GSG FINANCE ORIENTATION 2020 2021 This orientation is

GSG FINANCE ORIENTATION 2020 2021

This orientation is for applicants interested in funding opportunities for student programming hosted by Recognized Student Organizations (RSO). If you are not looking to fund an event, please see our other resources: 2 ★ For information on the U-PASS (formerly TAP) Program (being taken over by USC Transportation) ★ For information on the Childcare Subsidy Grants Program ★ For information on the Emergency Fund ★ For information on the Green Engagement Fund ★ For information on the Travel Grants Program Please view this orientation in Slide Show Mode (presenting mode) so that you can click the link in each slide. Or right click each link – Hyperlink – Open Hyperlink to open the link

ORIENTATION PROCEDURE Review Presentation Review the fundamentals on GSG finance policies and the stepwise application process. No in-person meetings are required beyond this online orientation, for detail finance information please check the GSG Finance Policy. Contact gsgfinea@usc. edu for questions. Complete Assessment Complete the online assessment (link to be found at the end of this orientation) with a minimum score of 80%. Sign Up for Updates Follow the GSG Newsletters and check our website You may retake the assessment until you obtain a reasonable score. This qualifies only an individual applicant to apply for GSG funding. 3

CONTENT OVERVIEW 01 Definition of Terms and General Policies ● ● ● USC Policy and Campus Recognition Who, What, When, Where, Why and How Deadlines 02 Funding Application Process ● ● ● Application and Approval Phase Processing Phase Reconciling Phase 03 Etiquette and Accountability ● ● ● Etiquette Policy Violations and Penalties Accountability 04 Contact Information and Assessment Link ● ● ● Contacts Office Hours Assessment 4

DEFINITION OF TERMS & GENERAL POLICIES 5

A GENERAL NOTE ON POLICY ★ Watch out for new policies! ○ ○ ○ Where our policies conflict, USC policies take precedence. Organizations are responsible for following updates and are expected to follow all new policies and/or deadlines. Any changes to GSG Finance Policies are supported by the GSG Executive Board and Campus Activities. ★ Events are not guaranteed funding even if funded in the past! ○ Policies change over time, so only applications that adhere to the current policies and processes will be considered ★ Sign up for GSG Media Streams for regular updates: ○ ○ ○ Hold your Senators responsible for conveying vital information from GSG Senate meetings. Regularly check our website for Senate and Finance updates. Sign up for the GSG Finance Newsletter and the general UPC and HSC GSG Newsletters. 6

Who can apply? The two organization Classifications Umbrella Represents a majority graduate student population within a school/department Independent Represents students with special interests within a school/department or across multiple schools/departments Elects representatives to the GSG Senate May or may not associated with an Umbrella Enrolled students representing graduate organizations may apply. Undergraduate organizations may also apply if expecting graduate student attendees. Alumni, Staff, Faculty, or other individuals are NOT eligible for GSG RSO Event funding. 7

RSO Status Is your organization recognized? ★ Each Organization MUST be a current Recognized Student Organization (RSO) in order to request GSG funding ★ The annual recognition process is managed directly by Campus Activities, NOT GSG. Org. Sync: Completing the recognition process updates an org’s online profile in Org. Sync. GSG uses this database to check RSO status for funding requests. New Orgs: New organizations that become recognized later during the school year are required to report their recognition status when applying for funding. 8

The GSG Programming Fee ★ GSG Funds come from the “Programming Fee” assessed to fee-paying graduate students. ○ The main purpose of these funds is to support graduate student programming for cultural, academic, and social enrichment. ○ Other programs, such as the Travel Grants Program, have only been instituted using these funds in response to immediate needs that broadly affect USC graduate students. ★ The purpose of RSO Event Funding specifically is to support RSO programming, which restricts the use of the funds we offer. 9

