Student Organization Funding Agency (SOFA)

1. Go to Involvement at UND
   • NOTE: Your student organization must be officially recognized by UND and in good standing. 
2. Log in and click on your organization's icon
   • The button is on the left side bar (it is a small circle with a gear icon when you hover over it). 
   • Next, click the icon and select the "finance" option from the drop-down menu.
3. Create Funding Request. On the top right corner, click the blue "create Funding Request" button
   • Read the instructions carefully and follow the steps below.  All SOFA requests are submitted using ONE form online.
4. Once your SOFA request is submitted, a SOFA liaison will contact you to review your request and provide further instructions.
5. SOFA meeting
   • Your request will be held in a pending status for one weekly meeting and be heard by SOFA at the following weekly meeting.

 Contact und.sofa@UND.edu with any questions.

Thank you for attending the recent Student Organization Funding Agency (SOFA) meeting. Now that SOFA has approved an allocation of money for your student organization, there are several steps necessary to ensure that your organization receives that money into its UND Student Organization on-campus account.

After your organization completes its travel, program, equipment, publication, or operations purchases for which you have been approved, complete your post report and submit expenses.

REMINDER: A post report is due 30 days after your travel, program, operations, or equipment purchase. 

1. Keep and make copies of ALL your expenses
   • Keep all your expenses and receipts into one PDF, if possible.
   • Receipts can be emailed or dropped off at the Student Involvement Office (Memorial Union 144) ONLY if they cannot be attached to the post report.
   • If you are submitting a travel post report, make sure to include the students' ID numbers that traveled to the event.
2. Your post report will need to be completed online
   • Go to Involvement Website, and log in
   • Click on the arrow with three lines on the top left corner, then click on "Forms" tab. 
   • Click "start" on SOFA Post-travel/equipment/operations/publications form
3. Reimbursement 
   • Your organization will receive reimbursement of approved expenses up to the amount that SOFA allocated during the meeting at which you were approved.
   • Your organization will not be reimbursed for more than the approved amount and will not be reimbursed for expenses that were not originally in your SOFA request. 

For assistance with SOFA questions, post-reports, or reimbursements contact: 

• Reese Furbur SOFA Chair
• Kari Holter SOFA Advisor

The Student Organization Funding Agency was established on February 26, 2010 by a meeting of the Committee Advisory and Advisement Panel. The CAAP was composed of members from Student Senate, the University Programming Council, the Multicultural Awareness Committee, and the Student Activities Committee. Through its proceedings the CAAP decided that in order to simplify the funding process for student organizations it would be in the best interests of Student Senate do dissolve the MAC and the SAC to form a new committee to oversee all of transfers out to student organizations for the University of North Dakota Student Government. Thus, it was recommended to form the Student Organization Funding Agency (SOFA). The SOFA was formed by combining the program funding from the MAC with the funding operations of SAC. The SAC was originally created in 1956 as a presidential committee, and later was given University Senate Committee status in 1966. In 1976 by action of the University Senate, SAC became a standing committee of the Student Senate. The MAC was originally created in 1987 by Student Government as the authorized student funding and programming body for the purpose of providing multicultural programming in order to supplement the formal education experience of all students at the University of North Dakota. On April 14, 2013 by an action of the Student Senate the Student Communications Funding Committee (SCFC) was dissolved and all written publication funding responsibilities were then charged to the SOFA with the other responsibilities of SCFC being charged to other divisions of the University of North Dakota. The SCFC was originally established in order to form a permanent organization to provide student-managed media with an exchange of ideas and information relevant to student and faculty activities and interests, and to provide an opportunity for students to gain practical experience in the field of publishing. 

A. It will be the purpose of the SOFA to provide educational opportunities to individuals and recognized student organizations in obtaining their goals and objectives through support, guidance and oversight. The SOFA shall also strive to support and increase awareness and understanding concerning the cultures of the world, especially those of the University of North Dakota and the community.

