Financial/RSOs

Please refer below for steps and procedures regarding financial paperwork for the Student Government Association. Paperwork can be found in our office in Student Center Room 103. Please keep in mind these policies refer to the process of a RSO and may be different for the Executive Branch. Please refer to the Executive Branch financial policies for that information.

Purchase Requisition Form

A purchase requisition is needed when a payment is needed for services, products, items, etc. You must use DIFFERENT purchase reqs if you’re paying a DIFFERENT vendor/company/person. A purchase requisition is also used when reimbursement is needed. Please keep in mind you should not buy items and expect a reimbursement for anything that has not been approved by the SGA Bookkeeper. The purchase requisition needs the following information:

• All information listed on form
• The invoice, contract, paid receipt, quote (whichever applies)
• Attach flyer for the event, (no flyer means incomplete paperwork and a longer approval process as we will reach out to get this flier)
• After time stamping YOU keep the reference sheet (PINK SHEET on back)
• The yellow sheet is available in the organization mailbox after the check has been written, therefore it is important you check your email and check your mailbox!

Contest Prize Form

The Contest Prize Form is needed when your event will be giving away prizes at an event. This allows us to first see the prize you are giving away was given to the contest, but also protects you as a RSO because there is confirmation of this prize given.

For this form, you will need to know the following:

• Event Name
• Date of Event
• RSO
• Winner’s Information
  • Name
  • CWID
  • Phone Number
  • Prize
  • Signature of Recipient

Pre-Event Expense Form (PEEF)

A PEEF is a Pre-Event Expense Form. This form indicates that your organization is requesting funds for an event. It is meant to break down your budget with how you will use it, and how much you are using. This form must be submitted 21 days before the event occurs. All information must be filled in on the PEEF. You must provide a time stamp at the top of the form. You should come to the SGA office to fill out this paperwork, and hand it into the SGA Bookkeeper or SGA Executive Treasurer. The PEEF can be amended after being handed in, and must be done within a responsible amount of time before the event.

The following information will be needed for the PEEF:

• Organization
• Category of Organization
• Location
• Name of Event
• Date & Time of Event
• Contact Person (Should be Organization E-Board member)
• Brief explanation of the the Event
• Budget Line being used
• Category of Purchases (Food, Supplies, Decorations, DJ/Speaker, Prizes, Other)
• Estimated Cost & Total Cost
• Signature of Organization President and Treasurer
• Indicate any of the following additional forms/procedures:
  • Vendor Check (must submit purchase requisition with this form)
  • Contract
  • Co-Sponsorship
  • Contest Prize
  • Conference Trip
  • Food Waiver

Bid Proposal

A bid proposal is needed for any purchase $350.00 or more for an RSO. 3 competitive bids are needed. Each bid goes on a single bid proposal form. This included all costs, which include shipping and handling.

A bid proposal will need the following information:

• Name of Company/Vendor/Person
• Address of Company/Vendor/Person
• Items/Service being provided
• Quantity and amount of items if applicable
• Check Type of Bid
• Comments- Explanation of why you choose the bid for Company/Vendor/Person
• Must include signature of bid taker

To submit a bid proposal, make sure you have the following:

• A quote from company/vendor/person
• With PEEF (refer to last slide for details)
• With Purchase Requisition (refer to future slides for details)
• Attach Flyer of event

Bid Waiver

A Bid Waiver is used if you have previously submitted a bid proposal in the academic year and it was approved or if services are unique and cannot be found elsewhere.

A bid waiver needs the following information:

• Include all costs, including shipping & handling
• Explanation of why a bid waiver is needed

To submit a bid waiver, make sure you have the following items:

• Submit with a purchase requisition
• Submit with PEEF

Service Contract

The service contract is used when:

• Catering Food
• Venues
• MSU Conference Center (University Hall 7th Floor)
• DJ
• Performers
• Speaker/Honorarium

You need the following information when you are doing a service contract:

• Organization information as requested
• Organization contact person signature and name printed, contact number
• Event date, time and location
• Filling out all contractor information on form accurately
• Must be attached and submitted with purchase requisition
• Must be submitted 21 days before event
• ONLY THE SGA PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTRACTS!

Co-Sponsorship Form

The co-sponsorship agreement serves as a confirmation of an agreement between RSOs. This form outlines the expectations between a co-sponsorship agreement for these organizations. In this form, Organization #1 is the Host Organization, and Organization #2 is the co-sponsor. As a reminder, the SGA can not co-sponsor an RSOs event. For the Co-Sponsorship Form, you will need to know the following:

• Which organization is hosting and which is the co-sponsor
• Event Details such as Name, Time, and Location
• Breakdown of Costs:
  • Item
  • Total Cost
  • How much Organization #1 is contributing
  • How much Organization #2 is contributing
• Revenue stipulations
• Other stipulations:
  • Attendance
  • Promotion
  • Clean-Up
• Host RSO Signature (President and Treasurer)
• Co-Sponsor Signature (President and Treasurer)

Financial Training is required of all SGA RSOs. The President and Treasurer need to do the Financial Training. Please follow the steps below to be financially trained. In order to access your budget as an RSO, you must be financially trained.

