Bringing in Revenue
The array of programs and opportunities undertaken by student organizations each year demands that groups raise funds in addition to those allocated through the Student Activities Fee or other funding sources. The Joint Funding Committee expects organizations to supplement their funding gaps through revenue or donations. Many student organizations collect dues, have fundraisers, work with corporate sponsors, sell tickets, etc. to support their activities.
Handling Cash & Credit Cards
There are multiple ways that organizations can take in revenue from cash or credit cards, but you need to be planful to ensure that you are ready for whichever avenue you choose to accept funds. For more information, please email the Student Org Finance team with any questions.
Handling Cash
It is imperative that organizations maintain proper cash handling procedures. Any time an organization receives income from fundraisers, sales, dues, or other organization activities, all money should be deposited in the Student Involvement and Tradtions safe at the end of the day. All proceeds should be deposited – no cash should be used to pay expenses directly.
How much cash can an organization hold at once? Where can an organization keep their cash?
Under no circumstances should organizations hold a significant amount of money (greater than $50) in an unsecured location (dorm room/apartment) or in the possession of any member.
Any time an organization receives income from fundraisers, sales, dues, or other organization activities, all money should be deposited in the Student Involvement and Traditions safe at the end of the day.
How do I use the Cash Box? How much money should I keep in the Box?
Online Sales
Are you looking for a way to collect revenue for your organization online?
Revenue collection has been integrated with TartanConnect. Beginning Fall 2025, organizations can host sales through their pages!
TartanConnect
CashNet has been integrated with TartanConnect. Beginning Fall 2025, organizations can create Events or Stores on their TartanConnect pages. This feature allows orgs to manage their own sales and collect card payments. TartanConnect also offers sales reporting and reservation lists by Event or Store.
All revenue collected through TartanConnect is deposited to the agency account. This platform is a great alternative to Venmo, which is prohibited by Student Government.
The previous CashNet Storefront will be decommissioned.
What sales can student orgs and fraternity/sorority chapters add to TartanConnect?
In TartanConnect, there are two types of sales - Events and Stores.
Events are time bound sales, for example - tickets, shows, trips, etc. The organization can decide when the sale will open or close.
Stores are sales that will remain open indefinitely or until quantity runs out, for example - stickers, t-shirts, membership dues.
What types of things can my organization collect credit card payments for using TartanConnect?
- Membership dues
- Event/conference registration fees
- Fundraisers
- Miscellaneous sales
- Taxable sales, including posters, books (except textbooks), jewelry, furniture, certain types of food and clothing
Are there fees associated with card payments?
How do I set up a sale in TartanConnect?
Officers of an organization can navigate to the Events or Store sections of their TartanConnect page using the left-hand navigation pane. In the Top Right sections of the page, you should see boxes that say "Create Event" or "Create Store".
Please email the Finance Team with any questions.
Common Funding Application
Six funding bodies co-exist to facilitate a special allocation process for individuals and organizations seeking additional funds for specific initiatives/events, to cover unanticipated/unexpected costs, or to provide start-up monies to support new initiatives or groups.
JFC Capital Fund
JFC Supplemental Fund
Undergraduate Student Senate (Senate)
Graduate Student Assembly (GSA)
Student Dormitory Council (SDC)
University Funding Committee
Common Funding Application
The Common Funding Application was created to centralize the funding request to the mentioned University bodies. Each funding group incorporates funding philosophies and metrics to determine if funding requests are applicable and align with the mission/purpose of the event/project/trip that is in need of funding. The metrics and application can be found in the Common Funding Application.
The Common Funding Application is also the new process for student organizations to request capital funding or supplemental funding.
Who contributes to each fund? Can I reach out to units/colleges directly to request funding?
Student Government funds the Capital and Supplemental Funds for recognized student organizations seeking funding beyond their JFC allocation.
The Undergraduate Senate and Graduate Student Assembly reserve special allocation funds for students or organizations who are not recognized by student government.
The Student Dormitory Council funds programs that impact housing communities.
The Division of Student Affairs plus all academic colleges contribute funds to the University Funding Committee that are disbursed via the Common Funding Application. Groups should utilize the Common Funding Application instead of reaching out to colleges directly.
The Office of Student Involvement and Traditions can help organizations with questions about potential funding sources such as Tartans Abroad, ACS Scholarships and Holleran Scholarships.
How does a recognized student organization apply for additional funding?
Recognized student organizations can request funding from the following bodies. Applicants should prepare a budget for their request and demonstrate prior fiscal responsibility.
