment establishments, etc.

The auction of services to other students, to faculty, staff, and other members of the Vanderbilt community is permitted within the following limitations:

  1. Only specific services may be offered (e.g., a car wash, the preparation of a meal). The offering of unspecified labor—for either a specific period of time, or an open-ended period—is prohibited.
  2. Offering services that require a license (haircuts, manicures, massages, etc.), is prohibited, as is the offering of services that are in violation of the law or University policy, and services that potentially endanger the health, safety, or well-being of students or others.
  3. The “auction” of individuals is prohibited, as is the auction of unspecified services of individuals.
  4. Advertising and promotional materials for service sales and auctions must list the services on offer.
  5. Advertising and promotional materials must provide the name of the organization(s) receiving the funds raised.

The Vice Provost and Dean of Students reserves the option of denying approval of, or cancelling, events whose arrangements fail to comply with the delineated limitations or which seek to circumvent their purpose.