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Financial Resources

As Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) are viewed as individual units, they are responsible for managing their own finances responsibly. To ensure financial transparency and sustainability, RSOs should:

  • Maintain at minimum a zero-sum budget, where income equals expenses.

  • Develop a semesterly and/or annual budget to guide financial decisions.

  • Keep an internal ledger to reconcile with official account statements.

  • Store copies of all financial documents (receipts, invoices, etc.) and establish a clear process for recordkeeping and information transition between officers.

  • RSOs leaders should never put income from their RSO into a personal account

    • RSOs should not use individuals Venmo, Paypal or Cashapp account as they are commonly tied to an individual rather than an organization.

  • Organizations should implement safeguards to prevent theft and fraud.

    • Access to organizational funds should never be held by just one individual without oversight.

    • All financial transactions should be transparent and known by at least one other member.

While the Office of Spartan Experiences/Involve@State does not directly fund student organizations, there are various avenues where student leaders can apply for funding or host fundraisers for their organization. The materials on this page are generalized information that the office has collected.

  • RSO On-Campus Accounts

    Registered Student Organizations have the option to have an on-campus RSO financial account. This account is managed through a partnership of the RSO and the RSO Business and Financial Services (RSOBFS). Upon request any RSO may create an on-campus financial account. Accounts must be renewed annually. The following sections should be used to help guide the RSO in co-managing the account within the appropriate institutional financial regulations.

    The roles that have access/serve as Responsible Party Members are: 

    Please note that these roles MUST be attached to the individuals on the roster. If you utilize other names for your positions, we advise listing the individual(s) as both positions.

    • President
    • Vice President
    • Treasurer
    • Secretary
    • Faculty/Staff Advisor
    • Any RSO Specific position given "View" or "Full" finance privileges

    Here are some helpful resources (for a full list check out the Finance Section on the RSO Resource Hub):

  • Spending Money from an On-Campus Account

    There are many methods to spend funds from the RSO On-Campus Financial Account. The RSO Business and Financial Services (RSOBFS) team has established multiple methods to allow for the RSOs to have access to their funds.

    Requirements for ALL processes:

    • Cash may not be directly withdrawn from an on-campus account

    • All transactions require approval by two responsible parties

      • Responsible Party 1: The submitter of the form

      • Responsible Party 2: An additional responsible party listed within the form

    • Advisers: Advisers cannot submit financial forms on behalf of a Registered Student Organization (RSO) nor be the other validating responsible party

      • For transactions greater than $500, approval by two responsible parties and the Adviser is required

    • If the on-campus account does not have enough funds to cover the request, the request will be denied

    • All documents submitted must be saved and provided as a PDF

    To further understand all the different methods, view the Spending Funds Resource.

  • Licensing

    The following guidelines have been created to assist RSOs in understanding what is allowed when affiliating with the university. RSOs can affiliate with Michigan State University in the following ways:

    • The RSO identifies as a student-based organization, not to be confused with a university department, program, or initiative.
    • The RSO identity conforms to the guidelines herein and does not infringe on Michigan State University registered marks, athletic brand, or intellectual property.
    Ordering Promotional Items

    RSOs who are interested in ordering any promotional items with Michigan State trademarks or word marks for the RSO must first complete a licensing authorization form.

    • Any word that refers to Michigan State has been registered as a word mark.
    • For example, MSU, State, Spartans, Michigan State, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan State University, Go Green, Go Green Go White, and Sparty (just to name a few) are all registered word marks and require prior approval.
    • Typical trademarks include Sparty images, the Spartan Helmet, the Block S, and the University Seal.
    • Please note: All the vintage logos are part of the College Vault program and are only available for use at the retail level.
    • In addition, use of the Spartan Bold font (the font used on varsity uniforms) will not be approved for RSOs.
    • The licensing authorization form can be found on the Licensing Office website. University Licensing Programs typically responds to all licensing authorization requests within 1-2 business days. Be sure to plan for any possible issues with the RSO order (2 weeks before the items are needed would be wise). All orders must be supplied by a licensee of Michigan State University.
    • The licensee lists are also available on the website. Once the licensing authorization approval has been received by the RSO from Licensing, the RSO may proceed with the order.
  • On-Campus Funding Options
    There are many resources on campus that work to help RSOs put on events and programs. Below are some popular funding sources found at MSU. To see even more, check out the RSO Funding Page on the RSO Resource Hub. 
  • Off-Campus Funding Options

Resources