I. SOURCES OF FUNDS
The primary source of funds for the GSO is the mandatory student activity fee collected by the university from every graduate student. The funds thus collected are then allocated to GSO suborganizations and various other GSO funds related to the routine operations of the GSO and to on-campus services that graduate students frequently make use of. The activity fee is voted on once every two years during the GSO general elections alongside any other referenda. During the April 2005 General Elections, the student activity fee was voted mandatory and will remain as such for the following two academic years. GSO suborganizations may from time to time independently raise outside funds according to their needs. These funds will be off-budget and can be rolled over from year to year upon notifying the GSO Treasurer.


II. ACCEPTABLE USE OF FUNDS
Funds, which are collected in conformity with the university rules and regulations, shall be used only for the
benefit of the campus community. The following programs can be supported:
> Programs of cultural and educational enrichment (e.g. guest speakers, workshops etc.);
> Recreational and social activities (e.g. beginning- or end-of-the-year picnics);
> Tutorial programs;
> Athletic programs, both intramural and intercollegiate;
> Student publications and other media;
> Assistance to recognized student organizations, provided that the purpose and activities of
the organization are of an educational, cultural, recreational or social nature (i.e. transfer of
funds);
> Insurance related to the conduct of these programs;
> Administration of these programs;
> Transportation in support of these programs;
> Student services to supplement or to add to those provided by the university; and
> Remuneration to student officers for services to student government.


III. UNACCEPTABLE USE OF FUNDS
The following are a sample of expenditure types that are unacceptable:
> Purchases of goods and services for personal use
> Gifts and prizes;
> Cigarettes and flowers;
> Donations to any outside organizations or individuals
> Promotion of political party activities.
Please check with the GSO Treasurer in case of any doubt concerning the appropriate use of GSO funds.


IV. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS and BUDGET REQUESTS

A. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
Regular allocation of funds is decided according the following rules:
1. Departmental organizations do not have to submit budget proposals to the GSO, for they are automatically allocated monies on the basis of the number of graduate students in their respective departments. Each departmental organization receives a percentage of the monies allocated to all departments as determined in the GSO By-laws. Note, however, that the GSO must be officially informed of the elected officers before any monies can be spent by the departmental organization. The spending plan of departmental monies must be approved by the entire departmental organization and should be for the benefit of the entire suborganization.
2. All nondepartmental organizations (cultural organizations), on the other hand, have to submit their budget proposals by the 1st of every April. However, funding for non-departmental organizations is not guaranteed but shall be based on the merits of the organization’s claim to meet special needs of the graduate students it serves.
3. Other requests for GSO funds (for instance from undergraduate organizations, the ISSS
International Student Festival etc.) are to be submitted to the Budget Committee and presented to the GSO Senate by the submitters. The Senate needs to be informed of (1) the description of the project, (2) its relevance to the graduate student community, and (3) a detailed budget. Funds can be allocated at the discretion of the Senate and provided that there is sufficient money available in the Contingency Fund. While organizations should be careful to plan events within the limits of their allocated budgets, they are also encouraged to ask for financial support from sister suborganizations, provided that the events/activities in question are open to members of all contributing organizations and the graduate student community at large.

B. BUDGET REQUESTS AND PROCESS
The allocation of funds is primarily done through the budgetary process of the GSO, which includes the following major steps:
1. The submission by suborganizations of their budget proposals to the GSO Treasurer by the 1st of April of each year for the following academic year.
2. The examination and amendments by the Budget Committee of all budget requests and items, and preparation of the GSO consolidated budget.
3. The submission by the Treasurer of the Budget Committee's budget recommendations to the Senate for eventual amendments and approval.
4. Notification of various suborganizations of their respective approved allocated monies.

Prior to making any claims to GSO funds and for their budget proposals to be receivable, all
nondepartmental organizations must meet two important requirements:
1. Make sure the organization is registered with the GSO Vice President (who is chair of the Constitution and Chartering Committee);
2. Elect and provide the GSO Vice President with an updated and completed List of Officers form. Elected officers shall include at least a President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The list must be signed by the newly elected Treasurer and President of the organization.


V. DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
Approved and allocated monies can be actually spent or disbursed only by a designated custodial and disbursing agent. Expenses are made out of pocket, and then are reimbursed by the GSO upon receipt of completed vouchers, receipts and other required documentation. Note that the GSO does not pay sales tax. Tax exempt forms are available in the GSO Office.
All spending must be supported by a GSO VOUCHER, which the spending organization should pick up from the GSO Office. The voucher must be filled out completely as it contains information required for the issuance of a check or of a transfer. The voucher, which must also be signed by the treasurer of the spending organization, shall be accompanied by supporting documentation as described below. The GSO Treasurer is the officer empowered to order checks or transfers after her/his approval of the voucher and its supporting documentation.

