The Associated Student Government Senate passed five resolutions and distributed $5,000 to 10 new student organizations at its Wednesday meeting.
ASG’s New Student Organization Support Fund allocates $5,000 in funding to new organizations each quarter, for a total of $15,000 in funding each year. To qualify for funding, organizations must have been active for two years or less and have a Student Organization Finance Office account.
Senators asked representatives from each group questions to determine how much money to allocate to them.
Organizations requested funding to host events and live performances, attend competitions, perform community service and ensure transportation for initiatives.
Vibrant Colors Collective received $850, Black Poetry Society received $750, Gymnastics Club received $705, Bienestar received $616.27, Emerging Coders received $500, 180 Degrees Consulting received $400, Safe Security received $385.93, United Students for Veteran Health received $300, Prairie Cats Ecological Restoration Club received $292.80 and BridgeNU received $200.
Elevating Deaf Voices and Latin Music Ensemble also applied for the fund, but decided during the meeting to rescind their applications and pursue funding from other ASG grants.
Most groups did not receive the full amount they requested due to the constraints of the available funding. Weinberg junior and ASG Executive Officer of Accountability Alexis Schwartz said groups can supplement unfunded requests using other ASG grants such as the Executive Grant and the Sustainability Grant.
“We have a lot of money left to give out to support,” Schwartz said during the meeting. “We really want to make it accessible for you guys to do the things you want to do.”
The ASG Sustainability Grant distributes $2,000 to organizations seeking to promote and improve sustainability at NU each quarter, with a $500 limit per group.
The Executive Grant distributes $23,000 in funding each quarter to student organizations that focus on affinity events, community building activities, and innovative ideas, with a limit of $1,000 per group. The grant is currently accepting applications.
Bienestar, NU’s undergraduate Latine community service club, requested funding for upcoming events, meetings and other initiatives.
Weinberg senior and Bienestar Co-President Cristian Carpio said NSOSF funding would benefit the organization’s community-building events.
“I don’t think we’ve catered until now,” Carpio said. “We’ve been inching our way with other funding streams to be able to get to that point, but as a new org even almost two years into it, we haven’t had a single event. The funding will definitely help.”
Vibrant Colors Collective, NU’s multicultural theater organization, received funding for its spring performance.
Communication junior Ferdinand Moscat, Vibrant Colors Collective’s “co-director of fun,” said it was his first Funding Senate. He said he enjoyed the chance to learn more about the pitch process and how to answer senators’ questions.
The Senate also passed resolutions to establish a Universitywide inclement weather policy, include equivalent gluten-free options in dining halls and Norris University Center, place first-aid posters in dorm common areas, expand safety preparation measures on campus and offer reusable Ozzi to-go cups in dining halls.
The NSOSF will not accept applications for reimbursement funding from previous events at future Funding Senate meetings, according to SESP senior and Speaker of the Senate Leah Ryzenman.
Ryzenman said she was grateful to organizations and senators for preparing and staying throughout the whole meeting, which lasted nearly four hours.
“I really appreciate both the student organizations and the senators’ due diligence,” she said. “I think they were asking the right questions and student groups came super prepared and passionate about their organizations.”
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— ASG Senate allocates about $29,000 in funding to student orgs, postpones debate on remaining $1,000
— ASG Senate introduces legislation for reusable Ozzi cups and prepares to fund new student groups
— ASG Senate distributes $5,000 to new student organizations