What can be funded? We can fund: ● ● ● Food Venue space Promotion for special events (printing, t-shirts, etc. ) ○ ○ ○ ● ● Events must widely impact USC students or related communities Must include the GSG logo/be approved by Trademarking Necessity/benefit must be clearly indicated Prizes Speaker appreciation gifts (Amazon e-gift card or physical gift) ● ● ● Event services (security, FMS, TES, entertainment, etc. ) Transportation (buses, parking) Event Supplies (tablecloths, writing materials, art supplies, etc) we can’t fund: ● Conference travel or registration ○ ● ● ● ● ● (see our Travel Grants Program), Other transportation (flights, Uber/Lyft, Metro, etc. ) Hotel accommodations Retreats (overnight events for student leadership) Refundable deposits Honoraria (speaker fees) School-related supplies (ex. ink, laptops, etc. ) Other permanent items (ex. graduation gifts, equipment, etc. ) “Closed” executive meetings Department-hosted events or department expenses Alcohol 10

A note on Amazon ★ Use of Amazon is restricted to specialty items that are essential to the event and are unavailable through other approved or internal vendors. Requirements and restrictions for specialty items: 1. Provide the rationale (2 paragraph maximum) for the item(s) in your application description. 2. Attach a screenshot of an Amazon cart just before checkout as the quote. 3. The item(s) must be available using Prime shipping. Prime pantry or other similar options are not acceptable. 4. Items are subject to a comparable substitution (e. g. the nature of the item is similar but the color may not be exact) Policy for Amazon e-gift cards: 1. Only approved for speaker appreciation gifts; no other gift cards or purposes allowed 2. Cannot exceed $100 in value per individual and must be of equal value if multiple recipients (no one person can receive multiple gift cards) 3. Gift cards will be issued electronically via email after the event. 11

A note on Academic Programming ★ RSO Event Funds can be used for student-run academic programming such as speaker panels, career networking, and workshops. ★ We do not fund “school-related supplies, ” which may sound like only basic supplies like paper and ink, but also includes any supplies related to academic requirements: ○ e. g. Strings for Music RSOs; ○ e. g. Medical supplies for Health Science RSOs; ○ e. g. Software for Computer Science RSOs ★ We do not fund department events or expenses, which are expected to be managed by a department or school. GSG Funds support events hosted by students, for students, and are not intended to supplement department funding. ○ e. g. Department speaker series ○ e. g. Department supplies or equipment 12

THE FOUR FUNDING SOURCES $2500 per semester DISCRETIONARY Examples Flexible fund for a variety of social and academic events. ● ● General meetings Workshops and panels Tailgates Field trips JOINT Encourages collaboration between two or more distinctly different organizations. ● ● Workshops and mixers Speakers and panels Conferences/Symposia Game or trivia nights SOCIAL JUSTICE Mobilizes students to create systemic change that leads to equitable opportunities. ● ● Leadership development Forums and panels Local partnerships Unity and empowerment VOLUNTEER Equips students to serve their communities. ● ● Soup Kitchen Youth Mentorship Conservation efforts Emergency response 13

Additional Funds for Umbrellas Umbrella Fund Requirements: Budget At the start of the fall semester, submit a budget for expected use of organizational funds. Can be used for “closed” events—exclusive to the Umbrella’s student population, no public advertisement needed. Policies Publish policies for allocating organizational funds to Independents. Available to Umbrella Organizations only. Umbrellas may approve use by Independents at their discretion. Intent to Use Calculated at $20 per enrolled student per year. Based on previous year’s enrollment numbers. At the start of the spring semester, submit this form to claim the remainder of organizational funds for the rest of the fiscal year. Templates are available on the GSG Website 14

UMBRELLA FUND DISBURSEMENT PROGRAM Umbrellas have the option to enroll in the Umbrella Fund Disbursement Program (UFDP); through this program, GSG provides pre-approved Umbrella Organizations with their designated Umbrella Funds via a lump sum disbursement to the advising department at the beginning of the fall semester; this depends upon the department’s ability and willingness to participate. July 2020 December 2020 May 2021 January 2021 July 2021 Fall Semester Report UFDP Agreement Umbrella Requirements Intent to Use Spring Semester Report Final Report ● ● ● Complete agreement ● by the 2 nd week of the fall semester to enroll Follow the general Umbrella requirements Receive 60% of funds Submit a report of use of funds during fall semester by the last day of fall classes Submit Intent to Use form by 2 nd week of the Spring Semester to secure remaining 40% of funds Submit a report of use of funds during the spring semester by the last day of classes Submit a final report by July 5 th with all receipts and final invoices 15

