In this section we will cover:
Core vs Non-Core Costs
Union grant funding is allocated to groups to subsidise costs of core activities for current student members, notto fully fund them. Core activities are defined as activities in line with the Aims & Objectives of your group. Your CSP Aims & Objectives can be found in your constitution, located on eActivities in Administration > CSPs > Documentation > Constitution & Committee.
Core costs might include, but are not limited to:
- Affiliation fees to your National Governing Body (NGB) - e.g. England Hockey
- A qualified instructor that is required to lead your activity
- A specialised insurance or copyright fees - e.g. boat insurance, performing rights and royalties, licenses.
- Ground or venue hire for your regular activities or an event
Strong budgets usually have a mix of core and non-core activities, and display multiple methods of income clearly, such as sponsorship, event profits, and activity income.
Include all relevant information in your budget. A lack of information can lead to reduced grant allocations. Remember, there are over 380 CSPs who are considered in this process so little time can be given to obtaining extra information from individual clubs.
Eligibility Criteria for Grant Funding
Grant funding is allocated to CSPs using the funding principles listed in the Annual Budgeting Policy. All CSPs should read the policy in full before beginning annual budgeting. Above all else, the allocation of funding to student groups is governed by the Student Group Funding Policy.
To be eligible for grant funding, a CSP must:
- Have completed the Reserves Justification Form if relevant to them.
- Have an approved constitution.
- Have a minimum £3 membership fee.
- Be requesting between a minimum of £3 of grant per expected member, and a maximum of two times the value of expected membership in total.
Club conduct can also impact a CSPs eligibility for funding. A CSP found to commit deliberate deceit during the budgeting process, or deemed irresponsible of funds, can face disciplinary procedures with a potential outcome of zero grant allocation.
Certain items are not eligible to receive Union grant. These are fully listed in Section 3.3 of the Annual Budgeting Policy, and include:
- Activities that are contrary to Union policies or legal requirements.
- Activities that do not comply with the aims & objectives of your CSP.
- Events and activities where the primary purpose is social and falls outside your core aims & objectives. For example: dinners, balls, bar & club nights.
- Food and drink, unless it explicitly falls into the core aims & objectives of your CSP.
- Funding individual society members, unless the funds will directly benefit the club as a whole.
If you have items that are not eligible for funding or you do not want to request funding for, you should still include them in your budget so the Clubs, Societies & Project Board (CSPB) understand your group and its activities.
Factors Influencing Funding
When awarding funding, CSPB follows six general funding principles to discuss budgets, grant requests, and appeals. There is a limited amount of funding that can be distributed so CSPs may not receive their full grant request. These principles guide CSPB in distributing funding fairly.
In order, they are:
Need
Does the CSP need this funding to run their core activities?
Reach
How many students will this funding be benefitting? This may just be the membership of your CSP, or have further reach to more participants or attendees. Direct and indirect benefits to full Union members will both be taken into account.
Priority
Based on all your CSPs activities, would these activity be deemed particularly important for funding?
Merit
Is the funding going to provide a unique aspect of the student experience?
Context
In the context of the Union's total grant and bigger picture of the CSP's request, is this the most effective use of money?
Effort
How much time has been put into an application and activity by an organiser? Budgeting requests that are poor in necessary detail may not be approved. This is why it is so important for CSPs to engage with their Management Group throughout the process to improve their chances of receiving grant.
Now that you understand what is eligible for grant funding, and budgeting policy, head to the next section to see how to use the eActivities budgeting tool.