 B.  Specific goals shall be: 

1. To increase awareness and opportunities by funding recognized student organizations. The SOFA shall provide funding in support of opportunities for active engagement in enriching opportunities and events, to educate the campus and student body of the University of North Dakota.

2.  To provide supportive funding for all student organizations in good standing with the University of North Dakota and the University of North Dakota Student Government as defined in the SOFA bylaws.

3. To work in a non-discriminative manner as set forth by the standards of the University of North Dakota Code of Student Life

The Student Organization Funding Agency, hereinafter referred to as the SOFA, shall be constituted under the authority of Student Senate. All recognized student organizations which submit requests for funding to the SOFA hereby agree to give SOFA access to their full budget, to include both SOFA and non-SOFA funds, and to all financial operations of said recognized student organization. The SOFA shall exercise financial oversight over each recognized student organization receiving funds from SOFA. This oversight only applies to the funds allocated by SOFA.The SOFA will continue to have access to the recognized student organization's budgets and financial operations until all SOFA allocated funds have been accounted for.  All recognized student organization funds shall be deposited with the University of North Dakota Student Payment Services. The SOFA receives the right to freeze or withdraw its appropriated funds at any time with written notification to the respective organization and advisor within twenty-four (24) hours. The SOFA shall have the authority to place financial restrictions and/or sanctions on the SOFA funded recognized student organizations for violating SOFA policies and procedures or those of the University of North Dakota. Additionally, the SOFA may recommend that official recognition of a student organization be withdrawn for just cause. Recognized student organizations placed on probation by the Student Involvement may have action taken against them by the SOFA until probation conditions are met.

The actions taken by the SOFA may include but is not limited to the following: 

1. Refusal to consider for further funding.

2.  Freezing of the SOFA funds.

3. Recall of the SOFA funds. 

The Student Organization Funding Agency shall be composed of eleven (11) voting members, to include a tie breaking vote of the Chairperson of the Agency and such ex-officio members, without a vote, as are provided for by the constitution.

1. Coordinator of Student Organization & Student Government Operations, SOFA advisor, non-voting

 2. Student Body Treasurer or designee, ex-officio, non-voting. 

3. Student Senate designated representative, ex-officio, voting member. 

4. Faculty member, one (1) serving a three (3) year term, to be appointed by the University Senate and approved by SOFA. The faculty member and his/her officially appointed representatives may not vote or give other members proxy to 

5. Student Affairs Representative 6. Eight (8) students “in good standing” 

If at any time SOFA membership falls below quorum, SOFA will go through appointment procedures outlined in Artlcle IV of the UND Student Government Bylaws 

to create a SOFA Board. This Board shall retain all authority of SOFA until adequate membership is restored. Board membership shall be: 

A. Allocations of SOFA Funds 

1. To be eligible for SOFA funds all recognized student organizations must meet the following criteria.  Any organization not meeting these criteria will not have their request heard by SOFA:

• Any organization must be a Recognized Student Organization “in good standing” as defined by the Code of Student Life. 
• An  organization’s constitution must comply with the Code of Student Life’s non-discrimination clause.  
• Any organization that does not comply with the Code of Student Life non-discrimination clause must update its constitution before it will be eligible for funding. 
• An organization must meet the financial obligations as outlined in Article II of these Bylaws. 
• An organization must have a current officer roster and Constitution on file with the Student Involvement & Parent Programs Office. 
• Must be a recognized student organization for one academic year or more.

2.  General  guidelines regarding the SOFA funding                             

Retroactive funding:

• Programming, Equipment, Operating, Travel, Virtual Attendance, and Publication requests will not be heard or funded if any transfers out of an organization’s funds for the items or event have been made before allocations from the Students Organization Funding Agency. 
• Programming and Travel requests will not be heard or funded if the date of the travel or event has passed before the meeting in which the request is scheduled to be heard. 
• Publication requests will not be heard or funded if the publication has been published before the meeting in which the request is scheduled to be heard. 
• No organization will be funded retroactively except under extenuating circumstances.     
• Allocation of funds will be on a "first come, first served" basis.     

