Dear Stanford community,
My name is David Sengthay, and I’m the Appropriations Chair of the 26th Undergraduate Senate (UGS). If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering what an Appropriations Chair is and how it affects you. Put simply, I approve and allocate funding to the over 700 Voluntary Student Organizations (VSOs) on campus. Whether you’re a frosh trying out clubs at this week’s FestiFall or a seasoned club executive applying for funding through GrantEd, the decisions my committee makes are instrumental to not only shaping your path as a student but sustaining our campus community.
My philosophy is simple: I want the funds we invest in your events and programming to have a lasting impact far beyond any monetary value.
One thing I’ve found since entering this role, however, is that many students on campus have little clue about the symbiotic relationship between our VSOs and the ASSU. As a liaison between these two entities, I’m writing this article as a crash course on VSO funding and how to make the most of it. I want to ensure that the 2024–25 academic year is filled with thriving student groups, so that everyone on our campus will find something just right for them.
The basics of ASSU grant funding
First off, let’s define some key terms and vocabulary:
- Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU): All enrolled students, undergraduate and graduate, are members of the ASSU.
- Undergraduate Senate (UGS): The legislative and funding body of the ASSU, comprising 15 elected Senators. The Appropriations Committee, as part of the UGS, is responsible for dispersing ASSU funding to the over 700 VSOs on campus.
- Financial Officers (FOs): Each VSO designates an officer to take charge of budgeting, accounting and applying for ASSU funding grants. FOs play a crucial role in managing the financial aspects of VSOs and ensuring that their funding applications align with our policies.
- GrantEd: The financial management system for VSOs, which manages all reimbursements, vendor payments, inter-group and departmental transfers, ASSU funding, deposits and other banking services.
- Voluntary Student Organizations (VSOs): Stanford’s fancy name for student groups and clubs housed under the ASSU.
The ASSU is one of the primary sources of student group funding. The grants we disperse are intended to support the costs of VSOs. Most VSOs are eligible for two types of grants: annual and quick. Let’s break that down.
| Annual Grants | Quick Grants | |
| What is the scope? | Large VSOs. | Small events or immediate logistical needs. |
| What is the application timeline? | Applications are accepted in Winter Quarter, from Weeks 1 to 4. You apply for funding in the Winter Quarter of the following academic year. | Applications are accepted every quarter, from Weeks 1 to 9. You apply at least two weeks ahead of your event or activity. |
| Who are the funds approved by? | The respective legislative funding committee approves the grant for ballot. The student body votes on the ballot measure during the ASSU elections. | The respective legislative funding committee (Undergraduate Senate or Graduate Student Council) approves the funds. |
| When are funds made available? | At the beginning of Fall Quarter of the following academic year. | One to two weeks after the application is approved. |
| What is the funding cap? | Undergraduate applications must be over $7000, but graduate groups may apply below that threshold. This is capped at most 5% above the previous annual grant allocation. Annual grant recipients are ineligible for additional ASSU funding throughout the year. | $7000 combined for all ASSU grant applications for that academic year. |
A few notes on grant funding:
- Larger VSOs, with greater membership, typically apply for annual grants at the beginning of Winter Quarter as they usually require funding exceeding $7000.
- Smaller VSOs, by contrast, typically opt out of the annual grant process and apply for quick grants throughout the year because their budget is below $7000.
- All funding applications must follow our funding guidelines. We do not fund retroactive funding requests. All grants must be submitted and approved before money is spent, so we do not provide funding for purchases already made.
- GrantEd is the platform on which VSO leaders will apply for grants and track their status throughout the year. You can learn more about ASSU funding grants at our website.
More about quick grants
For most VSOs, Quick Grant season is year-long. Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, the Appropriations Committee will oversee the funding of over 700 student groups on Stanford’s campus.
FOs will submit their Quick Grant application on GrantEd and the Appropriations Committee will meet before each week’s UGS meeting to review them. The committee ensures that grants follow our funding guidelines and demonstrate a clear benefit to our undergraduate community. The UGS will then approve or reject the application based on the Appropriations Committee’s recommendations. If approved, funds will then be posted, and VSOs can use the allocated money for the purpose outlined in their grant application.
VSOs are encouraged to attend a funding office hour with an Appropriations Committee senator for a preliminary evaluation of their application. VSOs can also contact the Appropriations Committee with any inquiries at [email protected]. For a more detailed rundown of the process, you can read here.
The relationship between the ASSU and you
Before I leave you waiting for my Winter Quarter article about the Annual Grant process, I want to highlight how this affects you, the average Stanford student.
VSOs are the lifeblood of our campus. They have the incredible power to transform the Stanford experience: through VSOs, so many of us have found community, developed leadership skills and learned alongside those who share the same values as us. And as a student, you play a crucial part in supporting these essential campus initiatives.
All enrolled students at Stanford pay the Student Activities Fee each quarter. This fee supports grant funding for graduate and undergraduate student initiatives across each academic quarter. Your Student Activities Fee directly contributes to these grants, allowing you to impact Stanford’s livelihood and culture.
As the Appropriations Chair, I want to ensure that you have a vested interest in where your money is going. I encourage you to attend our weekly UGS meetings — this quarter, they will be hosted each Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at Nitery 209. If at any point you feel like either my committee or the UGS aren’t reflecting your values as a student and a member of the ASSU, you can email me at [email protected].
That said, I hope you can imagine yourself as an integral part of our ASSU ecosystem after reading this article. No matter how you wish to navigate Stanford, the UGS and Appropriations Committee are here to support all of it.
David Sengthay ’27, 26th Undergraduate Senate Appropriations Chair
P.S. Attached below is some further reading for those curious about the ASSU. Plus, a special shoutout to this year’s Appropriations Committee (Gordon Allen, Ivy Chen, Jared Hammerstrom, Noah Maltzman, Jadon Urogdy and Celeste Vargas).