RSO Budgetary Process Guide – Facilitators for Allocating Student Taxes (FAST)

Below is information about FAST's two types of budget request processes:

Annual Budgets

Annual Budgets:

Annual Budgets are budgets that cover the expected expenses for an RSO for the entire academic year. (no need to submit a supplemental budget for every event!) They are only for RSOs who submitted an approved Audit the prior academic year. The status of an audit will be communicated over email to the relevant student. Audits are solicited at the end of the academic year for RSOs that were active that academic year. The audit will itemize that year's events, inventory and general expenses that were purchased from FAST.

Annual Budgets will open on September 11 and close on September 25th at 11:59pm.

To submit an Annual Budget:

Fill out the Annual Budget template. Make a copy and fill out the current inventory of the RSO and all expected expenses. Please include all planned events and their expected expenses. Provide as much information as possible!
Attach your budget template to and fill out the Annual Budget form.
FAST will deliberate on your request during our Office Hours. Feel free to stop by if you have any questions about the process or your request. If FAST requests to change anything on the budget, those requests will be noted according to the legend at the top. We will reach out if we have any additional questions.
The submitter of the form will be notified of the approval or denial through email. Once an annual budget has been approved, the RSO will be able to use those funds for their events and resources for the entire year. Please reach out if the need for additional funding arises.
To access your funding for a specific event, you may use a p-card or seek reimbursement. Both processes require itemized receipts and they are highlighted below (below the supplemental funding request).

Supplemental Budgets

Supplemental Funding Request:

RSOs who did not submit an audit will submit the supplemental budget request form for every event/purchase.

Click here for a template budget. Make a copy and fill out all relevant information for your event! (Supplemental budgets are for one event only, please fill out multiple budgets and forms if you have multiple events that need funding). We recommend that you submit this at least one week before your scheduled event.
1. Use this quick guide to prepare your budget. It has the major funding guidelines outlined in the Constitution and bylaws.
After you complete the budget template, use this link to submit the supplemental budget form. You will attach your budget template to this form.
After you submit your budget to FAST, we highly recommend you attend our office hours.
- Our office is called the "People's Office," in Upper Paresky.
- Any requests for changes in amounts or costs will be noted on the budget. We will reach out if we have any additional questions.
- Funding Facilitators are here to help your RSO write budgets/funding requests, find other pots of money at the college, or simply answer any questions about the new funding process. We are paid to ensure you experience an accessible and transparent system of funding. We do all of this during office hours.
FAST decisions are deliberated within the funding body. Most decisions will be decided within 24 hours of bi-weekly office hours, and we will notify you through an email. We may, however, take up to two weeks before processing your FAST funding request.
Once your supplemental budget has been approved, there are two ways to use your approved funding. You may use a p-card, provided by the OSLL (this may be required for certain purchases), or you may use a personal debit card/cash and request reimbursement. Both processes require itemized receipts and they are highlighted below.

Please see examples of what budgets would be accepted or denied based on the information provided:

(click to enlarge)

This budget would likely be denied, since it lacks significant information around the event, what the items will be used for, where they would be purchased from, and how attendance was estimated.

(click to enlarge)

This budget would be approved, since it contains precise information about the event, what items are being purchased, where they are being purchased (with a specific link) and how the attendance was estimated.

Below is information about the two types of RSO financial transactions that FAST oversees:

P-Cards Reimbursements

P-Cards

P-Cards should only be submitted after a budget has been approved!

Request a p-card through the RSO Financial Transactions Form. If you are drawing from an approved supplemental budget, please attach the relevant budget to this submission.

FAST will approve this request during its office hours and notify you via email. Afterward, you must schedule a meeting with Cailin McGowan using her calendly link.

An Important Policy: All purchases from Amazon, Walmart and Stop&Shop must be processed with Cailin McGowan. No reimbursements!

P-Cards can only be picked up in-person Monday-Thursday as Cailin is Out-of-Office on Fridays.

Picking Up & Returning P-Cards

P-Cards must be returned in person to an SLL staff member on the day agreed upon in your purchasing meeting. Students will need to return cards in the envelopes with all itemized receipts including receipts from any online purchases. There are a limited number of p-cards available at any given time, so requesting them farther in advance increases your chances of successfully acquiring one.

Reimbursements

A budget must be approved for a purchase to be reimbursed!

Students who do not choose to use a P-Card may be reimbursed for their approved RSO purchases. Students may submit the RSO Reimbursement form with receipts of all purchases. Reimbursements are not approved for purchases that were not itemized in a budget. The submitter of the form will be notified if their request is approved or denied. Reimbursement on average take 2-6 weeks.