Academic Instruction:

It is the opinion of the SOFA that the cost of formal academic instruction should be borne by non-student fee dollars; therefore, the SOFA funds shall not be allocated for any credit-generating activity, though not wholly inclusive to, classroom, academic credit towards graduation, or a credit appearing on the transcript.   

Request forms are available through the Student Involvement website. Requests must be submitted at least one week before the meeting the organization would appear before the SOFA (excluding summer requests before the fall semester and winter break).  

To be considered for SOFA funding, a student representative from the organization requesting funding must appear at the SOFA meeting on the date and time designated by the SOFA.  If a student representative cannot appear for extenuating circumstances, a proxy must attend in their place. 

If an organization does not attend for two consecutive SOFA meetings for their request with no excused absence, their SOFA request will be cancelled. 

SOFA funds shall not be allocated for the following: 

• National dues 
• Membership dues 
• Trophies and/or awards of any type 
• Travel for job recruitment and/or interviews 
• Purchase of alcoholic beverages 
• Recruitment of new or transfer students to the University of North Dakota 
• Letterhead or official stationery 
• Instructional and/or coaching fees that would directly promote formal individual certification or recognition 
• Uniforms or equipment which is of personal nature 
• Fundraisers - Defined as: any expenses related to raising funds or equivalent to benefit the organization itself and/or any charitable organization and/or cause including philanthropic activities. 
• Monthly service charges for telephone use by student organizations 
• Publication subscriptions 
• Parade floats
• Banners, except for advertising
• Personalized name badges
• Computer software
• Film and film/digital photo processing
• More than half (1/2) of alumni or student mailing labels except for publication requests
• Mailing of organization minutes
• Expedited shipping and handling and delivery charges
• Any other items listed on the Payment Services Unallowable Expenditures list
• Weapons/Ammunition (reference NDCC 12. 1-01-04 (6) (10) and62. 1-01, University Policy) 

General Points of Evaluation

• Relevance of the organization or the activity to the educational mission of the University of North Dakota.
• The extent to which the organization is open to all students and its activities are campus-wide in scope and significance. 
• Relevance of the request to the organization’s purpose as stated in its constitution.
• The relative number of students directly involved in and affected by the activity.
• The quality of student involvement.
• The extent to which the organization has made effective use of the SOFA funds previously allocated.
• The financial contribution of the organization’s funds it intends to contribute towards the activities.
• The total amount requested.
• The nature and purpose of the request

All requests for summer funding that begin before the start of the following academic school year must be heard at the first meeting of the fall semester by the regular summer deadlines and regulations. 

A post report must be submitted 30 days after your request or activity. Funds will be transferred into the student organization’s on-campus account after the approval of the minutes from the meeting in which the request was approved. 

General guidelines are subject to review and exceptions for extenuating circumstances are apparent. 

The SOFA may fund up to $10,000 total per fiscal year for the summation of all approved requests.  

B. General Operating and Program Funding Guideline and Definations

1. Statement: Operating and Programming Funds are intended to defray the costs of maintaining the daily operations and special activities of an organization.  Requests for travel and/or equipment funds must be made through separate applications except when under and for a performer’s expense as requested as such. 

Operating Budget Request Forms are used to request supplies that help maintain the organization's daily operations, including  office supplies, postage, advertising, printing, and others. 

Program Budget Request Forms are used to request funds for any program, seminar, or workshop in whichthe performer’s fees, advertising, printing, or other incurred costs 

A reusable banner may be funded up to $200.00, and a single- use banner may be funded up to $100.00.

1. Organizations may receive only one (1) allocation for operating expenses during each fiscal year.  Budget requests may be made for the entire fiscal year, followed by Student Government. 

SOFA may fund Operating Expenses at 60% of approved expenses up to a total of $1,000.00. 

Operating request must be submitted six weeks after the first SOFA meeting of fall semester and spring semester.  

