70 | STEVENS STUDENT HANDBOOK Fundraising Fundraising is the process of soliciting money or other resources from individuals, companies or other outside entities. Any fundraising activity must be approved by the Office of Undergraduate Student Life and must be sponsored by a student organization or athletic team for a specific purpose or cause. Fundraisers should be treated as student organization or athletic team events. The sponsoring body is responsible for justification as to the need for fundraising. Proper documentation must be outlined with the date of the fundraiser, how money is raised and collected, and how and where the funds raised will be allocated. Student fundraising activities are not automatically tax exempt as a result of the students’ association with Stevens. Student organizations and athletic teams cannot use third-party payment options for fundraising purposes (i.e., Venmo, GoFundMe, personal banking accounts, etc.) and may accept donations only in the form of cash, check or Duckbills, or direct donations to the organization for which the students are fundraising. Further information about procedures for managing fundraising activities is provided in the Student Organization Handbook. Philanthropic initiatives are an essential part of a vibrant and healthy university. Student participation in fundraising activities provides hands-on experience with the impact of philanthropy at Stevens, secures resources for meaningful student experiences and strengthens our campus culture of philanthropy. Close partnership and communication with DAE ensures that fundraising activities are managed both ethically and effectively and broadens support for the many programs and initiatives most important to the Stevens community. Fundraisers help students to raise money for their organization or group and invite the broader Stevens community to engage, connect and provide support. Fundraising activities for a student group, student organization, athletic team or Stevens’ program must include DAE in the planning process to ensure proper strategy, allocation and acknowledgement of gifts. Any transfer of funds, without exchange of services or goods, from an individual or organization to a Stevens program, initiative, group or student organization at Stevens is considered a fundraising activity. This includes, but is not limited to the following fundraising activities: • direct appeals such as mail, email, texts, personal outreach to alumni, online gift forms or crowdfunding pages • sponsorship or funding requests from corporations, foundations or other organizations • and events where any portion of revenue provides financial support to Stevens. All fundraising activities must be sponsored by a recognized student organization (RSO), athletic team or department, must be for a specific purpose or cause, must be supported by an advisor or Student Affairs liaison and must obtain prior approval from DAE. Process for Approval Students must submit a Fundraising Request Form for approval for direct appeals or sponsorship requests. Students must submit an Events Request Form for approval for fundraising events. Preferential approvals will be granted to organizations that complete the request form through their annual planning process and submit requests by Sept 30 for the upcoming academic year. The request forms remain open throughout the year and must be completed no later than 30 days prior to the desired start date for the fundraising activity. Upon completion of the form, students will be invited to schedule a time to meet with their advisor and/ or Student Affairs liaison and a representative from DAE to discuss their submission. This meeting will be used to determine fundraising strategies, including additional needs for approval, potential alignment with broader campaigns, scope of the fundraising activity, guidelines for the activity, roles and responsibilities and appropriate deadlines.
