VSO Operational Fundraising
Student organizations may conduct fundraising activities to cover their operational expenses, including but not limited to:
- Club meetings
- Travel expenses
- Retreats
- Events (so long as revenue is used to cover full event costs)
- Supplies
- Swag
- Other administrative costs
Compliance
All fundraising activities must comply with university policies, local laws, and regulations. Student organizations are responsible for ensuring that their fundraising efforts align with the mission and values of Stanford university.
Stanford-recognized student volunteer organizations will be referred to as “VSOs” for brevity.
OSE Approval Requirement
All fundraising activities for VSO operational expenses require approval from the Office of Student Engagement before any commitments are made, including but not limited to:
- Booking Venues
- Creating/Purchasing materials
- Advertising/Marketing Event
Application Process:
Student organizations must submit a detailed fundraising proposal outlining:
- Purpose of the fundraising activity
- Planned use of funds
- Budget with estimated income and expenses
- Identified source of funds for purchase of raw materials/event costs
- Timeline for the fundraising event
- Any other relevant details
Financial Management Requirements
Student organizations must submit a post-fundraising report detailing:
- Amount raised
- Expenses incurred
- Impact of the fundraising activity on the organization's operations
- Any lessons learned or recommendations for future fundraising efforts
- Note: VSOs are encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of their fundraising strategies and make adjustments as necessary to improve future efforts.
Reporting Requirements
Student organizations must submit a post-fundraising report detailing:
- Amount raised
- Expenses incurred
- Impact of the fundraising activity on the organization's operations
- Any lessons learned or recommendations for future fundraising efforts
- Note: VSOs are encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of their fundraising strategies and make adjustments as necessary to improve future efforts.
Permissible Fundraisers
- Raffles ("giveaways") are OK.
- Sale of pre-packaged food items or homemade items in pre-approved commercial kitchen
- Sales of items in pre-approved locations
- IMPORTANT: Sales tax must be charged and paid to the state through a VSO’s account.
- Service-based Events (e.g., car washes, bike repairs, etc.)
- Internal student crowdfunding campaigns
- External grant applications
- Donations from alumni or supporters with prior TSF approval
- Local businesses partnerships
Exclusions
- Cash solicitations (e.g. passing the hat).
- Crowdsourcing (e.g. using an off-campus fundraising site in the name of Stanford), including but not limited to:
- Venmo
- Eventbrite
- Paypal
- Gambling.
- Partisan political activities/lobbying.
- Undergraduate events involving alcohol.
- Food sales like bake sales or sales of homemade food.
- Note: Food sales require a Santa Clara County Health Permit weeks in advance and require a fee. Additionally, sales tax must be charged and paid to the state.
- Activities during campus breaks.
- Cannot benefit two or more beneficiaries