How Funds Flow GSG Four Funding Sources Umbrella Funds Independents Four Funding Sources Independents

1 s ca ca m 2 3 4 ut d ld he in e at iv pr d 5 E th ven m ed by e d ts itt a th eta are ee s a e ils e Fi pp na pro xpe ro c nc vi te ve e de d C d to d om in t by a m the ke itt ee ap pla. pli ce ca a tio cc n ord ap in pr g ov to ed . es nc de ic bl pu in l g ed ine to in item th s e ne will xt be se fu Ex ct nd io e C ec n. d om u fo t r lin or si re pu s al udg lo O ca ete am nly tio d a ou ap ns cc nt pro or s o ve B e tb nn o e ac sp O T pe be he g n ab en to le er to al A LL ac US ce C gr ss gr ad an ad ua yt ua hi te te ng s st fu tud nd en ud ed t p en by op ts G ula A * S t i d G on In v. er Ev clu sh ou tis en de ld ts th e d w e. G ill S w ith be G ad log G ve o o SG rt n is al lo ed l p go on rom th ot e ion G a H SG l m os w ate te eb ri d si als Ev te. on en. t Events funded by GSG must be: *Does not apply to Umbrella Funds, which may be used for “closed” events exclusive to an Umbrella’s student population. Umbrellas are still not allowed to charge entrance or additional fees. RSVP methods must be equally accessible. 17

What is an “Open” event? ★ USC graduate students should have equal access to an event, or event aspect, that has been funded by the four general funding sources. ○ Entrance fees or additional fees cannot bar graduate students from accessing anything funded by GSG. ○ RSVP options should be equally accessible to all graduate students. In no case should there be evidence of an application or selection process to gain access to an “open” event. ★ Graduate students should be able to benefit from or participate in any “open” event. ○ If an event is contingent upon a specialized skill, the event may not be evaluated as an “open” event, because not all graduate students can equally participate or benefit from the event. ■ e. g. Law pro-bono services to the community; Chemistry demo-day; Health Fairs with health care services ■ Applicants are encouraged to outline benefits and participation roles for graduate students to emphasize accessibility ■ If the event is not related to an academic requirement, but is too specialized for the general funding sources, Umbrella funds may be an option. 18

Funding Deadlines Spring Period: October - April Fall Period: August - October Calendar of submission deadlines *available on GSG Website PHASE 3 RECONCILING DUE 5 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER EVENT GENERAL DEADLINES PHASE 2 - PROCESSING MINIMUM 3 WEEKS BEFORE EVENT PHASE 1 APPLICATION & APPROVAL FOLLOW CALENDAR OF SUBMISSION DEADLINES All forms MUST be submitted according to this calendar! Accounts for: ● ● ● ● Finance Committee Review Fall Period Spring Period Holidays Breaks Study days and Finals Fiscal Year 19

Additional Notes on Deadlines Smart & Final Appointments ★ Must be scheduled 7 business days in advance by contacting Finance Interns with reference to the Student Organization and Funding Application ID#. ★ Appointments available only during specific windows on weekdays according to Interns’ schedules - varies by semester! ★ Your appointment time reflects your CHECK OUT time, not your shopping time. Finance Interns will not allow overspending or purchase of inappropriate items. ★ Finance Interns will upload your receipt to your application profile. (Best to keep at least a photo for your records. ) ★ Only a 15 minute grace period is given before an appointment is considered as missed. To CANCEL or RESCHEDULE, you MUST contact the Interns in advance. ★ If you miss your appointment without notifying the Finance Interns, you FORFEIT your approved funds. Multiple offenses may result in PROBATION. Smart & Final is a privilege, not a guaranteed option for the convenience of RSOs. It is time consuming and tiring for our Interns to make multiple trips to meet the schedules of RSOs. If you cannot make it during a given appointment time, ask another member or a friend to go for you! 20

Additional Notes on Deadlines Funding for Summer Events ★ Funding may be used for summer events taking place through June 30 th. ○ ○ Budget Applications must be submitted during the Spring Application Period. Funding Closures ★ If a funding source is exhausted, GSG will announce the fund is closed until further notice and will no longer accept applications for that funding source. ★ Closed funds may reopen if more funding becomes available. Post Event Forms must be submitted within 5 days of the event. ★ Events that take place after June 30 th occur in the new fiscal year. As of now, GSG funding for events taking place between June 30 th and the first day of the fall semester is not available. 21

★ Deadlines are absolute, based on time required for the Finance Directors, Finance Committee, and Finance Interns to review applications, to correct for errors, and/or to provide additional information that the USC Business Office requests. 22 ★ If an organization fails to adhere to deadlines or application requirements, GSG is not responsible for premature or personal payments by the organization to vendors. GSG does not honor reimbursements or cover late fees, cancellation fees, or overages.

