SGA Funding

Each year, Student Activity Fees are collected from all full-time undergraduate students.  A percentage of those fees are allocated to the Student Government Association (SGA) for supporting student activities and student organization needs.  Funding requests are submitted through PhoenixCONNECT and reviewed by the SGA Finance Board (under the advisement of the Finance Board Advisor). Funding is limited and not all requests are able to be supported, but the board takes the following into consideration:

  • Events should be inclusive and open to all students.
  • Collaboration between student organizations is encouraged with the goal of promoting campus unity.
  • Events that may be of interest to large groups of students are balanced with those which cater to a smaller number.
  • Requests should align with the mission of the University and/or student organization.
  • Funding should be spread out among a variety of organizations to ensure a wide array of well-planned activities in all facets of campus life.

Request Deadlines

  • Any requests that exceed $300 should be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the event date.
  • Any requests that exceed $5000 should be submitted as soon as possible and absolutely no later than 30 days in advance of the event date.  (These require presenting to the Finance Board and then to the full SGA Senate.  The Senate does not meet every week and you cannot market your event until AFTER it is approved.)

Deadlines for Events taking place ending fall semester, J-Term and early Spring:

November 4 @ 12pm: Last day to submit events exceeding $5,000 that will be held prior to February 13th need to be submitted, Finance Board presentations: Monday November, 11th.

November 11 @ 12pm: Request between $300-$4,999 (Events through February 16th, 2025)

December 2 @ 12pm: Request between $0-$299 (Events through January 12th, 2025)

The Finance Board

The SGA Finance Board is comprised of elected Senators and non-Senator representatives.  Members must meet the GPA requirement of 2.7 or higher and be in good student conduct standing. The SGA Vice President of Finance serves as the Finance Board Comptroller and is a non-voting member responsible for facilitating the weekly Finance Board meetings and notifying organizations of the Finance Board decisions. The remaining membership of the Finance Board includes:

●       Assistant Comptroller of the Finance Board (selected by the SGA VP of Finance)
●       SGA First-Year Class Treasurer
●       SGA Sophomore Class Treasurer
●       SGA Junior Class Treasurer
●       SGA Senior Class Treasurer
●       Four (non-Senator) elected representatives

(Note:  After the spring elections, any vacant non-Senator seats are filled through recommendation by the VP of Finance to the SGA President and confirmation by the Senate.)

Acorn Fund

The Acorn Fund is designated to financially support Elon students with an original, innovative, and feasible invention, a for-profit or non-profit company/organization, or other initiatives with the potential for positive impact beyond the classroom. Winning projects/ideas will be awarded based on the viability and feasibility of their concepts, which includes but is not limited to the use of the other campus initiatives that offer guidance and support to their ideas, projects, and or/ventures, which provides business and professional counseling and support to student-led ventures and projects.

Last year, the Acorn Fund awarded over $10,000 to 2 undergraduate entrepreneurs who presented new thoughtful projects to our committee. This year, we are excited to hear from a new pool of applicants and help support your innovative projects! We encourage students from ALL Majors and schools to apply! Requests can not exceed $5,000.00.

All applicants must attend a required workshop on September 6, 2024 at 6 pm or September 23, 2024 at 12 pm or meet with the Vice President of Finance during office hours.

Applications are due Monday, October 14, 2024 at 5 pm. Team submissions require only one application, but all members are included in the application. The Acorn Fund committee members will review the applications and will select finalists. Finalists will be invited to pitch ideas to the committee on Monday, October 21, 2024, at 6 pm.

Link to Application

Micro-Grants

Elon University’s Student Government Association and Elon University approved a $150,000 quasi-endowment to establish to SGA Fun Fund in May 2009. The Elon Student Government Association has voted to allow, in collaboration with the larger SGA Acorn Fund grants, ad hoc micro-grants for applicants to the SGA Acorn Fund.

The Fun Fund has been renamed the Micro-Grants Fund and now falls under the Acorn Fund’s stipulations regarding the dispersion of funds. The Fun Fund, a separate part of the Finance Bylaws, has been shifted to be placed under the Acorn Fund and reallocated as a Micro-Grant for student ideas. The process for this application will be the same as the one regarding the Acorn Fund grants. The Micro-Grants Fund will allow smaller grants for students’ ideas in a smaller financial compensation. Requests can not exceed $2,000.00.

All applicants must attend a required workshop or meet with the Vice President of Finance during office hours. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Team submissions require only one application, but all members included. The Acorn Fund committee members will review the applications and select finalists. Finalists will be invited to pitch ideas to the committee on the Monday after their request is submitted or at the discretion of the Vice President of Finance.

Link to Application

QUESTIONS?

Contact Clare Rudolph, VP of Finance, crudolph2@elon.edu or another member of the Finance Board.