- JFC (Supplemental Funding)
- JFC (Capital Funding)
- Student Dormitory Council (SDC)
- University Funding
Requests should not go directly to Senate or GSA.
Can I submit an application for funding if I'm not a student organization?
If you are not a student govt recognized student organization (for example - you are an individual, fraternity/sorority chapter, or dept recognized organzation), you can request funding from the funding bodies below:
- Senate
- GSA
- Student Dormitory Council (SDC)
- University Funding
How do departments transfer funding into my organization's account?
Other Revenue Outlets
Corporate Sponsorship
Organizations are able to solicit funds to support their events and initiatives from corporations. Organizations are also able to solicit gifts in kind from local vendors and businesses to offset the cost of their programming. For instance, if you would like to solicit donations of pizza, gift cards as prizes, clothing for a fashion show, etc., and these types of gifts can greatly impact the overall budget for a program or event.
If you are interested in securing funding from a local company or corporate sponsor, please meet with the Office of Student Involvement and Traditions to help your organization determine whether working with University Advancement or Institutional Partnerships is appropriate for your initiative. You will talk through the proper protocols for taking in the sponsorship which includes providing an invoice to the sponsor. They will receive a gift receipt once the donation is received.
JFC Allocations
Joint Funding Committee (JFC) allocations are a significant source of funding for Student Government recognized organizations. The JFC is a committee of 20-30 students that are responsible for allocating funding to student organizations via a system of financial tiers. The JFC is funded by the Student Activities Fee, which is paid by each Carnegie Mellon student on the Pittsburgh campus. Questions can be directed to the Student Government Director of Finance at SGDOF@andrew.cmu.edu.
Donations & Fundraising
If a group receives a financial gift that will be used for any official organizational business or activity, this gift must be deposited immediately. To be considered a donation, the donor cannot receive anything of substantial value in return.
Where should I deposit a donation?
Donation deposits must be made into the student organization’s Gift Account. Any cash or checks can be brought to the Student Involvement and Traditions Office for deposit. Donors can also use the Giving website.
What are the tax implications of donations/gift accounting?
There are several tax implications that pertain to gift accounting, so it is very important to deposit individual donations in a timely manner. A Gift Administrator will send the appropriate official university tax gift receipt to the donor.
For this reason, donations must include the following relevant and current information.
- Individual/business name;
- Address;
- Value of gift
- Purpose of the gift.
Crowdfunding
The CMU Crowdfunding platform is designated for university-related projects that impact and benefit CMU students and/or other entities within the CMU community and with funding goals of $2,000 - $10,000. Interested students should complete the online application to launch their crowdfunding campaign. For important dates and more information, check out CMU's Crowdfunding website.
Fundraising
All money collected from fundraisers or dues must be deposited directly into the organization’s agency account. No organizational money should ever be deposited into a personal banking account. Student organizations are NOT ALLOWED to accept monies via Paypal, Venmo, Square or other methods that require funds to flow through personal bank accounts. Sales can be run through TartanConnect as a secure way to collect revenue and have it deposited in your organization's account.
Co-sponsoring programs with other organizations is also a good way to reduce the cost of an event for your organization. Look for university departments or other student organizations with similar missions and pool your resources to co-sponsor events.
Fundraising Options On Campus
- Collecting dues from members
- Bake-sales (Please refer to the Food Safety Policy)
- Selling merchandise (apparel, food sales, candy, etc.)
- Selling services
- Charging admission to events
Fundraising Options Off Campus
Please contact the Student Org Finance team with any questions.
- Asking businesses to donate goods to use as prizes
- Seeking donations of goods or services to directly support your organization's programs (e.g., donated pizza for an activity)
- Asking for monetary donations from organization alumni, friends and family
- Seeking Corporate Sponsorship
- Student organizations cannot use the university's Tax ID or non-profit status to fundraise
Important Note: Raffles & Ticket Sales
- Raffles: Under Pennsylvania state law, 50/50 raffles or raffles of any kind are prohibited without a license. Please contact the Office of Student Involvement and Traditions prior to your event if you plan to give away prizes or awards. Specific documentation may be required to ensure that the University remains compliment with the IRS tax law.
- Ticket Sales: Per University Policy, student organizations are NOT allowed to accept payment through Paypal, Venmo or Square or any vendor that requires a personal bank account.
#GivingCMUday is a global day of giving that supports CMU initiatives and programs, including many within student organizations.
