Types of Fundraising
Restaurant Fundraiser
The Center for Student Involvement defines a restaurant fundraiser as any time a student organization is working with a restaurant to set up profit-shares for a specific fundraising event or series of events on the restaurant’s property. Restaurant Fundraisers are only allowed if Northeastern’s following guidelines are met:
- All necessary paperwork from the restaurant is completed by a member of your organization or your faculty/staff Advisor
- The restaurant is not seeking consolidated monetary benefits from the student organization
- The restaurant agrees to pay your organization only via a check made payable to Northeastern University with your organization’s name included in the Memo section on the check. All checks can be mailed to:
Northeastern University
Attention: STUDENT ORG NAME
434 Curry Student Center
360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Philanthropic Fundraiser
Philanthropic Fundraising exemplifies a community spirit of caring. To gain approval for this type of activity, submit an Event Registration Request on Engage to your CSI Program Manager. The policy requires the following:
- Only recognized student organizations sponsor fund drives
- Solicitation is not allowed in classrooms nor in faculty or administrative offices
- Definite and realistic time and goal limits for each project must be included in the request for approval
- No more than one major fund drive for charity will be allowed in any semester
- All money collected must be deposited with the SABO
When your organization is ready to send a check to the charity, the following steps must be taken:
- A memo must be written detailing the total amount of funds to be donated and the reason for the donation. The memo must be signed by your organization’s Advisor (you may assist in preparing the memo for them to sign)
- You will need to provide a W-9 for the organization/charity
Attach the Memo and W-9 to a Direct Pay Form found on SABO’s website, which must be signed by your organization’s Advisor. Then submit to the Student Activities Business Office for processing.
Sponsorships
Your organization may be approached by a company looking to sponsor either your organization as a whole or a specific event your organization is hosting. If your organization chooses to accept a sponsorship note that representatives from the sponsoring company are not permitted to come to campus to promote their product nor business. Please complete the following form: Sponsorship/Donation Request Form.
Grants
Your organization may choose to apply for a grant from a for-profit or nonprofit entity to help financially support an event or to put toward general organization business. Prior to applying you must contact your CSI Program Manager to ensure the potential funds are coming from a reputable source, and to review any additional fine print.
Tangible Good Sales
Organizations are allowed to sell items created or produced by members of an organization, such as jewelry or t-shirts. Goods must be provided at the time of sale, with the exception of a product or service provided directly by the organization related to a seasonal date of delivery, such as Valentine’s Day flowers or candy-grams. Catalog sales are not permitted. Submit an Event Registration Request on Engage 3 weeks prior to your sale with a description of the item(s) your organization wishes to sell.
Bake Sales
The Center for Student Involvement defines a bake sale as a food item in original store packaging that has not been altered by any member of your student organization. Only student organizations and approved academic class projects may conduct bake sales on campus, provided they meet the following criteria:
- You have booked and confirmed setup for an on-campus approved cash collection space. Also note that mobile payment options, such as Venmo, CashApp and Square Cash are NOT permitted. For FSL groups, please contact your CSI Program Manager.
- Your organization fills out an Event Registration Request with the details about the bake sale. CSI will review the details regarding the practice of proper food handling protocol and make final approval of the request.
- Approved food items must be store brought and not tempered with. They include sealed bottles of water, bubble tea or other approved non-alcoholic beverages. It may NOT include any home-baked goods or beverages (i.e, hot chocolate).
- Bake sales will be limited to 4 hours. Student organizations and approved academic class projects that conduct bake sales and display food that is unwrapped or without approval, or in any way violates these guidelines shall lose their opportunity/privilege to conduct future bake sales.
Please note any violations will result in an immediate termination of the bake sale activity. The same food handling criteria shall be in effect when groups offer free food as part of their marketing or event promotions.
Policies and Processes
Conflict of Interest
Individuals within a student organization or members of a member’s family may not benefit financially from services one provides to the group. Student organizations and their individual members may not procure the services of an outside individual or company if a member of the student’s family would benefit financially from the arrangement.
Exceptions to, if in fact no conflict exists, may be granted by the Director of the Center for Student Involvement or designee based on a written request for the waiver/exemption/determination that sets forth and fully and accurately describes the particular relationship and arrangement.
Money Handling at Events
Money must be collected at your event. Delegate this task to a reliable and capable organization member. Be prepared to follow these procedures whether the event is held on or off-campus.
Event Registration Request
Complete the request on Engage at least 3 weeks prior to your event to gain approval for handling cash at your event. If you are planning to donate proceeds to charity, the Tax ID number must also be submitted.
