Carleton Student Association
Budget Committee Funding Guidelines
Revised: February 2009

The mission of the Carleton Student Association Budget Committee is to serve as an independent committee of the CSA Senate that reviews funding requests.  The committee is an attempt to ensure consistency, feasibility, and responsibility in the allocation of funds that the students of Carleton have given to the CSA.  Furthermore, as arbiters of these funds, the Budget Committee is responsible for providing avenues through which students and student organizations can originate varied and original programs for the Carleton student body.  The purpose of these guidelines is to promote these values in the Budget Committee’s recommendations to the CSA Senate as well as to disseminate the priorities of Budget Committee to the Carleton student body.   

Section 1: General Principles

   1. CSA funding exists to create meaningful opportunities for the Carleton community.
   2. Within the financial regulations set forth by the CSA Bylaws, the Budget Committee shall evaluate funding requests on a case-by-case basis. Budget Committee shall vouchsafe allocations to the Senate in violation of the bylaws only if extraordinary circumstances have been demonstrated.
          * A vouchsafe is neither an indication of support nor is it in indication of the disapproval of Budget Committee.
   3. Newly Chartered Organizations typically receive a lower level of funding than they would receive if they were more established.
   4. CSA funding shall be available to student organizations and students at large.

Section 2: Sources of Funding

    * CSA organizations should make full use of all available campus resources.
    * For programs and events, students should also look to campus offices and departments that may have related interests, such as the Dean of the College, the Chaplain, the Career Center, and the ACT center.
          - It is highly encouraged that students talk to these offices before coming to Budget Committee.  
    * For travel to academic conferences or competitions, students and student organization are expected to seek out other sources or funding such as the Dean of the College or Dean of Students offices.
    * CSA is disinclined to fund career-preparatory events and programs as their benefit belongs almost exclusively to the individuals who attend.
    * Students are encouraged to Budget Committee at least six days prior to the event that they are requesting fund for.

 Section 3: Travel and Conferences

   1. Funding for conferences shall not exceed $150 per person.  Funds for conferences shall not exceed $900 for one conference-going group.
   2. Groups are encouraged to send the smallest number of students possible to conferences.
   3. Conferences funded by CSA must provide benefits to the campus community.
   4. Conferences that are competitive in nature, based upon academic work, shall not be funded, unless they are academic teams as defined by the Dean of Students office.
   5. Travel fees (lodging and transportation) for non-conference events will be funded at up to 75 percent, with the exception of community service projects within 100 miles of Carleton’s campus.

Section 4: Food

   1. Food, beverages, and catered dinners shall be funded when the CSA Chartered Organization has provided sufficient evidence to the Budget Committee that the food will be essential to the event.
   2. Funding for nonessential food shall be granted in rare circumstances at the discretion of the Budget Committee.
   3. The following restrictions shall apply to catered dinners:
 - 50% of available seats shall be reserved for personal invitations, in accordance with the CSA Chartered Organization's priorities.
            - 50% of available seats shall be made open to any member of the Carleton community.
            - Public advertisement shall take place at least two weeks prior to the dinner. If the seat allotments described in part b above are not filled after one week, the remaining seats shall be filled at the group's discretion.

Section 5: Events and Programs

   1. Typically, honoraria are not funded for more than $1000
   2. Events must be open to the entire campus and well publicized

Section 6: Printing and Publications

   1. First-run publications will be funded at no more than 60%
   2. Copies intended for off-campus distribution will not be funded
   3. The use of on-campus printing service is strongly encouraged.

 Section 7: Libraries, Collections, and Club-specific Amenities

   1. Organizations desiring to being or increase a club library must show there are no other methods by which they may access the material
   2. Library inventories must be kept and submitted to the CSA Treasurer every term
   3. Web hosting away from Carleton is strongly discouraged except in extraordinary circumstances when Carleton ITS cannot provide services integral to an organization's mission

 Section 8: Advertising

    * 8 1/2 x 11 sized paper is preferred, as the least expensive option (.02 at PMS)
    * Utilizing all advertising opportunities such as posters, All-Campus email, the central events calendar, Facebook, banners in Sayles, etc. is strongly encouraged and required for organizations receiving funding for their programs or events
    * Generally, advertising funding will be allocated at $5 per event.

 Section 9: Other

    * Funding for students to receive compensation for any work associated with students or student organizations is not recommended.