Steps to Financial Training:

1. You will be sent your google account information when you become a RSO. This account will allow you access to our “Financial Resources & Information” folder.
2. Once you are in the folder, you will see as specific folder for “Financial Training”, click in there and watch the Financial Training video for RSOs.
3. When you have finished watching the video, take the “Financial Training Quiz” in the folder. Note: you must receive a 100% on the quiz.
4. When you have completed the quiz, you will be emailed by the SGA Treasurer.
5. If you have passed, you will receive a “Next Steps” email and you will need to come to our office and sign a financial signature card in order to access your budget.
6. If you do not pass, you will be emailed clarification on everything you got wrong on the quiz to better help you understand it, and you will need to retake the quiz, once you have retaken the quiz, you will follow the steps above.
7. Once you have completed all the above steps, you will be officially financially trained and able to access your budget.

The SGA pays for general publicity for RSOs up to $1,000 per fiscal year. RSOs must order general publicity items within the first 10 weeks of the semester. RSOs do not charge recipients of clothing/items. RSOs must fill out a Publicity Request Form via engage. From there, it will be approved or denied. Please find the guidelines below.

General Publicity items (non-event-specific)

• No more than one banner each year up to $250.00.
• No Organization Appropriations will contain funding for website design that exceeds $300. Clothing must not exceed $50.00 per item.
• Clothing must be used for promotional purposes RSOs may not charge the recipient of the clothing.
• Non-event-specific publicity, paid from the RSO’s Organization Appropriations, shall not exceed a total of $300.00 annually per RSO.
• RSOs must fill out a Publicity Request Form, and publicity funds shall be available on a first come, first served basis, until all the funding has been exhausted for the fiscal year.

Publicity Items can include but are not limited to:

• Shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Pants
• Wristbands
• Water Bottles

The SGA pays for security costs of all RSO’s events. UPD will bill us directly so you do not need to worry about providing us an invoice. If the event doesn’t end on time organizations will be penalized. Entire cost for security will be billed to the organization including the extra hour. Your attendees will need to be wrist-banded. You are expected to report an accurate number of attendees for your event when requesting to engage. If you host an event with over 100 people and do not get security, your organization will be held liable . Remember you are a representation of the SGA and should uphold all policies at your events. It is expected that you give at least a 48 hour notice to studentorgs@montclair.edu and colemanc@montclair.edu. Failure to do so will make you liable for the cost of security.

All ticket sales are done through EventBrite. Costs should be just high enough to allow the organization to afford the event without adversely affecting the student’s ability to attend. SGA will not subsidize events for non-students. Total cost of the event divided by the number of people expected to attend= price of admission for non-students. Ticket sales must be through Eventbrite- this is to avoid fraud and provide a centralized place for ticket sales.

To set up a Eventbrite, you, please follow the steps below:

• Must fill out the Eventbrite request form.
• NO other EventBrite accounts can be used for SGA approved events.
• All proceeds will be placed in organizations personal account if marked as a fundraiser on the form
• Ticket Sales Type:
  • Student
  • Non-student
  • Complimentary (usually co-sponsorship tickets fall under this)

If you are using food other than Chartwells, you must fill out a food waiver. You must apply at least 10 days before the event. Must email Jim Robinson , Manager of Dining Services and Student Development, robinsonja@montclair.edu. Make sure to fill out the form accurately to avoid delays or issues. Do not commit to a vendor without having an approved food waiver for the event. Make sure your event space accommodates food and is allowed per Dining Services policies. These regulations are University policy and are expected to be upheld.

The purpose of a flier is to promote your event, and for our office is to give us more “proof” of your event happening and that the information on your paperwork is true. The flier must include Name of RSO

• Must say they are a “Programming Board of SGA” Name of Event
• Date of Event
• Time of Event
• Location Of Event
• Must be legible to read

All fliers should be attached to all submitted purchase requisitions for events. Try your best to make your flyers inclusive, use easy to read fonts. A general reminder that all flyers must be approved by CSI in STCT 104 before being posted on campus

In accordance with the statutes in Article 6, the Executive Branch has certain policies that are different from the RSOs. Outlined below are those policies.

Bid Proposal

• We are now implementing a new bid threshold for the Executive Branch:
  • Bid Threshold 1: For a purchase item less than $2,500 no bids are required but are suggested
  • Bid Threshold 2: For a purchase item of $2,500 or more, three competitive bid proposals are required as outlined in section 1: RSO financial policies
  • Bid Threshold 3: For a purchase item or total event cost of $50,000 or more three competitive bids need to be presented to the executive president and treasurer for approval. In addition, notification, and a presentation of a price breakdown and any paperwork must be given to the financial advisor within SDCL of the University prior to purchase
  • Include all costs, including shipping & handling
  • Follow the same steps as outlined above for RSOs to complete your bid proposal

Line Transfer

• A line transfer is when you would like to transfer funds from one budget line to another
• If the Executive Branch is to do a line transfer, it must come from the same semester. You can not line transfer from one semester to the other;
• Line transfers must be submitted to the SGA Treasurer and SGA Bookkeeper 4 weeks before the end of the semester
• Line transfers are up to the approval of the SGA Treasurer and the SGA President