Cash Box
To obtain a cash advance, go to SABO. Complete a Petty Cash Form (signature approval of your organization Advisor needed) to receive up to $50 cash. You will also need a cash box. Pick up the cash box as close to the start of the event as possible (i.e. for a Saturday night event, pick up the box by 5:00PM on Friday. Check SABO’s Office Hours to confirm hours of operation).
Deposit All Money
Count the money and put it in a deposit envelope with a deposit slip, including the total amount of cash and change (include the original cash advance in this amount, if applicable).
** Have a CSC Building Manager escort you to secure the money in the Curry Student Center night depository safe. If, or when, the building is closed, call NUPD at (617) 373-2121 and ask them to secure the money. Under no circumstances may anyone take the money home from an event, nor may they take the money off campus. Please note that off-campus cash collection is not permitted.
NONE OF THIS MONEY IS TO BE USED TO DIRECTLY PAY A PERFORMER OR TO COVER EXPENSES! This is a serious violation of policy and can jeopardize your organization’s status. The policy is to protect you, your organization, and individual members.
Electronic Payment Options
Online/electronic payment methods approved by the University include:
- Cashnet: Share this link (https://commerce.cashnet.com/SFCSA) with your friends and family and have them select “group sports” or “student group”
- Northeastern Giving: Share this link (https://giving.northeastern.edu/index.php) with your friends and family:
- Husky Starter – Share this link with your friends and family (https://huskystarter.northeastern.edu/pages/home-2203)
Online options that are NOT currently approved may include, but are not limited to the following:
- CrowdRise
- Eventbrite
- GoFundMe
- Indiegogo
- Kickstarter
- Tablelist
- Apple Pay
- Bitcoin
- Dwolla
- Google Wallet
- PayPal
- Snapchat
- Square Cash
- Tilt
- Venmo
- CashApp
Gambling, Gaming, and Raffles
CSI defines a raffle as a lottery in which a person buys a chance to win a prize. Student organizations are not permitted to hold raffles or lotteries. CSI defines gambling as the unlawful engaging in, playing, operating, or assisting in operating a game of chance for money or some other stake, as well as the sale of lottery or raffle tickets. Gambling/gaming includes, but is not limited to:
- Casino Events
- Card Tournaments (including online)
- Selling of Pools, Raffles, or Lottery Tickets
- Taking or Placing Bets on Sporting Events
- Bingo
Types of Fundraising
Restaurant Fundraiser
The Center for Student Involvement defines a restaurant fundraiser as any time a student organization is working with a restaurant to set up profit-shares for a specific fundraising event or series of events on the restaurant’s property. Restaurant Fundraisers are only allowed if Northeastern’s following guidelines are met:
- All necessary paperwork from the restaurant is completed by a member of your organization or your faculty/staff Advisor
- The restaurant is not seeking consolidated monetary benefits from the student organization
- The restaurant agrees to pay your organization only via a check made payable to Northeastern University with your organization’s name included in the Memo section on the check. All checks can be mailed to:
Northeastern University
Attention: STUDENT ORG NAME
434 Curry Student Center
360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Philanthropic Fundraiser
Philanthropic Fundraising exemplifies a community spirit of caring. To gain approval for this type of activity, submit an Event Registration Request on Engage to your CSI Program Manager. The policy requires the following:
- Only recognized student organizations sponsor fund drives
- Solicitation is not allowed in classrooms nor in faculty or administrative offices
- Definite and realistic time and goal limits for each project must be included in the request for approval
- No more than one major fund drive for charity will be allowed in any semester
- All money collected must be deposited with the SABO
When your organization is ready to send a check to the charity, the following steps must be taken:
- A memo must be written detailing the total amount of funds to be donated and the reason for the donation. The memo must be signed by your organization’s Advisor (you may assist in preparing the memo for them to sign)
- You will need to provide a W-9 for the organization/charity
Attach the Memo and W-9 to a Direct Pay Form found on SABO’s website, which must be signed by your organization’s Advisor. Then submit to the Student Activities Business Office for processing.
Sponsorships
Your organization may be approached by a company looking to sponsor either your organization as a whole or a specific event your organization is hosting. If your organization chooses to accept a sponsorship note that representatives from the sponsoring company are not permitted to come to campus to promote their product nor business. Please complete the following form: Sponsorship/Donation Request Form.
Grants
Your organization may choose to apply for a grant from a for-profit or nonprofit entity to help financially support an event or to put toward general organization business. Prior to applying you must contact your CSI Program Manager to ensure the potential funds are coming from a reputable source, and to review any additional fine print.