Funding Application Process 23

Online Application Portal MEET PLUTO! ★ “Pluto” is our online application portal! ○ Name related to the Greek God of Wealth (Plutus) ○ Not named for the God of the Underworld ○ Not named after the planet or this Disney pal, but these are great ways to remember the portal! ★ Here’s a “Quick Guide to Navigating Pluto” recommended for viewing AFTER completion of this Orientation and Assessment. 24

Online Application Portal ★ Create an account to login and submit applications ★ All information related to a Funding Application (FA) is contained within that FA profile. ○ No more separate forms! ○ There are 3 main phases to each FA (next slide) ★ Pluto logs all applications under each user’s account and records all application history! ★ Pluto also advertises all events with approved funding that are accessible to all graduate students! 25

OVERVIEW APPLICATION Submit ONE Funding Application (FA) PER EVENT The Finance Committee reviews applications once per week APPROVAL PHASE Submit revisions if required by the Director of Approvals and Finance Committee Receive notification of final decision within one week of Committee review PROCESSING PHASE Finance Interns will initiate payments to vendors Wait for notification of payment reference #s Wait for notification of expected deliveries RECONCILING PHASE Submit ONE Post-Event (PE) form PER APPLICATION Make revisions as needed by the Director of Disbursements and Reconciling 26

Line Items Vendors and Payment What do you need? Who are you? Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How! Where are your items or services coming from? Provide basic contact information. We may need to contact you by email with questions! What kind of event are you planning and why do you need funding? Who will attend? Which Funding Source* are you requesting? What items do you intend to purchase? How much will your budget be? Use our allocation maximums in the next slide to calculate! Consider vendors you can use and how each vendor is paid. Use our guide in this section. A small list of commonly used vendors may be found here. *Note: For Joint Funding, only ONE of the participating RSOs may submit an application PER EVENT. Within the application, Co-Sponsors who also wish to utilize GSG funds may be assigned to individual expenses (e. g. Food, Venue, etc. ). Application Phase Event Details Contact Information 27

Item Allocation Maximums* Meals: Breakfast: $8/person Lunch: $16/person Dinner: $16/person Snacks: $5/person Promotional Items: T-Shirts: $12/person Printing: $50/event Other: $5/person Prizes: $150/event Venue/Services: $20/person Supplies: $10/person Transportation: Buses: $25/person Parking*: $300/event Must be perishable *USC ONLY Speaker Gifts: $1000/year Physical gift or e-gift card - No fees Allocations are per fee-paying graduate student ONLY. Exceptions: for Volunteer and Social Justice Funds, we allow half of each allocation amount per non-fee-paying or non-graduate student attendee (e. g. $16 per grad student for dinner, so $8 per non-graduate student). *All the allocated funds listed above are the final cost (include tax, service fees, gratuity, etc. ) 28

Calculating Funds ★ When calculating how much funding to request for each expense, consider: 29 ○ (1) Desired Funding Source ○ (2) The number of expected attendees ○ (3) Allocation maximums for approved line items ○ (4) Service fees, tips, tax, etc. The total expense (total listed price + service fees + tips + tax) must be less than the total Allocation Maximums

