You'll find information about club and organization finances in both the Student Handbook (look in the section labeled Policies and Procedures - Organization Finances) and LUCC Finance Committee documents.

For more information on accessing student organization funds please see information below. Contact the Campus Life at 920/832-6600, or visit our office on the 4th floor of the Warch Campus Center.

Organization Finances

According to Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC) Legislation, campus organizations must keep all funds allocated by the General Council in on-campus accounts. Organizations that choose to maintain accounts in financial institutions off campus may not request or be allocated funds through the University, including departmental allocations or LUCC allocations. Most student organizations keep their assets on campus.

All organization accounts are maintained in the Campus Life Office. Accounts are maintained on a MS Excel spreadsheet annually and the accounts are closed and a new spreadsheet created for each academic year with any fund balances being carried from one year to the next. Funds allocated by LUCC that are not used by an organization as intended are by the end of the year are returned to the Council. Other club assets are carried over.

Checking on Account Status

You may check on your account status during regular business hours in the Campus Life Office any weekday. Your balances should reflect the most current information, including expenses or deposits incurred that may not yet be posted on the University accounts. We recommend that you check account status monthly, review the ledger for any anomalies and raise questions as they come to you with the Campus Life Office.

Campus Life reconciles all accounts monthly against the University accounting records to watch for omissions or mistakes.

You can request a printout of your account in person or via the mail, or an electronic copy can be sent to you via email.

Obtaining Funds for Expenses

There are several ways you can obtain funds from your account. You should contact the Campus Life Office before you spend these funds.

Submit an invoice, contract, or other order to pay to the Campus Life Office for payment. Campus Life will request that a check be written which can be sent to the payee directly by Financial Services, sent to Campus Life for you or a payee to pick up in person, or can be sent by Campus Life with other items you want sent.
You may obtain a cash advance from Campus Life and obtain cash from the cashier only. You will be required to return receipts for purchases with any change. A cash advance of more than $50 needs to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance. Failure to return receipts will result in being charged personally for the funds used.
You may obtain reimbursement for personal expenditures with a printed itemized receipt. Bring receipts to the Campus Life Office for reimbursement. You will be given a form to take to Financial Services for cash, or can have a check sent to you on campus if the amount is over $75.
You can ask for a purchase order, which is an official promise to pay in writing. “Large” purchase orders may be required by companies for orders you place for such things as equipment, t-shirts, etc. Local Purchase Orders can be used in some local retail outlets like a charge card.
Anything that can be purchased on line or over the phone with a VISA card can be purchased with assistance from the Campus Life Office using the university purchasing card. We cannot give out the card or number, but can help you in the office.

Tax Issues

Lawrence is an Tax Exempt entity, and purchases you make through the university are sales tax exempt. You may need to provide a form to obtain an exemption. Please work with Campus Life in advance of purchases.

Donations to Lawrence University intended for club purposes may also be tax exempt. Please indicate such donations to Campus Life when you deposit funds so a receipt can be generated if needed.

Handling Deposits

Deposits should come to the Campus Activities Office as soon as possible so funds are not sitting around in member rooms. When you make a deposit, you must indicate whether it represents a donation, sale of items, member dues, etc. You should keep in mind that anything you sell, either to members or others, is taxable at the State sales tax rate of 5%. We will deposit tax funds in a separate account and deposit the remainder in your account.

Frequently Asked Organization Finance Questions

Use of Funds

Allocation of funds for specific purposes – can you use them for other purposes? NO, funds must be used for the purposes for which they were allocated. However, you can request redirection of funds or seek additional allocations to support those ideas that arise during the year. Requests to reallocate funds must occur before any money is spent.

Reallocation process – draft a written proposal for LUCC Finance Committee, then appear to respond to questions. Finance Committee makes determination and reports it to the General Council at next meeting. Reallocation request forms can be found on the LUCC website or in the Campus Life Office..

No use of LUCC funds for academic purposes, charitable contributions, alcoholic beverages

Limits and considerations for group travel

LUCC generally allocates up to a certain level and you may send as many people as you can cover with a combination of personal funds, LUCC allocations, and other group resources.
Registration fees for conferences may be covered by LUCC.
Travel expenses including cab fees, tolls, trip-ticks, tickets, parking fees may be covered by LUCC.
Lodging is covered including camping fees, hotel and motel fees. You should note that LU is sales tax exempt and you may save those dollars in most states by working in advance with the Campus Life Office.
Meals on the road or during a conference are not covered by LUCC, but those meals included with a registration fee are included.

Vans, University Vehicles

Plan on current mileage rate and estimate trip expenses. Don’t forget to include costs of tolls, parking fees, etc. when you plan your travel budget. The current reimbursement rate is 36 cents per mile and includes gas, use of vehicle, insurance, etc. Try to break trips into groups of 7 for mini-vans; large trips (more than 21 people) may not use mini-vans and you should plan on bus transportation. Long trips requiring a lot of driving should also plan on bus transportation. Steps for travel:

Schedule an appointment with Campus Life to arrange Trip Itinerary, Vehicle Reservation Forms, and necessary waivers.
Drivers of any university or personal vehicle transporting students for group travel/outings must be registered with the University (21 years of age, completed application and driving test).

Food Purchases

Food for programs – allowed if an integral part of a program or contract term, but not allowed if providing “treats” to members including refreshments at meetings or a meal for the group. Please see the student handbook for further information regarding this topic.

Contracts for Services

Contracts – must be reviewed with Campus Life and signed by Financial Services before being finalized. Campus Life can assist you with contract negotiations and has blank contract forms available if the person or organization with whom you are negotiating doesn’t supply one. Anyone paid for services is considered a payroll situation. Students paid by organizations will be paid through the University payroll system. Non-Lawrentians paid for services must provide a W-9 form along with the contract before a check can be issued. Wisconsin state lay requires the University to report any payment for services to the State Department of Revenue. The University is required to withhold income taxes and fees for wages paid beyond a certain level and/or wage payments to non-residents. Contact Campus Life for more information.

Managing Funds/Use of Personal Funds

Funds collected by organizations through fundraising projects, member fees, dues, etc. must be deposited through the Campus Life Office. It is important to document these funds raised. If you need funds and are collecting funds at the same time, deposit what you collect and request funds to satisfy your needs. Never use personal resources to pay a contract or obligation of a group without first checking with Campus Life.

Deficit Spending

Budget deficits, over-expenditure of funds, etc. will be the responsibility of the group member, officers, or general membership responsible. You may not spend more money than you have. LUCC does not retroactively fund expenses, so if you spend more than you have in your budget for a given item, you should be prepared to make up the difference with other resources.