Operating Report: Organizations must submit an operating post report within 30 days of their request being heard.  

1. SOFA funds may be provided for any programs that benefit the University of North Dakota campus and student organizations.  This includes conferences, speakers, films, dancers, etc.  In the greater Grand Forks area. 

All programs funded by the SOFA must be open to all students. 

Programs must be student-planned and student-run 

No student organization or program may receive funds for a single event from more than one funding source of the Student Government. 

All programs sponsored by the SOFA must appropriately recognize the SOFA, a division of the Student Government, for its sponsorship.  “Cosponsored by the Student Organization Funding Agency, a Division of Student Government,” must be placed on all preapproved advertisements, posted at the event, and read aloud before the performance or event. 

Organizations may receive only two (2) allocations for programming expenses during each fiscal year. 

Programming events must be advertised at least two weeks prior in the Student Organization Weekly email.  

2. All organizations involved in a coalition effect must be named on one request form. 

3. It is the goal of the SOFA to offer free programming and education to UND students, however, groups may charge admission for programs funded by the SOFA under the following conditions: 

University of North Dakota student admission prices must be priced proportionally to the amount of money the SOFA has given.                         

For example: 

If the SOFA funds 60% of the program, student tickets must be 60% lower than the normal admission price. 

If the SOFA funds 40% of the program, student tickets must be 40% lower than the normal admission price. 

At a minimum, UND student tickets must always be 25% less than the general public tickets. 

All prices for tickets must be approved by the SOFA before the event.  If the ticket prices are unable to be set in the meeting before the event, the prices must be approved by the SOFA Chair and the SOFA Advisor before the sale of any tickets.  

If profit is generated and expenses are within the budgetary provisions identified by the SOFA, then all profits shall be returned to the SOFA up to the amount originally funded.  

Profit shall be defined as the difference between all income (e.g., admission prices) minus all expenses as outlined in the SOFA-approved program budget. 

The SOFA cannot fund any student organization’s proposed budget of more than 60% of the budget amount.  

The SOFA will place a maximum of $10,000.00 that can be funded for any single programming event or two $5,000.00 programming events per fiscal year. 

Performer’s Fees 

The SOFA may fund up to $25.00 for gifts instead of the performer’s fee. 

The SOFA may not fund fees to students for any services provided. 

Any performer receiving funds for traveling by ground will be funded by using the ND state vehicle rate for a mid-sized sedan.  Performers traveling by air will receive funding based on ground travel using the ND state vehicle rate for a mid-sized sedan.  Cost for flight/train tickets will be used if the calculated amount to be funded for ground travel is greater than that of the actual means of transportation used.  

The SOFA reserves the right to determine the fair value of a performer’s fee and to refuse funding to any student organization that does not show a breakdown of a performer’s fee.  

Performer’s Costs 

The SOFA does not fund honoraria for faculty, staff, or University of North Dakota students. 

The SOFA will fund the current state rates for lodging and/or meals for performers. 

No more than $4,000.00 may be allocated towards one speaker/performance contract. 

Food/Refreshments 

The SOFA is willing to fund food and/or refreshments for programs. 

The SOFA will only fund food up to 20% of the budget for other items included in the request. 

The SOFA reserves the right to determine whether food is necessary for the program and whether it should be funded. 

The SOFA will fund food up to 100% if the program is a cultural event and if the food is related to the education of the culture. 

Giveaway 

The SOFA discourages the use of “giveaways”, or other promotional items to encourage program attendance. It is up to the discretion of the SOFA to determine whether the funding of such items is appropriate for each specific request. 

Program Report: Organizations must submit a program post report within 30 days of their event. The Program Report must be accompanied by copies of all receipts and or contracts from the event.  

Statement: The SOFA travel allocations are intended to defray part of the actual cost of transportation, food, and other expenses or assist with registration fees. making possible a broader spectrum of organizational activities.  It is expected that students make some contribution towards their travel.  The prescribed general criteria shall apply, along with the following to travel funding: 

Organizations must submit a schedule of events.  

