The Student Association is using about $1.2 million of its budget to fund student organizations for the second year in a row.
The SA allocated roughly three-fourths of its $1.6 million budget for next fiscal year to student organizations – about $30,000 more than last academic year. SA Sen. Matt Ludovico, U-at-Large and the chair of the finance committee, said that while the committee doled out about the same amount of money as last year, most student organizations received less funding than requested because more groups applied for funds.
“There was a higher demand for more money so it was really difficult for the committee to figure out how we were going to allocate funding and make sure that everyone is still able to do their programming but also make sure that we didn’t run a debt,” he said.
Ludovico said the finance committee received requests from 10 to 20 more organizations than last fiscal year, totaling more than $4.4 million in funding requests. As a result, the committee needed to make “major budget cuts,” he said.
He added that the SA’s proposal introduced Monday to reduce or cut room rental fees will allow the finance committee to provide student organizations with more money to bring speakers or performers to campus. More than 14 percent of this year’s budget will fund room rentals next academic year, Ludovico said.
Student organization leaders said they received less money than hoped, but members will appeal or fundraise to make up for expenses the SA did not cover.
Natasha Dodge, the co-president of GW Women and Youth Supporting Each Other, said the group requested $700 for craft supplies like scissors and pens but received $300. Dodge said the allocation was “disappointing” because the organization needs to continuously restock craft supplies, which members use to mentor students at Jefferson Middle School throughout the year.
Dodge added that she did not appeal the organization’s funding because she did not have time to fill out the documents and does not have other leadership to assist her.
“I just hope that the next time we apply, we’re able to increase our budget a little bit more and that GW can really see that we’re doing a lot of work,” Dodge said.
Sarah Daniello, the treasurer for GW College Republicans, said the organization requested about $70,000 from the SA and received about $12,000. Daniello said members of her organization are “really happy” with their allocation because they received $2,000 less in funding – about $10,000 – last academic year.
She said GW College Republicans will use the money to bring speakers to campus and provide free food during events.
“This year, I think financially we are off to a really good start,” she said.
Libby Lukens, the outgoing president of the women’s club ice hockey team, which launched this year, said her organization requested about $20,500 and originally received $5,000. Lukens said the organization appealed to the SA and was given an additional $2,200 to pay for practice time at the St. James Sports, Entertainment and Wellness Complex in Virginia.
She said the team is trying to attract more players – including women who may have never played ice hockey before and have to buy their own gear, like skates or a helmet, which can cost up to $500.
“We want to make the cost as cheap for them as possible because it is an expensive school, and we don’t want cost to be a worry of theirs as they’re playing ice hockey,” Lukens said.
She said the team raised about $8,000 this year through GoFundMe and held fundraisers at South Block and Panera Bread to cover team expenses, which they will continue to do next academic year to cover fees the SA did not grant.
“Many women on the team say our hockey team is a way they found their home on campus and they were so kind in making sure that we could continue that and have a little community here at GW,” Lukens said.
