Though money might not grow on trees, plenty of it is collected through the University's annual Student Activities Fees.
Each year Student Council is in charge of divvying up the SAF funds, in a process that has the power to make or break the budgets of the University's contracted independent organizations.
This year Council has about $700,000 to give to the approximately 275 to 305 CIOs that will seek part of the pot.
Representatives of each CIO seeking money are in the process of submitting budgets for the upcoming year to Council, which will then decide how the funds should be divided.
Need-based System
Council members stress that they do not play favorites and that they do their best to divide money in a way so that all CIOs can meet their needs.
"CIO events must contribute towards the goal of the group" to be eligible to be paid for with SAF funds, Appropriations Committee Chairman Guru Raj said.
The amount of money CIOs have received from appropriations in the past has varied from $8.50 to $20,000, Raj said.
Under the need-based process, similar groups, such as two a cappella groups or two club sports teams, might receive very different levels of funding, depending on the stated needs of the different groups.
"We're not comparing clubs against each other," Raj said.
Council members prefer the need-based system to a system that would create more equality in funding for a number of reasons.
Some groups are partially or entirely financially self-sufficient, making them less in need of Council's funds, said Kelly Polk, Council vice president for organizations.
One such group is the Virginia Gentlemen, an a cappella group that is self-sufficient and thus does not receive money from Council.
Virginia Gentlemen President Ben Rottenborn said he does not begrudge the fact that Council gives out funding based on need, even though it prevents his group from receiving funding.
"I don't see any problem with it," Rottenborn said. "Every CIO should have some funding if they need it."
Polk said since different groups have different abilities to receive private support, the disparities in funding are justified.
Council members also point out that the nature of certain groups makes it impossible for them to exist unless they receive a disproportionate share of Council's funding.
Groups like the Virginia Rowing Association and the Virginia Polo Club require more funding due to the expensive nature of their sports, Raj said.
The difference, however, between what a group needs and what a group merely wants is sometimes unclear.
"There's a lot that we need," said Daniel Kamerling, president of the Solar Car Team and director of events and acting treasurer of CAINE, the University's comic books and anime club.
"It's what can we convince them we need" that is the operative question in determining a group's level of funding, he added.
Kamerling said CAINE increased its budget by "an order of ten" last year, an example that shows the role of organization in convincing Council of its needs.
Student Self-Governance
Besides priding themselves on the need-based system, Council members also view the appropriations process as a realization of the ideal of student self-governance.
"I think it's one of the best examples we still have," Polk said.
Council members determine funding levels for CIOs and then distribute the money directly to student groups with little intervention from the University administration.
Kamerling said, though he thinks Council's role in appropriations is largely bureaucratic, he does see some benefit in having students in charge.
Students "may be closer to the technology, the needs of the clubs," he said.
Andrew Curley, a former appropriations committee member and former president of the Washington Literary and Debating Society, said that having a student-run appropriations process is important because of the "personal connections" between students.
Curley said student appropriators are more likely to have a passion for their job than administrators because they know what it's like to be part of CIOs seeking funds.
"Students would be willing to put in much more effort," Curley said.
The Student role in the appropriations process is not without some limits, however.
The Board of Visitors dictates some of the rules regarding the authorized uses of SAF funds.
"The Board, years and year ago, adopted a set of guidelines," Board Secretary Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam Jr. said.
The guidelines were most recently updated approximately six years ago, Gilliam said.
Despite the Board's role in creating the rules, Gilliam said Board members support the idea that students are in charge.
"The Board really does honestly believe in student self-governance," he added. "The only reason the Board is involved at all is that the money comes from an official fee that is levied by the University."
Polk said even though the Board sets the guidelines, Council still has some clout to influence changes to the rules.
Rule Changes?
One rule Polk suggested might be changed is a prohibition on Council funding CIOs seeking to give honorariums for visiting speakers.
If groups could use appropriations funds to pay speakers who visit the University, they would likely be able to attract more guest lecturers, she said.
Polk added she will gage sentiment among CIOs to see if there is interest in making this change.
Peter Milligan, treasurer of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, a CIO that often hosts speakers on Grounds and does not take Council funds, said his group is not advocating such a change.
"I don't see any immediate need for CIOs to pay honorariums," Milligan said. "It's an honor enough to come speak to the students of this University."
Ryan Hughes, treasurer of the University Democrats, said, however, that his group would benefit from altering the rule against honorarium funding to help them attract speakers.
"I'd definitely like to see that," Hughes said.
He also mentioned another rule he would like to see changed.
Currently, Board rules prohibit CIOs from receiving SAF funds for political purposes.
"We aren't allowed to be funded for activities that are, quote, 'inherently political,'" Hughes said.
He added that political activities are an important part of the college experience.
"Participating in the electoral process is essential to our time" at the University, he said.
Neither the change to the honorarium rule, nor the change to the political activities rule have come up at Board meetings, Gilliam said.
More CIOs Seeking Funding
Though some groups are interested in seeing the rules of the appropriations process change, most CIOs are primarily concerned with ensuring that their group receives the money it needs, particularly this time of year.
Budgets from each CIO seeking SAF funds are due to Council on February 5. Council will then use the budgets to determine how to distribute its money, and will announce its decision March 31.
One development that has some students concerned is the rapid increase in the number of groups seeking funding.
"The amount of CIOs has mushroomed," saidEddie Guardado, treasurer of community service CIO Circle K.
Polk said the number of CIOs asking for appropriations money could be around 305 this year, compared to 205 last year.
Guardado said he is concerned that if more CIOs do not become self-sufficient, then funding could become sparse.
Council members agreed that self-sufficiency should be a goal for CIOs.
"We want to help them all become self-sufficient," Polk said.
She added, however, that for the time being she thinks there will be enough money for the CIOs to meet their needs.
Polk said Council is stressing "social responsibility" this year, in the hope that groups will try to be as efficient as possible in their budgets and only ask for funds for what they think is most important.
Still, groups do not always get the funding they want and do not always leave the appropriations process happy.
Last year, rule changes prevented the Washington Society from receiving a computer that had previously been appropriated to it, Curley said.
As a result of the incident, the Washington Society decided to stop taking SAF funds, he added.
"It was such a hassle," said Washington Society President Donald Badaczewski. "It just was not worth dealing with Student Council."
Others view the process more positively.
Curley said, though he thinks the Washington Society was treated unfairly in this particular incident, in general SAF funds are appropriated fairly.
"Appropriations is a flawed process, but it's probably as good as it's going to get," he said.
Kamerling said that Appropriations Committee members generally are helpful.
"I heard horror stories before I became treasurer" of CAINE, he said. "I found that they really did help us"
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