Funding Your Student Organization
Funds can be generated in numerous ways: by applying for student fee money disseminated by the ASUC and GA student governments, asking members to pay dues, applying for grants, finding sponsors or partners, or raising money through fundraising campaigns. In order to be eligible for university or student government monies, or to claim non-profit status for fundraising, groups must be recognized as Registered Student Organizations or CalGreeks Fraternities or Sororities through Organization Advising & Student Involvement Services (OASIS).
ASUC Funds
The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) is responsible for allocating the fund collected as part of ASUC student fee. That fee is $33.50/semester for undergraduate students and $27.50 for Graduate and Professional students. All funds from undergraduate students go to the ASUC to allocate, and all funds from graduate and professional students go to the Graduate Assembly, a subsidiary of the ASUC. Both groups allocated funds to OASIS registered and ASUC sponsored student organizations.
ASUC Annual Budgeting and Space Application Process
Most of the ASUC funds are allocated to student organizations during the Annual Budget and Space Application (ABSA) process which occurs in the Spring semester to allocate funds and space for the following academic year. This process is open to both currently sponsored organizations and those wishing to obtain sponsorship for the following year. Groups must reapply every year for ASUC Sponsorship and ASUC funds and spaces.
Student groups must be registered with OASIS and have current ASUC sponsorship in order to be eligible to apply for ASUC funds. After your Registered Student Organization is approved for sponsorship by the ASUC, your organization can apply for funding and space during the ASUC’s Annual Budget and Space Allocation process. ABSA occurs during the Spring Semester when registered and sponsored RSOs can apply for funding and space for the following academic year. ABSA 2020-2021 funds have already been allocated so that process is complete and will not occur again until Spring of 2022. However, if your group missed ABSA allocations from Spring of 2021, your group can still apply for both Sponsorship and funding through the ASUC Senate Sponsorship Application and the ASUC Senate Contingency Fund Application which is only available from late August through Week 15 of Spring semester.
ASUC funds are allocated to RSOs who apply ABSA during the Spring semester. Registered Student Organizations must reapply for ASUC sponsorship every year through a CalLink form or by completing the ABSA application the previous Spring. Below is an estimated timeline but actual dates are set and publicized by the ASUC.
| Month | Action |
| FEBRUARY | Sponsorship, funding and Space applications are available on Callink and notification will be sent out by the ASUC |
| EARLY MARCH | Applications are due |
| MID-APRIL | Initial awards are determined and sent to groups |
| LATE-APRIL | If your organization is not happy with your allocation, you have the ability to appeal the initial allocation |
| MAY | Funding amounts are finalized and then the Senate passes the official budget for funds for the next academic year |
| AUGUST | Allocated funds become available to use pending current Registration with OASIS |
ASUC Senate Contingency Fund Process
Some ASUC funding is still available throughout the academic year if your RSO was unable to request funding during ABSA or was not allocated a budget. The ASUC Senate Contingency Fund is allocated by application for Registered and Sponsored RSOs. This fund is for RSOs who feel need more funding than originally anticipated, who missed the ABSA deadlines, or for newly formed RSOs who missed the ABSA process the previous Spring. RSO’s can apply for funding via the Senate Contingency Fund application process on Callink starting when classes begin in August and ending in the final week of classes in Spring.
Your RSO must be ASUC sponsored to apply for Senate Contingency Funds. ASUC Sponsorship applications are also open on Callink starting when classes begin in August and ending in the final week of classes in Spring.
General Process/Timeline:
—If your RSO is not yet ASUC Sponsored, fill out the appropriate ASUC Sponsorship Application on the ASUC Senate Callink page.
—Fill out the appropriate form on the ASUC Senate CalLink page. ⚠️: submissions are only accepted during the Fall and Spring semesters.
—Your RSOs request, for Sponsorship or Funding, will be reviewed by the ASUC Finance Committee (FiComm) who will determine if sponsorship or funding will be recommended to be approved. Those recommendations are ultimately approved by the ASUC Senate every week.
—Approved Sponsorship status is active immediately after Senate approval.
—Approved Contingency funds are deposited into your CalLink accounts after Senate approval.
—This process takes approximately (2-3) weeks to complete. Please contact your OASIS advisor if after two weeks you do not see the allocated funds in your CalLink account(s).
Graduate Assembly Funds
Graduate Assembly funding comes from a portion of the $27.50/semester student activity fee. The Graduate Assembly Funding Committee allocates funds to student organizations that are made up primarily graduate students at the beginning of each semester. Groups are eligible to apply for funding in four categories:
- Graduate Meetings, Events, and Resources (GMER) Funds: Provide support for meetings and the general operations of a graduate student group.
- Grants: Fund events, projects, and activities in the areas of student activism, campus diversity, community service, and educational improvement.
- Publication Funds: Provide funding for student journals and student group newsletters.
- Contingency Funds: Provide funding for events, projects, or activities that (a) could not be anticipated and applied for in the normally scheduled funding application process; (b) occur outside the regular funding round timelines, i.e. during academic breaks from December to January and May to August; or (c) are not covered under other categories.
For applications, deadlines, and complete details, please visit the Graduate Assembly’s website.
Fundraising
If you are conducting a fundraiser on campus, please be sure to familiarize yourself with our Cash Handling Guidelines.
If a donor is requesting proof of nonprofit status or a Tax ID number in exchange for their donation, please follow the directions for the Non-Profit Tax ID Number Form Request in the CalLink Finance Training. Please note that only currently ASUC Sponsored Registered Student Organizations may request to use the ASUC Tax ID number.
RSOs who wish to do larger fundraising campaigns and want to be able to accept online payments can sign up for an account with Give to Berkeley. To do this, please reach out to Jeff Woods in OASIS.
Other Funding Opportunities
Student Opportunity Fund (SOF): Student Opportunity Funds are granted to provide support for events and activities, both co-curricular and academic, that are planned by and for Cal Students.
Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding at Berkeley is a great option to raise money for your organization. Students are able to set up month-long campaigns to raise money through the online portal.
Ethnic Studies’ 5th Account: Funds are available for student group projects, activities or events that are ethnic-specific and educational to the general campus community.
ASUC Grants and Scholarships: Student groups who wish to put on programs or events that will benefit the larger Cal community may apply for these funds and some are individual awards, all run by the ASUC Chief Grants Officer. Funding categories may change annually.
UC Berkeley Public Service Center Student Initiated Community Projects: This sponsorship provides groups with leadership training, advising, and a grant to finance their service activities.
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF): TGIF offers grants for sustainability projects on UC Berkeley’s campus.
Berkeley Wellness Fund: The Wellness Fund supports wellness services and programming for students, as well as renovations, furnishings, and alterations to existing spaces required to support these new wellness programs.
CACSSF Student Services Fee Discretionary Fund: Offers funds for campus units that provide co-curricular student services and student groups that impact the student experience.
Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund: Provides funding for innovative community-campus partnerships designed to improve the quality of life for Berkeley residents. Berkeley-based collaborative projects that focus on arts and culture, community safety, economic development, environmental stewardship and education are encouraged to apply. Proposed projects must include at least one university and one Berkeley community partner.
The Big C Fund (Campus Climate, Community Engagement, and Transformation): Provides funding for student-initiated diversity, multicultural and equity projects and programs for graduate and undergraduate students and communities.
BIG GIVE: Participate with the BIG GIVE, Berkeley’s one day online fundraising campaign. This is your student group’s chance to solicit donations from members, friends, family, and more. Sign-ups happen in the Fall semester through OASIS.
Student Technology Fund: Not accepting grant requests as the Student Technology Fund expired in Spring 2021.