Organizations must submit travel requests for a minimum of two students traveling. 

2. Travel Defined:

Travel Budget Request Forms are used for the request funds to help defray the cost of travel by the student organizations.  

Area travel in the greater Grand Forks area is not funded by the SOFA. 

The SOFA will determine the amount to be funded by pre-set funding tiers used by the Agency. 

Only one request may be submitted for a single travel event. 

 

The SOFA reserves the right to edit the amount to be funded in any way as Agency members see appropriate. 

3. Amount of Funding: 

The SOFA will fund only travel relayed expenses that can be verified with itemized receipts or set mileage formulas.  

The SOFA will fund only six (6) trips per fiscal year. 

Travel funding may be used to help defray the costs of: 

Tickets for planes or trains related to the travel request.  

Gas/Taxi related to the travel requests. 

Hotel/AirBnb stays related to the travel request. 

Registration fees for conferences/events related to the travel request. 

Food/drinks not including alcoholic beverages.  

4. Travel Reports:  Organizations must complete a Travel Post Report 30 days after the organizations travel. The Travel Report Must be accompanied by copies of all itemized receipts of what the money allocated was spent on during the trip and a list of all students ID#s that travelled.   

1. Statement: Equipment funds shall be made to recognize student organizations for the acquisition of necessary equipment.  The prescribed general criteria shall apply with the following to equipment funding. 

Equipment Defined:  Equipment may be considered to be material (vital to the accomplishments of an organization’s purpose), of a permanent quality, and of a non-personal nature.  Supplies that would reasonably be depreciated in a period greater than one are considered equipment.  

Eligible Organizations Defined: “Equipment intense” or those considered by the agency to focus their activities on the use of equipment are eligible for equipment funding.  Each request shall be evaluated on its own merits by the agency.  

Funding Limit:  The SOFA will place a maximum of $8,000.00 that can be funded for any single equipment request or two $4,000.00 equipment requests per fiscal year.  The SOFA will fund 60% of Equipment funding, and the student organization(s) are expected to acquire the additional amount through fundraising and/or other alternative sources.  

Submission:  Equipment budget Request Forms may be submitted at any time during the academic year. 

Funding:  The SOFA will not fund any personal clothing, equipment, or uniforms.  

Upkeep-Additions:  The expense of equipment upkeep and purchases of additional equipment within the SOFA’s fiscal year will not be funded by the SOFA. 

Storage-Control: The Organization must have appropriate storage and an adequate control policy over its use. 

All organizations requesting equipment funding must submit two (2) price quotes for each item for which funding is being requested. 

2. Equipment Reports:

Organizations receiving equipment funding are required to submit an Equipment Post Report 30 days after the report was heard.  

Reports must be accompanied by copies of the itemized receipts for the purchase of equipment. 

1. Statement: Virtual Attendance funds are intended to defray part of the costs of attending a virtual event related to the organization’s mission and purpose.  It is expected that students make some contribution towards the fees or costs associated with attending the event.  The prescribed general criteria shall apply with the following to virtual attendance funding: 

Virtual Attendance Defined

Any event that is not attended physically but is attended in a virtual means. 

Virtual Attendance encompasses online conferences, webinars, seminars, tournaments, and other related events deemed appropriate by SOFA. 

Funding Criteria 

The SOFA will determine the amount to be funded determined by a preset formula used by the agency.  The SOFA will fund up to 60% of Virtual Attendance requests. 

Funding Limit: The SOFA will place a maximum of $10,000.00 that can be funded for all Virtual Attendance requests throughout a single fiscal year.  

Organizations requesting Virtual Attendance funds are expected to fundraise or contribute to remaining expenses not covered by SOFA funding. 

2. Virtual Attendance Report

Organizations must complete a Virtual Attendance post report within 30 days of the virtual event attended.   

Virtual Attendance post reports must be accompanied by copies of receipts or other proof of expenses of the approved SOFA allocation. 

