The Center for Student Involvement offers a variety of funding sources for student organizations. They include:

RSO Operations Fund

Registered Student Organizations may request money for minor supply and equipment purchases from the RSO Operations Fund. 

The Operations Fund consists of money generously awarded by the Services and Activities Fee Committee and the UW Alumni Association. The specific amount varies each year depending on what the awarding parties can grant. To conserve the fund throughout the year, RSOs are initially limited to a total requestable amount of $450 ($250 from the SAFC budget, plus $200 from the UWAA gift fund). If there is still a surplus in the budget at the start of Spring Quarter, the request limit is lifted.

Examples of what Operations Funding can be used for include:

  • Pass-through costs from booking campus rooms, e.g. custodial cleaning fees
  • Promotional items that will be offered to any student
  • Decorations
  • Event activity supplies
  • Minor equipment purchases*
  • Online subscriptions**
  • Visitor parking permits for guest speakers

Operations Funding cannot be used for:

  • Food***
  • Items that are intended for a specific person
  • Gift cards
  • Prizes greater than $25

All purchases using Operations Funding must be pre-approved using the funding request form linked on this page. Submit funding requests at least two (2) weeks in advance. Most purchases will be made by the Center for Student Involvement on behalf of the requesting RSO. The CSI will reimburse an RSO officer for a purchase only if a CSI purchase is not possible. Requests to reimburse purchases that have already been made will not be considered.

*: Please note that all items purchased using a UW budget must be labeled as CSI property and remain on site with the CSI or a partner office. RSOs requesting to purchase equipment must describe their plan for storing it. If an RSO with stored items is inactive for more than three months (not including Summer Quarter), the items will be absorbed into CSI inventory or marked as surplus.

**: Online subscriptions cannot be set for automatic renewal. Subscription requests must be submitted for approval annually.

***: Funding for food may be requested through the Campus Event Fund.

UW Alumni Association RSO Support Fund