Calculating Funds: Example 1 ★ An applicant requests funding for dinner, funded by the Discretionary Fund ★ The group anticipates 100 individuals will attend; 70 expected to be graduate students ○ Determine maximum per graduate student: ■ ○ Calculate maximum for dinner: ■ ○ ○ $16/student for dinner 70 x $16 = $1, 120 This means the RSO cannot request more than $1, 120 for dinner for this event. When ordering food, anticipate tax and delivery: ■ Say the RSO plan to order $1, 000 total worth of food for 100 attendees(70 graduate students) Tax: $1, 000 * 0. 095 = $95 Service fee/delivery: $50 Total: $1000 + $95 + $50 = $1, 145 > $1, 120 maximum, this will NOT be approved ■ Then the RSO decide to reduce the total food amount to $900 Tax: $900 * 0. 095 = $85. 5 Service fee/delivery: $50 Total: $900 + $85. 5 + $50 = $1, 035. 5 < $1, 120 maximum, this can be approved Consider account balance: ■ The RSO has already used $1, 000 Discretionary funds, so still eligible to request remaining $1, 500 30

Calculating Funds: Example 2 ★ An RSO requests funding for breakfast and lunch at a day-long symposium, funded by the Social Justice Fund. ★ The RSO anticipates 100 individuals will attend, of whom 40 are expected graduate students ○ ○ ○ Determine maximum per graduate student: ■ $8/person for breakfast ■ $16/person for lunch Determine maximum per non-fee-paying graduate student or non-graduate student: ■ $4/person for breakfast ■ $8/person for lunch Calculate maximum funds RSO can apply: ■ 40 * (8+16) = $960 for graduate students ■ 60 * (4+8) = $720 for non-graduate students ■ Total = $1, 680 When applying for funding, the final amount (food + tax + service fees + delivery fee) must be equal to or less than $1680. ○ Consider account balance: ■ Since this RSO has not used any Social Justice funds, can request full $1, 680 31

Vendors and Payments Vendor Type 1 2 3 4 5 Payment Examples Internal USC Vendor Internal Requisition (IR) Facilities Management Services (FMS) Internal Billing Requisition (IBR) External Approved Vendor Purchase Order (PO) ● ● ● Togos Fedex Manhattan Stitching Amazon Smart & Final Procurement Card (P-card) ● ● Amazon Smart & Final Unapproved Vendor Credit Card Cash Reimbursement ● ● ● Ralphs Uber In-N-Out Burger ● ● ● USC Hospitality (Express Catering) Trojan Events Services The Bookstore ● FMS 32

Multi-day or Recurring Events ★ Applicants may request OPEN IRs for any events that last multiple days or for recurring meetings. ○ Same as a regular IR, except for the full sum needed for multiple days ○ One IR PER internal vendor ○ The RSO must use copies of the approved OPEN IR for multiple days ○ The RSO must track the balance used and NOT EXCEED full approved sum ○ The RSO must keep copies of all receipts or final invoices for records ○ Example: An RSO plans to have bi-weekly meetings, total 8 meetings through out the semester, and plan to spend $200 for food for each meeting. The RSO can apply for an Open IR with $1600 funding to be spent through out the semester. The RSO can use this IR 8 times and each time spend equal or less than $200 and total equal or less than $1600. 33

Vendor Quotes What is a quote? 34 ★ A formal statement from a vendor to supply goods or services at a specified price within a given period. ★ A quote must be submitted with the Funding Application (FA) for EACH vendor, summarizing the items and expected costs in advance of purchase.

Quote Criteria Quotes must be: ★ Formally requested by phone or email to the vendor ★ Meet the following criteria set by the USC Business Office: ○ The vendor name ○ Quote or Invoice# What if I can’t get a quote? Some vendors do not need formal quotes, but require PDF/Excel documents or cart screenshots with anticipated expenses: ● USC Bookstore (cart screenshots) ● USC Parking (Excel sheet with the number of parking tickets and USC parking rate) ● Amazon (cart screenshots) ● Oriental Trading (cart screenshots) ● Office Depot (cart screenshots) ● Dining In (The Lab, Tommy’s Place, etc. ). ○ Payable address for vendor (use correct vendor locations) ○ Phone and email if available ○ Explanation of costs for items or services ○ Be equal to or less than the budget amount approved by GSG 35