1. Statement: Publication funds shall be allocated to recognized student organizations to allow students to opportunity to create a publication that is oriented toward UND students, staff, and faculty. 

Publication Defined

A publication is an issue or series of issues of typed material offered for sale or distribution through a printed medium. 

Publication Budget Request Forms are used for the request funds to help defray the cost of publications by recognized student organizations. 

The SOFA funding criteria shall apply, along with the following additional restrictions specially for publications: 

Publications consist primarily of commercial advertising. 

Publications consist solely of advertising for candidates for office and their platforms. 

Publications that are for sale at regular prices at the UND student body. 

• The SOFA will allow the sale of publications to the general public. 
• Allowance of a discounted rate for students is required and is based on the SOFA’s funding percentage of the overall publication. 
• Publications that violate federal copyright and trademark laws. 
• Publications aimed primarily at or exclusively at audiences other than students, faculty, and staff at UND. 
• Evaluation Criteria: The following are additional points of evaluation that the SOFA will consider while hearing a publication request.  General SOFA evaluation criteria will remain in force; additional publication criteria may include: 
• Relevance of the publication to its target audience. 
• Size of the publication’s target audience. 
• Proof of circulation-coverage of its target audience. 
• Previously approved publications have met their designed purpose. 
• Volume and frequency of issues/copies to be printed and distributed. 

2. Amount of Funding: 

The SOFA will fund up to 60% of Publication requests 

The SOFA reserved the right to edit the amount to be funded in any way agency members see appropriate. 

The SOFA shall fund no more than two publication funding requests for each qualifying student organization per fiscal year. 

To retain any SOFA funding allocation, all publications must meet the SOFA’s financial procedures for the current fiscal year. 

The SOFA will place a maximum of $5,000.00 that can be funded for any single publication request. 

3. Publication Reports: Organizations must complete a Publications Post Report Form 30 days after the request is heard. 

The publication Post Report must be accompanied by copies of all proof of expenditures for the approved publication. 

As each issue of an approved publication is being released, at least one copy of the issue must be submitted to the SOFA to track an organization’s progress.  An additional copy of each issue must also be submitted with the publication post-report. 

A. Statement: The following procedures are required of student organizations receiving money from the Student Organization Funding Agency (SOFA).  These procedures are necessary to ensure consistency among student accounts.  All student organizations on-campus accounts must be run through the Student Involvement Office and verified by the Coordinator of Student Organization & Student Government Operations. 

Accounting Services Rules: When withdrawing money, the representative must present a properly signed withdrawal of funds form, to the Coordinator of Student Organizations & Student Government Operations.  The request must be signed by two (2) of the following: The Treasurer of the organization, and the faculty/staff advisor. 

Receipt of Expenditures: When a representative withdraws money, supporting evidence or proof of the obligation (e.g. invoices, receipts) must be presented with the reimbursement request.  If any invoice or receipt is not available, a refund will not be given.  

Overdrawn accounts will be frozen automatically by Payment Services. 

If the SOFA rescinds funding from an organization and a negative balance is then incurred, the balance and all debts incurred shall be the responsibility of the organization. 

SOFA Action:  If there is evidence of misuse of SOFA-allocated funds, improper accounting procedures, or evidence that students are denied the right to determine how the SOFA-allocated funds are to be spent, the organization is subject to one or more of the following actions: 

Freezing of funds. 

Recall of funds. 

The SOFA may recommend that an organization’s Constitution be revoked. 

Any additional actions or penalties may be instituted as per the University’s Code of Student Life. 

Individual Responsibility: Unauthorized expenditures of SOFA funds or overdrafts in SOFA accounts incurred by individuals shall be the sole responsibility of those persons incurring the obligation. 

A. The SOFA may suspend its bylaws with a two (2/3) majority vote to avoid imposing an absurd, unjust, or unintended consequence of any section of the Bylaws. 

Revised: 1/30/2026