The following transactions and required information/documentation may lead to the processing of a VOUCHER submitted in original (including the pink and yellow carbon copies):

A. VENDOR PAYMENT
The documentation needed includes:
(1) an approval of the expenditure by the organization
(2) a copy of the Purchase Order, if needed
(3) a bill or statement from the vendor for the goods or services being paid for.

The Treasurer of the GSO issues purchase orders on a per case basis through a written permission to purchase items from vendors who grant such privileges to the GSO, such as the Campus Bookstore or the Marriot/Sodexho Services. In such cases the amount of purchase should be in excess of $100.00. In other cases wherein the vendors concerned do not allow purchase orders or the amount of purchase does not exceed $100.00, the interested GSO suborganization should obtain an invoice (pro-forma) from the vendor stating in detail the items to be purchased and their prices. Then, the invoice should be submitted to the GSO Treasurer who will issue the check to make the purchases.

B. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES
Reimbursement to a member of the organization for expenditures made by her/him on behalf of the organization requires (1) an approval of the expenditure by the organization, and (2) all appropriate original receipts.

C. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES PERFORMED
This procedure concerns the disbursement of a stipend and payment of a speaker or performer for amounts not to exceed $500.00. If payment for services is equal or exceeds $500.00, a contractual agreement must be established. Contractual agreements are usually made by filling out an honorarium form available in the GSO Office.

Other required information and documentation include:
(1) the social security number of the person being paid, or the Federal Tax ID # if payment is to be made to a corporation.
(2) the current address of the individual or corporation.
(3) a completed W-9 Form, regardless of the amount.


VI. NOTE ON SUBORGANIZATION EXPENDITURES
No GSO suborganization shall expend more than 30% of its total allocation after April 1 without prior approval from the GSO Treasurer. Requests for such approval must be submitted in writing to the GSO Treasurer prior to April 1. After April 1, all monies in excess of 30% of the total allocation not approved for retention by the GSO Treasurer shall be removed from sub-organization accounts and rolled back to the Fund Balance. Requests for restoration of suborganization funds made after April I must be made to the Senate in accordance with the Constitution (Article X, Section C).

VII. REALLOCATION (TRANSFER) OF FUNDS
Departmental suborganizations shall have the power to reallocate 20% of their budget to other GSO chartered groups and non-departmental sub-organizations shall have the power to reallocated 10% of their budget to other GSO chartered groups subject to the approval of the GSO Treasurer.

VIII. ROLLOVER
All monies raised by sub-organizations in fund raising events and unspent at the end of the financial year shall rollover into that suborganization's account for the following year as off-balance monies. All other unspent monies held in the group's account shall revert to the general fund balance of the GSO at that time.

IX. OTHER TYPES OF USAGE OF GSO FUNDS
For prudential reasons and as per the Constitution, the GSO has elected to maintain three reserve accounts:

A. STABILIZATION FUND
The amount credited to this account is determined by the by-laws and can be used by the
GSO executive Board to prevent fiscal crisis within the GSO. Currently, this fund is allocated $25,000.

B. CONTINGENCY FUND
This fund provides the GSO with access to funds that may be allocated at the discretion of
the GSO Senate in a manner consistent with the regulations of the SUNY Board of Trustees
and the GSO Constitution and By-laws.

C. FUND BALANCE
GSO funds not accruing from activity fees including, but not limited to, rollover from the
previous fiscal year and interest from the stability fund are held in the fund balance
account.

INFORMATION on GSO VOUCHERS
Here are some pointers to follow when filling out a voucher. Please also refer to sample vouchers located at the end of this document. If this is still unclear, members can also stop by the GSO Office to peruse over yet more samples of completed documentation for GSO reimbursements/payments. Remember that vouchers will not be processed until all necessary supporting documents are turned in.

*** SOME IMPORTANT NOTES***
> Vouchers submitted to the GSO are processed on MONDAYS and checks are usually ready by Wednesday or Thursday of the same week. If you do not provide an address please be sure to remember to stop by the GSO Office and pick up your check.
> Vendors can be paid directly or suborganization members can be reimbursed for purchases made on behalf of their suborganizations. Either way, a voucher and other appropriate documentation must be submitted to the GSO. The GSO Treasurer processes this paperwork and requests that the Foundation cut a check for the payee.
> Do NOT have invoices or bills sent directly to the GSO office. The GSO cannot pay any invoice or bill without a completed voucher and appropriate documentation attached.
> Be sure to pick up a GSO Tax-Exempt form from the GSO Office BEFORE making purchases at any off-campus location. The GSO cannot pay or reimburse sales tax or bottle deposit fees. Sales tax or bottle deposit fees mistakenly included in the voucher total may result in the delay of payments and reimbursements. Please check vouchers for such errors before submitting them to the GSO.
> It is the responsibility of the suborganization treasurer to keep track of the amount of money in the suborganization's GSO account.

I. VOUCHERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR GSO PAYMENTS
Reminder: It is the responsibility of the suborganization treasurer to ensure that vouchers are completed correctly and that all supporting documentation is in order.
> One voucher is needed for each payee. Multiple receipts or invoices can be listed on a voucher if they are all payable to the same person or vendor.
> Every voucher must be accompanied by documentation explaining the use of funds. For purchases related to a party, meeting, or other such event, the flyer or email that advertised the event should be attached to the voucher. For honorariums, a program or flyer that includes the payee's name should be attached to the voucher. For other purchases, a letter explaining who will use the items purchased, where they will be used, and why and how the suborganization decided to make the purchase should be attached to the voucher.
> Original receipts or invoices must be attached to the voucher.
> In accordance with the university alcohol policy, bulk alcohol purchases (i.e. kegs, quarter kegs, multiple liters of wine) must be justified by the number of persons attending an event (for example, at least 100 people for a keg). Note on the voucher or other documentation the number of people who attended an event for which bulk alcohol purchases were made.
> Honorariums require the signature and Social Security number of the payee on the voucher. The payee must also complete a W-9 tax form. To pay honorariums over $500, the GSO requires a copy of the contract with the payee.

II. HOW TO FILL OUT A VOUCHER

1. Check off the appropriate box: “Vendor Payment”, “Reimbursement”, or “Personal Service Performed”. If “Personal Service Performed” is checked off, please include the person’s Social Security Number.

2. Write the name and address of the payee. The check will be mailed to the address written on the voucher. Home or campus addresses may be used. If the payee prefers to pick up the check at the GSO office, note this on the voucher, and do not provide an address.

3. Write the suborganization name and account number located on the right-hand side of the voucher. If desired, write the voucher number and voucher date.

4. Deduct any sales tax and bottle deposit fees from receipts/invoices. List each receipt/invoice under " Description" and the amount of each receipt under "Detail." Calculate the total and write the amount under "Total." Attach all receipts/invoices listed.

5. The payee must sign the voucher where it says "Signature."

6. The suborganization treasurer must sign and date the voucher under "Organization Approval." If the payee is the suborganization treasurer, than the suborganization president must sign under " Organization Approval."

The following pages include the following:
1) sample request for budget increase from GSO.
2) sample request for access to more than 30% of funds after April 1st.
3) sample voucher relevant for all submissions.







SAMPLE BUDGET INCREASE REQUEST

Crossing the Boundaries
An Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference
GSO Account # 6680
April 1, 2004

GSO Treasurer
Graduate Student Organization
SUNY-Binghamton


Dear GSO Treasurer,
Crossing the Boundaries requests an increase in its GSO budget allocation for next year. The total projected expenses for the conference, which included 36 participants from SUNY-Binghamton and elsewhere, equal $3500 (details below). CTB seeks donations from various departments and other funds each year; we usually raise $800-$1000 in this way. We request $2500 from GSO for the 2005-2006 academic year.

Projected Expenses 2005-2006
Conference Expenses

Expected Costs
Keynote speaker 1  $500.00
Keynote speaker 2  $500.00
Keynote speaker reception  $300.00
Funds to defray travel expenses for participants  $500.00
Transportation from hotel to conference venue  $100.00
Public Service Programs Center Room C – 3 days   $100.00
Poster printing  $150.00
Program printing  $50.00
Printed collection of presented papers  $200.00
Lunch catering by Marriot/Sodexho – 2 days  $600.00
Conference party  $500.00

TOTAL EXPENSES
_____________

$3500.00


Thank you,


Organization Treasurer







SAMPLE ACCESS TO FUNDS AFTER APRIL 1st REQUEST

Art History Graduate Student Union (AHGSU)
GSO ACCOUNT #5020

April 1, 2004

GSO Treasurer
Graduate Student Organization
SUNY-Binghamton

Dear GSO Treasurer,

Art History requests permission to spend more than 30% of our remaining budget after April 1st . We expect to have at least two get-togethers in the next month, and we plan to buy some supplies for our office computer. Also, we have decided to spend any money left in our budget at then end of each year helping to reimburse expenses incurred by Art History graduate students at conferences they participated in during the past year.


Thank you.


Organization Treasurer

SAMPLE VOUCHER (html link)