Express Catering Quotes ★ To obtain a quote quickly, as directed by Express Catering: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Create an account on expresscatering. usc. edu Select your campus and vendor Add order and select your event date(s) Select delivery method (time and location) Under "order name" input "QUOTE" Enter 00000 for the Account Number Enter Y 0000000 for the Requisition Number FMS Quotes ● We understand that getting FMS quotes can be difficult, but we cannot accept anything less than an official quote for payment. ● If you are having trouble getting a quote for FMS in time for your application, contact us. ★ If your application is approved, email or call Express Catering to confirm your quote as an order to fulfill. ★ If your application is denied or details change, email or call Express Catering to cancel your quote. 36

Contracts ★ Some vendors require that contracts be signed, usually for venue space, rentals, or services such as entertainment or staffing Students CANNOT and MUST NOT sign contracts ★ Work with a department administrator if you are able, to have a staff member sign ★ OR attach the blank contract to the Funding Application so that we can find a staff member to assess and sign it for you ★ Some contracts are combined with the initial quote or invoice - be careful! 37

Additional Forms Student Affairs VP Approval Form* Needed for any event with admission (most entertainment), or for single items over $100. Department Approval Memo Required for any event taking place during Study Days or Finals, stating the event will not interfere with students’ academics. Umbrella Fund Approval Memo Attach to Funding Application! Details approved use of Umbrella Funds by Sub. Umbrellas and Independents. Must be signed by the Umbrella. These forms must be attached to the application as needed depending upon event details. All additional forms, templates, and other resources are supplied on the Finance Resources page of our website. *Note: Edit VP Approval template for your event purposes and submit with blank signature (we will collect the signature for you). 38

Composed of graduate student representatives The GSG UPC and HSC Directors of Finance input decisions made by the Committee within a week of the review. Approval The Directors may require revisions before approving an application. The Finance Committee Meets once a week to review applications Managed by the GSG UPC and HSC Directors of Finance. 39

Application Denial If the application is not satisfactory with minor revisions, an application may be denied. Applicants can: ● Contact the Finance Directors (gsgupcfi@usc. edu and gsghscfi@usc. edu) within 5 business days of the decision with a written request to reconsider the application ○ State why you feel the application was unfairly denied ○ Emphasize why the event deserves funding ● Incorporate feedback from the Finance Directors and Finance Committee in a new application. ○ Applicants who decide to re-apply must follow the Calendar of Submission Deadlines. 40

Vendor Payments Notifications Orders and Deliveries As an integral part of the GSG Finance Team, our Finance Interns are responsible for recording and generating payments. Payments are initiated based the vendor information, approved budget, and quote amounts. Applicants are notified when payment reference numbers are available to use to place their orders. Applicants are notified of online order numbers and any deliveries to the SKS 410 office. Amazon orders are delivered directly the University Village store. Processing Phase Finance Interns 41

Payments and Orders Placing Orders Vendor Type 1 2 3 4 Payment Reference # Internal USC Vendor Internal Requisition (IR) Facilities Management Services (FMS) Internal Billing Requisition (IBR) Doc # with 7 digits External Approved Vendor Purchase Order (PO) Initial Requisition #: 8 to 9 digits; PO #: 8 to 9 digits (different from Requisition #) Amazon Smart & FInal Procurement Card (P-card) Use FA # when scheduling with FInance Interns IR #: Begins with Y, followed by 7 digits (Y 0000000) IR is scanned to applicant Use the Reference #s for the respective payment options to place orders with vendors. For POs, a Requisition # is an early stage of payment. Use the PO#, once it is generated after the Requisition #. Applicants do not need to pursue the following, as these orders are placed directly by our office according to the quote: ● ● Amazon Orientation Trading Office Depot FMS 42

USC Express Catering ce oi • • Final Invoice(s) due within 5 business days after the event Questions? Call Express Catering: (213) 740 -6801 05 n btai al, o prov order e n ap Upo nd plac IR a • • Email or call Express Catering to confirm or cancel your quote order Upload copy of IR sent to you by GSG to pay for a confirmed order 01 • e Here is a short guide on how to request funds for and order through Express Catering, our most common (and fastest) funding request for food. 03 04 02 • • Provide quote in FA and wait for decision from GSG HSC Orgs: Call to confirm delivery from UPC to HSC campus is available. Sele ct fo o and gen d optio erat n e qu s ote v in E P fi ith d oa t w nl bmi w Do d su an l na Ex Cr pr ea es te s C Ac ate co rin un g. W ta t eb sit Follow the instructions previously mentioned to generate a quote Note: Be sure to request enough funding to cover delivery charge. 43

