Purchases &
Event Planning

1.  You must be a registered club. If you are already a registered club, you do not need to do anything. Only registered clubs can host club events and make purchases. For information on how to register see the boxes below "How do I open and register a club?" and "How to Re-register a club?"
   If you are unsure whether or not your club is registered, check Bulldog Connection and search for your club. If it's there, Great! you're registered; if not, follow the steps below to register as a new club, or re-register an existing club.

2. You must have enough money in your account. If you are not making any purchases you can skip this step. If you already have enough money to cover any purchases, you don't need to do anything here. If you are unsure whether or not you have enough money, email CD@brooklyn.cuny.edu mention your club name, and ask what the balance of your account is. Clubs do not get annual budgets, so if you have not requested funding this fiscal year, your balance is $0. 
   If you need more money see the box below "How do I apply for funding?"

3. You must fill out the Event Request Form (ERF) and it must be approved. If you are making a purchase for an event, you will not be able to make that purchase without an ERF being approved first. Make sure to plan far enough in advance so your event goes smoothly. Watch out for emails and comments on your ERF, this is the way the people approving your event will contact you if anything else is needed.
   If you are not sure what an ERF is or how to fill one out see the box below "What is an Event Request Form (ERF) and how do I fill one out?" 

4. Purchases can ONLY be made BY Central Depository, or with PRIOR APPROVAL from Central Depository. Do not buy things then ask how to be reimbursed. Do not sign any contracts. Keep in mind that some purchases can take MONTHS to process, plan accordingly.
   For instructions on how to make purchases see the box below "How do I make purchases?"

An Event Request Form (ERF) is how the club asks for permission to host an event. All events need one regardless of whether they are on-campus, off-campus, or virtual. A club cannot advertise an event or spend money on an event until an ERF has been approved. An ERF is filled out on Bulldog Connection. 

Each ERF is first reviewed by your club liaison. If your liaison approves it, your request will be reviewed by Central Depository to make sure you have enough money and time to make the purchases you listed. If you requested a grant request, it will be reviewed before this step. Afterward, your request will be sent to the Student Center staff so your space is reserved for your event. All requests are subject to final review by the Division of Student Affairs' SEMT (Student Event Management Team), which has the final say on if your event is denied or approved. If it is denied you will be notified as to why. Most denials happen because of incomplete/insufficient information or because the ERF is submitted too late. Make sure to submit your request as early as possible and keep an eye out for comments. If you have any questions email your club liaison. If you do not know who your club liaison is, their information can be found on Bulldog Connection. If you are still unsure who your club liaison is, email the USG Club Director at Clubs@bcstudentgov.org. 

You need to have funding available before an ERF will be approved, but since the Treasurer and a representative from Central Depository sit on the SEMT they will confirm if a grant request has been received and if funding is available. Do not delay submitting an ERF because of funding. SEMT meets once a week on Friday morning, but if funding is the only thing missing, and your club has a grant request on the agenda for the upcoming CFC meeting, they will allow the event to be approved mid-week when the grant is approved. Additionally, submitting early gives the club more time to fix other issues with the ERF. 

If you have questions regarding a specific ERF, send a message in the comments section or email your club liaison. If you have general questions you can email your club liaison or SEMT@brooklyn.cuny.edu. If you submitted an ERF on Wednesday or on Thursday morning, email your club liaison and ask them to review it before the SEMT meeting on Friday Morning, understand that he/she may be busy and your request may not be reviewed until the following week.

There are certain items that can be requested by clubs from USG's own inventory.  Email 48 Hours in advance, otherwise your request will not be fulfilled.

Clubs can request utensils, plates, napkins, and plastic cups for their events.  To request, email the Chief of Staff with the name of your club, the date of your event, and how many of each item you need.

Clubs can also request certain games and materials for their events. A full spreadsheet of items is pending, but currently if you email the Chief of Staff, you will be provided with a list.

See the Club Materials Request page for more information

Clubs at Brooklyn College receive funding on an event-by-event or purchase-by-purchase basis with Grant Requests. It's the job of each club's treasurer to keep track of funds received and spent, to apply any leftover money to the next purchase your club makes.

If you need a grant for your event, you can request one within the Event Request Form (ERF). If you choose "YES" by any question asking if your event will require purchases, you'll be prompted to choose where your funding is coming from. Select "USG Grant" and you'll be sent to a page where you need to answer all the relevant information for your request.

For any non-event-related purchases, you'll request a grant through the Non-Event Grant Request Form on Bulldog Connection. This form should only be used if the purchases aren't connected to something you need to submit an ERF for.

Once your request is submitted, make sure to keep an eye on both your email and Bulldog Connection, in case any questions arise. Failure to answer questions may prevent your request from being reviewed promptly. After the CFC meeting, The Treasurer will notify you as to what their decision was. Their decision is final, but you can submit another request for the same purchase if your previous request was denied or amended, or if you underestimated the cost and need more money. Make sure to include additional information. The same request will have the same result (more information on the CFC can be found HERE). If your request was denied or amended you will be given an explanation why. Requests over $1,000.00 go to the Executive Cabinet for final approval. Keep that in mind as it will add extra time to your request.

Tips:
The most important questions the CFC looks at when evaluating Grant Requests are:

1. Describe the event and how it aligns with your organization's mission statement. The CFC wants to see that your event is in line with the mission statement on your club constitution. 

