Student Fundraising

Student Club and Organization Fundraising Guidelines 2020-2021 Academic Year

Only registered student organizations and official Fitchburg State University entities may engage in fundraising/solicitation activities to sell products or services or to collect donations in the name of the University or the group. Organizations must obtain approval for on-campus and off-campus fundraising activities. Fundraising efforts will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis each semester.

  1. To request approval, the organization shall complete a Fundraising Request Form (PDF) and submit it for signature first to Director of Student Development and then to the Development Office, which will maintain the file of approved/disapproved requests for the respective academic year.
  2. Student fundraising projects must be submitted to the Development Office for approval no less than two weeks in advance using the Development Office Student Fundraising Proposal form.
  3. Fundraising proposals must also include (if applicable) drafts of letters of solicitation and lists of businesses, individuals and alumni to be approached.
  4. Solicitations may not be made to a Development Office approved organization, business, or individual more than twice a semester. On-campus vendors may consider donations more than twice a semester if they are able to accommodate. Student clubs and organizations will need to coordinate among themselves early at the start of each semester to plan in advance to avoid conflict among the many fundraising efforts.
  5. Monies must be turned in within two working days of the day any funds are collected to:
    • The Development Office, if the club or organization has a Foundation account
    • The Finance Office, if the club or organization has a University account
  6. Donations to a club or organization with a Foundation account of $25 or more need to include the collection of all contact information about the donor: name, address, city, state, zip, phone and email so the Foundation may provide tax-deductible receipts for the donation.
  7. The club or organization must keep accurate financial records and provide to the University or Development Office, upon request, a full and complete accounting. (Normally this applies only to more complex fundraising events.)
  8. These projects must be conducted in a lawful manner and in compliance with University regulations. State law prohibits raffles and lotteries except within very specific parameters involving sales promotion activities, which are strictly regulated. The University and the Foundation are required to file a tax return for each raffle that is held on campus. This tax return must be filed within 10 days of the event. The Financial Services Accounting Office will prepare and file all tax returns. Please see the Raffle Tax Form (PDF) for required documentation necessary to hold raffles.