Tangible Good Sales
Organizations are allowed to sell items created or produced by members of an organization, such as jewelry or t-shirts. Goods must be provided at the time of sale, with the exception of a product or service provided directly by the organization related to a seasonal date of delivery, such as Valentine’s Day flowers or candy-grams. Catalog sales are not permitted. Submit an Event Registration Request on Engage 3 weeks prior to your sale with a description of the item(s) your organization wishes to sell.
Bake Sales
The Center for Student Involvement defines a bake sale as a food item in original store packaging that has not been altered by any member of your student organization. Only student organizations and approved academic class projects may conduct bake sales on campus, provided they meet the following criteria:
- You have booked and confirmed setup for an on-campus approved cash collection space. Also note that mobile payment options, such as Venmo, CashApp and Square Cash are NOT permitted. For FSL groups, please contact your CSI Program Manager.
- Your organization fills out an Event Registration Request with the details about the bake sale. CSI will review the details regarding the practice of proper food handling protocol and make final approval of the request.
- Approved food items must be store brought and not tempered with. They include sealed bottles of water, bubble tea or other approved non-alcoholic beverages. It may NOT include any home-baked goods or beverages (i.e, hot chocolate).
- Bake sales will be limited to 4 hours. Student organizations and approved academic class projects that conduct bake sales and display food that is unwrapped or without approval, or in any way violates these guidelines shall lose their opportunity/privilege to conduct future bake sales.
Please note any violations will result in an immediate termination of the bake sale activity. The same food handling criteria shall be in effect when groups offer free food as part of their marketing or event promotions.
Policies and Processes
Conflict of Interest
Individuals within a student organization or members of a member’s family may not benefit financially from services one provides to the group. Student organizations and their individual members may not procure the services of an outside individual or company if a member of the student’s family would benefit financially from the arrangement.
Exceptions to, if in fact no conflict exists, may be granted by the Director of the Center for Student Involvement or designee based on a written request for the waiver/exemption/determination that sets forth and fully and accurately describes the particular relationship and arrangement.
Money Handling at Events
Money must be collected at your event. Delegate this task to a reliable and capable organization member. Be prepared to follow these procedures whether the event is held on or off-campus.
Event Registration Request
Complete the request on Engage at least 3 weeks prior to your event to gain approval for handling cash at your event. If you are planning to donate proceeds to charity, the Tax ID number must also be submitted.
Cash Box
To obtain a cash advance, go to SABO. Complete a Petty Cash Form (signature approval of your organization Advisor needed) to receive up to $50 cash. You will also need a cash box. Pick up the cash box as close to the start of the event as possible (i.e. for a Saturday night event, pick up the box by 5:00PM on Friday. Check SABO’s Office Hours to confirm hours of operation).
Deposit All Money
Count the money and put it in a deposit envelope with a deposit slip, including the total amount of cash and change (include the original cash advance in this amount, if applicable).
** Have a CSC Building Manager escort you to secure the money in the Curry Student Center night depository safe. If, or when, the building is closed, call NUPD at (617) 373-2121 and ask them to secure the money. Under no circumstances may anyone take the money home from an event, nor may they take the money off campus. Please note that off-campus cash collection is not permitted.
NONE OF THIS MONEY IS TO BE USED TO DIRECTLY PAY A PERFORMER OR TO COVER EXPENSES! This is a serious violation of policy and can jeopardize your organization’s status. The policy is to protect you, your organization, and individual members.
Electronic Payment Options
Online/electronic payment methods approved by the University include:
- Cashnet: Share this link (https://commerce.cashnet.com/SFCSA) with your friends and family and have them select “group sports” or “student group”
- Northeastern Giving: Share this link (https://giving.northeastern.edu/index.php) with your friends and family:
- Husky Starter – Share this link with your friends and family (https://huskystarter.northeastern.edu/pages/home-2203)
Online options that are NOT currently approved may include, but are not limited to the following:
- CrowdRise
- Eventbrite
- GoFundMe
- Indiegogo
- Kickstarter
- Tablelist
- Apple Pay
- Bitcoin
- Dwolla
- Google Wallet
- PayPal
- Snapchat
- Square Cash
- Tilt
- Venmo
- CashApp
Gambling, Gaming, and Raffles
CSI defines a raffle as a lottery in which a person buys a chance to win a prize. Student organizations are not permitted to hold raffles or lotteries. CSI defines gambling as the unlawful engaging in, playing, operating, or assisting in operating a game of chance for money or some other stake, as well as the sale of lottery or raffle tickets. Gambling/gaming includes, but is not limited to:
- Casino Events
- Card Tournaments (including online)
- Selling of Pools, Raffles, or Lottery Tickets
- Taking or Placing Bets on Sporting Events
- Bingo