2. Explain why this event requires Student Activity Fee funding, what free or lower-cost alternatives are available, and how those alternatives differ in quality. The CFC wants to see that you evaluated other options and chose this as the best option. Thoroughly explain what the other options are and why you chose the one you chose.

3. What is the amount being requested from USG? The club should be using all other sources of funding first before requesting money from USG. If you have money in your account that should be deducted from the total cost. If another club is co-sponsoring and they have money in their account, that should be deducted from the cost. Regarding the amount of money you would like to spend,  do not round. This should be the exact amount as stated in the cost breakdown. 

4. Cost Breakdown. This is a detailed item-by-item breakdown of what you are buying and how much it costs. Make sure to separate it by WHAT you plan to buy, DO NOT put different items in the same line, even if it's from the same vendor.

5. Vendor Quotes. This is verification FROM THE VENDOR that shows the cost of the items you listed in the cost breakdown. This needs to be from the seller. Using a document that you created and misrepresenting it as a quote from the vendor may be fraud. Almost anything from the vendor works as a quote; a shopping cart, a menu, an email or text, and a list price on a website all are valid vendor quotes. 

Steps 3, 4, & 5 work together to prove the validity of your request. The amount you are requesting is backed up by the cost breakdown which shows what exactly you plan to spend the money on. The vendor quote proves that the prices you included in your request are the actual prices you will be paying. Do not include sales taxes. Inconsistencies between these will result in your request being delayed and may result in your request not even being considered. 

Once your Event Request or Non-Event Purchase Request has been approved, you need to reach out to Central Depository to start the purchasing process. The process differs depending on exactly what you're paying for but is primarily split between payments for goods (i.e. food, merchandise) and services (i.e. DJs, Speakers). Please remember that all Brooklyn College Student Clubs are tax-exempt.

Goods (Under $999)

Before your Event

To start your process, you'll need to fill out a purchase form and send it, with a written quote from the vendor, to CD@brooklyn.cuny.edu. (If ordering promotional items, also attach your artwork.) Once reviewed, the purchase form will be sent back to you signed by a staff member.

For Food Vendors - You may call the vendor to place the order. Please let the vendor know the date, time, and location of the order. Please let our office know when you place the order. You may give the vendor the signed form when the food is delivered. After the order is placed  CENTRAL DEPOSITORY staff will follow up with the vendor to complete payment (if applicable). 

For Promo Items - Central Depository will review and order the items. The items will be delivered to the Central Depository for pick up by the club. 

For Amazon Orders - All clubs looking to purchase items from Amazon must create a shared list with Jessica@brooklyn.cuny.edu. The subject line must have the name of your group and the date of the event. Amazon orders must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the date that you need the items for your event as Brooklyn College cannot guarantee shipping times/speeds.

For Target Orders - All clubs that would like to order items from Target must complete the Target Order Form. Target orders are done via pickup by a point person in the club. They must be submitted at least 48 business hours prior to when the items are needed. We will NOT complete same-day orders.

After your Event

For Food Vendors - Clubs will need to submit the original itemized receipt, a NON-PO Voucher, and Sign-in sheet for the event, and a Flyer or Event confirmation.  

For Promo Items - When picking up the items, clubs will need to submit the original receipt, a NON-PO Voucher, and (if the purchase is linked to an event,) a Sign-in sheet and Event Confirmation.

Services (Under $999)

Before your Event

Complete the Service Payment Information Form. This form includes: 

• Full Legal Name, 

• Full Address including zip code, 

• Phone number, 

• Email address, 

• Full Scope of work, and 

• Amount being paid (payments over $999.99 need BCA approval first).

Once the form is completed, Central Depository will reach out for a Substitute W9 form and a copy of the event confirmation. Try to submit all necessary documents at least 1 month before your event. Once this paperwork is submitted, your vendor will receive an email from the CUNYbuy Platform. They will need to submit additional information before you can move forward.

After your Event

After services are rendered, you will need to submit a final invoice from the vendor, as well as an event confirmation and sign-in sheet (which you can use Bulldog Connection to track).

Purchases over $999

All purchases over $999 require additional approval from the Brooklyn College Association (BCA) before they can be placed. BCA meets once a month during semesters and will only approve requests after an ERF or Non-Event Purchase Request has been submitted. You can view all scheduled BCA meetings in the BC Governance section on the Calendar page.

 Reimbursements

Reimbursements are NOT guaranteed and justification from the club may be required upon request for why it was necessary to purchase items with personal funds. Reach out to the Central Depository prior to spending your own funding to see if the items can be purchased another way. If reimbursement is necessary, reach out to Central Depository to begin the process of vendor registration which may take 2-3 months.

Club funding cannot be used for individual needs, personalized gifts, or gift cards and reimbursement will not be allowed for those items. 

Treasurer's Info Guides: LINK

Vendor List (Updating): LINK

Sample Breakdown for ERF:  LINK

Club Budget Basics: LINK

12/22/2021 - Page Created

1/28/2022 - Instructions Updated

2/28/2022 - Removed how to open a club & how to re-register a club

10/07/2022 - Updated cutoff amounts and documents

08/14/2023 - Instruction updated to reflect change to new Bulldog Connection

08/23/2023 - Added updated "How do I make Purchases?" Information

09/06/2023 - Updated Links to forms and added Vendor List

11/13/2023 - Included event guidebook

02/05/2024 - Updated event guidebook, added collapsible changelog