LAST UPDATED: April 2023

Basic Things to know…

• SAFC: Student Activities Fee Committee
• OSI: Office of Student Involvement (student union 320)
• P-Card: a credit card that you can check out at OSI to purchase items up to $999.99
• Purchasing Request: the form to use funds for credit card purchases totaled $1000 and above or any fund that cannot be paid by a purchasing card and/or check payment.
• SGR: Self-Generated Revenue. This is money you have deposited in your organization account
• MoCode: An organization’s bank account
• Seed Fund: Preliminary funds allocated to new student organizations. Seed funds are defined as a per-organization per year allocated at the sole discretion of the SAFC to be used by the organization and must follow SAFC guidelines.

How do I submit a budget request?

• Log-in to https://roogroups.umkc.edu/
• Find your student organization under the “Groups” tab on the upper left-hand side of the screen.
• Go to the left-hand side of the screen and find the “Money” tab
• On this screen, you’ll see an “Accounting Book”. Under the “budget” section of this book, you’ll be able to select either “Student Organization Annual Budget” or “Event-by-Event Budget” (depending on if your organization is submitting an annual budget or an event-by-event budget).
• Then, you’ll be able to select the “Create Budget Request” button on the upper right-hand side of this screen.

 Please be sure to pay special attention to all deadlines.  Event-by-event requests submitted late will not be considered for funding.  You can find the submission deadline information here: Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) Guidelines for 2023 - 2024

What are the requirements to submit event-by-event funding requests?

So long as your organization is in Good Standing with the Office of Student Involvement and your President, Treasurer, and Faculty/Staff Advisor have all completed the Student Organization Officer Training- you are ready to submit your request! 

Where do I find why my budget submitted to SAFC was reduced or denied?

• Navigate to your student organization home page
• Find the "money" tab 
• Located the account book with the tab which has your budget request in it. Here is will show your requested funds and your approved funds. 

E-mails are not sent out to address the status of your budget request. All information regarding your organization's budget is delivered via RooGroups.

Do organizations have to be present at SAFC to request funds?

If the members of the committee have questions in regards to your organization's budget, you will be called to present to SAFC. Requests can be anywhere from a $1.00 request to a $15,000.00 request. Requests to present are at the sole discretion of the Student Activity Fee Committee. Your organization will be notified by the SGA Comptroller regarding budget presentations, please be sure to check your e-mail and respond promptly. If your organization does not need to present, it is still recommended. Your request will be reviewed on the date listed in the e-mail. Your organization will receive the results up to 10 business days after the meeting. 

Are my funds approved immediately after the SAFC meeting?

SAFC is a recommendation body. This committee makes recommendations that are reviewed by the Vice Provost for Student Affairs, who offers final approval. After budget approval, the Office of Student Involvement will transfer the funds into the student organization account. This process can take up to 2 weeks.  

When and where are the SAFC meetings?

SAFC Meetings will begin at 6:00 PM in the Student Government Chambers. The meeting dates can be found in the Guidelines and Deadlines document at the bottom of this page. One thing to note is that the SAFC meeting is a question and answer session. If you are to present, please take up to a minute to introduce yourself and your organization (brief description of what the organization's goals are and the purpose).

What are some items which cannot be purchased by SAFC Funds?

• Gift cards
• Items purchased for fundraising, giveaways, and/or bake sales
• Alcohol, mixers, alcohol related set-up items, or bartenders
• Personal items, cash advances, per diem or reserved monies, or loans
• Supplies for charity, philanthropy, or fundraising events
• Funds supporting an individual’s academic needs (individual membership dues, musical instruments, tuition/fees, textbooks, and lab supplies)
• Medication or prescription drugs
• Computers, iPads, phones, or other technology
• Awards of cash value and scholarships
• Door prizes or raffle items
• Furniture
• Sports equipment that can be checked out from Campus Recreation
• Items provided by the Office of Student Involvement Student Organization Resource Room
• Academic ceremonies
• Stipends or payments to UMKC students
• Funds for an event, for any reason, because the same or similar event was funded in any year previous.
• STEM, Health Study, and any other related academic “kits”
  1. For example, suturing kits, tooth restoration kits, surgical kits writing or art supply kits, and any other item at the discretion of the Student Activity Fee Committee
• Other items at the discretion of the Student Activity Fee Committee

More information about Seed Funds:

• The Student Activity Fee Committee voted to provide Seed Funds to only newly created recognized student organizations for the 2023 - 2024 academic year.
• Councils and Organizations with an annual budget are not eligible to receive Seed Funds. 
• Requirements for newly created student organizations to receive Seed Funding are:
  • Fulfillment of a mandatory funding training on RooGroups by Student Organization Advisor, Treasurer, and President
  • Submission of the specific form requesting the funds.
• The per-organization amount is equal for all new organizations and determined annually by the SAFC.
• New organizations are the only organizations that can request Seed Funds for 2023-2024.

I missed the deadline to submit a request, what can I do now?

Our bylaws state: “All requests must be submitted on the Student Activity Fee Request Form available on RooGroups in a timely manner. Requests not submitted on the Student Activity Fee Request Form or late requests will be rejected.”

TRAVEL REQUESTS

How much can I get for my travel?

SAFC will recommend amounts up to 65%. It is not guaranteed that you will receive 65% of your travel funds, it will depend on how well your organization has described the travel's needs and the impact on UMKC. 

Requests by organizations for travel will be judged based on:

• Travel funds requests may be used to support travel that advances the Organization and/or the University (i.e. competition, vote, academic presentation, or awards).
• Breakdown and justification of the budget.
• Evaluation of outside revenue (e.g. fundraising, Councils, Schools).
• Relevance to the Organization’s mission.
• Available funds.

What is the difference between Individual and Organization travel?

Any travel where you will be representing your organization will be considered organizational travel. Individual submissions are for students presenting at conferences not related to organizations. Individual travels are unable to be funded through the Student Activity Fee for 2023 – 2024.

How do I know if my organization’s travel request was approved?

If your request is under “OSI Trip Booking”, your funds were approved. Please submit the form Travel Booking form (to be used once funds have been secured) and work with the Office of Student Involvement to book your trip.

Can I book anything in advance and be reimbursed?

NO! If you are using SAFC funds, your entire trip will need to be booked by OSI. You won’t be able to get reimbursed if you book your trip prior to working with OSI.

Please note:    SAFC Funding for 2023 - 2024 will follow the Student Activity Fee Committee Dates and Deadlines Request Document.   All remaining SAFC Funds for the fiscal year 2023 will be swept and unavailable for use after 5 pm on June 3, 2024.  Please check your organization budget and SAFC awarded amounts before scheduling events that require SAFC funds.

Questions regarding this should be addressed to Carrie Schmalz (schmalzc@umkc.edu) in the Office of Student Involvement.