Funding Information

Overview

The Student Activity Fee Committee provides funding support to the 200+ student organizations at the University of New Hampshire. Any registered student organization may apply for funding - whether it be for a supplies purchase or to put on an event like the German Club, All Around the World Formal. This page provides information on the funding process.

You can find more detailed policies surrounding how SAFC works and related policies in our handbook - see sections "SAFC Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs)" and "Student Senate Governing Documents and the SAF".

Support & Contacts

Person Area Email Office
Ria Talwar - SAFC Recognized Student Org Fund Director (Student) Funding application process

saf.rso@unh.edu

MUB 119A
MUB Office - Student Organization Assistants (Student Staff) Purchasing - p-cards, online purchase, org fund info mub.office@unh.edu MUB 323
Joey Cote - Student Organization Success Coordinator (Pro Staff) Contracts, travel, organization operations joey.cote@unh.edu MUB 323B
Matthew Clarke - Financial Consultant (Pro Staff) Transactions, payments, escalated issues matthew.clarke@unh.edu MUB 323C
Vacant - Coordinator of Student Organizations and Leadership (Pro Staff) Student organization creation, leadership development   MUB 323
Patrick O'Neil - SAFC Chairperson (Student) SAFC processes  saf.chair@unh.edu MUB 119A

How To Apply

Propose! Buy! Follow-up!
Need help? Check out our office hours (virtual by request)
Check out our SAFC 410 training slides to learn more in addition to the videos below!

1. Proposal Process (Propose)

Funding Proposal Application
Proposal Form Template
Proposal form examples

To apply for funding from the Student Activity Fee Committee for a recognized student organization, please submit a proposal application through Presence ("Catalyst"). All proposals MUST be submitted at least 2 weeks before the event/purchase date.

SAFC does NOT reimburse organizations that pay for anything that is bought without prior approval from SAFC. Organizations may not sell tickets or otherwise advertise for an event expected to be fully or partially funded by SAFC until a funding proposal for it has been approved. 

Please note that certain proposal amounts do not require the approval of the entire Committee. See below for the breakdown of these amounts:

Amount (subsidy) Approval Required Attend Meeting
$500 or less SAFC Recognized Student Org Director No
$500 - $1000 SAFC Executive Board No, unless requested
$1000 or more SAFC (Whole Committee) Required*

*If your proposed amount is $1000 or more, you will be asked to present your application before the Committee, which may ask you a number of questions on attendance, advertisements, and the success of your proposal in the past. Meetings may seem intimidating to attend, but all of our members want you and your organization to succeed. Everyone is very understanding and makes an effort to create a comfortable and safe atmosphere for you to showcase your organization and all the great stuff you do!

2. Purchasing, P-Cards & Receipts (Buy)

After approval, you will work with the MUB Office (MUB 323) to purchase what you described in your proposal. Questions about purchasing should be directed to their staff and not the Committee.

If you anticipate your expenses will increase after the Committee approved the original costs, do not proceed to buy items that will go beyond what was approved without permission from the Chairperson and the Exec Board. Failure to do so could result in sanctions on your organization.

Make sure to keep an itemized receipt, or invoice, for all purchases made with SAF funds, as the MUB Office Staff will take a record of everything purchased. 

3. Post-Programming Reports (Follow-Up)

Post-Programming Report Submission
PPR Form Template
PPR form examples

You are required, within two (2) academic weeks of your event/purchase, to fill out a Post-Programming Report (PPR). Your approved proposal will have an agreed-upon PPR due date. This PPR details the actual amount of funds used and, if applicable, the attendance at your event. Submitting a late PPR or submitting one that shows financial negligence can result in a failure from the Committee and could result in sanctions against your organization. PPR due date extensions may be granted with a request to the RSO Director before the deadline.

Using the same table as before, you may be required to attend a SAFC meeting to present your post-programming report.

That's it!

Those three steps cover the student organization funding process at a high level. Of course, the RSO Director will be in touch with you throughout the process with the next steps. Do not hesitate to reach out to one of the contacts at the top if you have any lingering questions or concerns.

Overview

There are currently 11 Student Activity Fee Organizations (SAFO) that are member organizations of SAFC. Some popular ones include the New Hampshire Outing Club, Campus Activities Board, and the Student Committee on Popular Entertainment. SAFOs are held to an extremely high standard in terms of student organization programming as well as financial responsibility. In return, these organizations receive a set yearly budget and are able to pay their officers in the form of honoraria for all their hard work. These organizations have a voting seat on SAFC, have strong relationships with the UNH Administration, and can even print on-demand without approval from the MUB (one of the best perks). 

Eligibility

The only eligibility requirement is that your organization has to have been a UNH-recognized student organization for at least five (5) years. The Student Activity Fee Committee and Student Senate will review your application and vote to approve or deny your organization's "Concept" based on the following guidance.

"The criteria by which SAFC and the Student Senate shall review concepts shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

  1. Demonstrated adherence to:
    1. Federal, state, and local laws;
    2. USNH financial policies;
    3. The Governing Documents of the Student Senate;
  2. Demonstrated history of routinely successful proposals, events, PPRs;
  3. The programming and financial history of the organization;
  4. The longevity and continuity of the organization;
  5. The overall organizational impact on the Student Body;
  6. The return on investment to the Student Body;
  7. The number of active members in the organization;
  8. The uniqueness of the services and programs that the organization provides;
  9. Previous, current, and proposed impacts on the SAF itself."

Application

These are instructions for prospective SAFOs. SAFOs looking to reaffirm their SAFO status should discuss the application process with their business manager.

The first step to becoming a SAFO is to submit a "Concept" during the fall semester to begin SAFO status starting July 1st of the next calendar year. You can view other SAFO's concepts by visiting our public files (under "budgets and concepts") for inspiration.

  • An organizational concept, otherwise known as a ‘concept’, shall be defined as a statement of how the mission of the organization and the mission of SAFC intersect, and how gaining/retaining SAFO status will allow the organization to provide unique and valuable services to the Student Body.

As previously mentioned, SAFC and Student Senate will review your submitted concept and vote. Your presentation to the Committee will consist of a reading of your organization's concept as well as a 5-minute presentation supporting your concept. If your organization has been approved, you will then submit a draft budget for the consideration of the SAFC CFO to begin the budget process and finalize a budget for your organization. 

This process can be very complicated, however, we will provide additional information upon the submission of your organization's proposed Concept. This page will be regularly updated with information on how to apply, including the submission link.

Deliverables: 

  • Organizational Concept (.docx)

  • 5-minute PowerPoint presentation (.ppt template)

Apply on Catalyst NOW! 

Submit Your Concept and PPT Here: https://unh.presence.io/admin/form/update/fy-25-safo-application

FY25 due date: September 27, 2023

Concept hearings before the Committee will occur on 10/4/23 at 6:30pm