Lopers, 

Last year, the Student Organization Investment Fund was established to offer an alternative, less-restrictive form of funding for Recognized Student Organizations. Prior to the Student Organization Investment Fund, the primary method of supporting RSOs was through University Program and Facilities Fee funding, controlled by the Student Programming Board, a committee within Student Government. UPFF guidelines dictated that grants could be given to student organizations only for “programming,” which historically has been interpreted as hosting on-campus events. My administration wanted to provide aid to RSOs in ways other than helping them put on campus events. We recognized that there are other components to running a student organization beyond hosting on-campus events, and wanted to alter what “programming” had been defined as. 

Last year, Student Government was able to provide aid to more student organizations than ever before through both the Student Organization Investment Fund and through UPFF funding, saving students’ time and their own resources, and helping them build their organizations and community on our campus. 

In an effort to continue the success of the Student Organization Investment Fund while consolidating resources and prioritizing compliance with Nebraska Board of Regents policies, my administration will be presenting several proposals to the Student Senate to completely change how Student Government financially supports our campus’s student organizations. 

We will be proposing legislation and policy amendments to consolidate the UPFF funding and the Student Organization Investment Fund, combining resources and increasing the amount of funding a recognized student organization can receive. In addition, we will be applying the less-restrictive principles of the Student Organization Investment Fund to all funding. 

These actions, if successful, will be followed by the execution of a marketing plan to increase awareness of the new granting processes. 

I look forward to the work that this initiative will take and the opportunity to help our current and future student organizations.