The Activities Funding Board (AFB) said it hopes its record allocation of $80,000 to 75 different student organizations will be spent in full this year.
Last year, the board assigned $75,000 to 70 organizations on campus. Less than half of that was actually spent.
“We can’t just hand out money if it’s not a good idea,” said Lydia Longoria, student body treasurer. “That wouldn’t be wise because then we’re wasting the students’ money. But if you look at it on the other side of it, if you don’t give away the money, then you’re essentially stealing from the students as well.”
Of each student’s $90 annual student body fee, $14.79 will go to campus organizations such as sports clubs, LEAPS and YoungLife.
“We aim to efficiently, rather than excessively, allocate the money,” said Garrett Adair, chairman of the Finance Committee. Adair and Longoria both said they want the organizations to spend all of the money allocated to them.
Organization members present proposals stating how much money they require for the 2014-2015 school year to a board of eight SGA members and two non-SGA members.
The board focuses on four criteria: how the money will affect people inside the organization, how the money will affect students outside of the organization, how the organization brings recognition to TCU and how well the organization’s budget is planned.
“It’s important to keep an open mind, but we do look at how much money they used last year,” Longoria said.
Longoria said she also looks at how many members an organization has and if those members pay dues.
The board sets aside $25,000 of the $80,000 for the University Recreation Center to distribute to the 24 club sports teams on campus.
Last year, LEAPS received the most money of any single organization. The board gave $5,000 to the service-focused group.
Senior biology major and director of LEAPS Lizzy Do said last year’s money went toward paying for shirts and food for the volunteers who served in the program.
“The LEAPS mission focuses on implementing an attitude of continual service, so we are focusing on projects and events that advocate for continual service,” Do said. She said this year’s money will go toward each semester’s days of service and starting a program that focuses on consistent service.
This year, Campus Crusade for Christ asked for more money than any other organization. It requested $6,900.
In addition to AFB funding, secondary funding allocates $35,000 for the spring semester. This funding goes toward organizations that ask for extra money for spring events.
Longoria said the board will be emailing organization presidents to announce how much money it allocated to each group.