Accomodations ★ If issues arise due to difficulties with venue space, guest commitments, travel, or vendor cooperation, GSG will accomodate for these issues without penalty. ★ Changes to approved application details must be: ● In response to uncontrollable, unavoidable circumstances ● Clearly and immediately communicated to GSG and respective RSO(s) ● Limited to date, vendor and payment options ★ If accomodations cannot be made or if an RSO decides not to move forward with an event, the FA related to the event in question may be cancelled: ○ The RSO must not have placed orders with any vendors ○ Contracts must not prevent cancellation of payments ★ If GSG assesses a situation as preventable by the RSO, accommodations may be made with penalties incurred due to lack of responsibility. 44

Host Your Event! 45 ★ GSG expects events to adhere to the details provided in the FA and approved by the Finance Committee ★ GSG reserves the right to audit any event

We need to provide receipts and invoices for USC to pay vendors. Take pictures to ensure you don’t lose any! Upload them directly to your Funding Application alongside your approved expenses. Event Pictures How did your event go? We’d love to know! Take pictures at your event and upload at least one to show its success. Post-Event Form (PE) Submit the PE within 5 days. The PE evaluates the success of your event, which may impact future funding. Tell us how it went and what you plan do you in the future. Memos should be uploaded with the PE. Revisions If anything is missing or has errors, the Director of Disbursements and Reconciling will require revisions until the payments are closed out. USC has 30 days to complete payments. Reconciling Phase Receipts and Invoices 46

Receipts and invoices What is an Invoice? 47 ★ An itemized bill for goods sold or services provided, containing individual prices, the total charge, and the terms. What is a Receipt? ★ Proof of payment listing items purchased, item costs and total cost; typically a traditional register receipt.

Invoice Criteria Invoices must include: ○ ○ ○ ○ “Invoice” as the heading; Invoice # Invoice date Vendor name, address, phone # “Payable to USC” Funding Application (FA) # PO # Itemized list with a final cost ★ An initial invoice may be provided as a quote, but a final invoice is required to finalize payments. What if I can’t get an invoice or receipt? Some vendors do not need formal invoices or receipts because they are handled internally by our office: ● ● FMS Amazon Oriental Trading Smart & Final It is still best to take at least a photo of all receipts for your records. 48

Receipt Criteria Receipts must include: ○ Funding Application number written in a noticeable place ★ Traditional register receipts are associated with common vendors: ○ Smart & Final ○ USC Bookstore ○ Dine-In locations such as The Lab ★ If Umbrellas utilize other vendors through their departments, any traditional receipts are required in the Final Report. What if I can’t get an invoice or receipt? Some vendors do not need formal invoices or receipts because they are handled internally by our office: ● ● ● FMS Amazon Oriental Trading Office Depot Smart & Final It is still best to take at least a photo of all receipts for your records. 49

Memos Submit memos with Post-Event Form (PE) as needed for: ★ Recipient Memos ○ Prize/gift memos for physical items must be signed by recipients to acknowledge they received the items. Provide USC ID#s if applicable. ○ An email acknowledgment is acceptable at minimum. ○ For Amazon e-gift cards to speakers, provide the speakers’ names and emails in a message on your application in Pluto. A Finance Intern will issue the gift cards electronically and upload the final invoice. No additional memo is needed in this case. ★ Transportation Memos ○ Transportation Memos must include names of passengers and student ID#s when applicable. 50

Post Event Checklist ✓ Invoices and Receipts must be uploaded for each expense under the approved FA. 51 ✓ At least one Post-Event Form (PE) must be submitted with appropriate Memos included. ✓ Amounts must be equal to or less than the budget approved PER VENDOR by GSG. ✓ All Post Event materials must be submitted within 5 business days after the event. ✓ USC has 30 days after receiving documentation to finalize payments. ● If Amazon e-gift cards were requested, the reconciling phase may be delayed until gift cards have been issued after the event. This will not count against the applicant. ● Contact gsgfindr@usc. edu if you are having difficulty meeting the post event deadline for any reason.

Etiquette and Accountability 52

Communication Etiquette ★ Applicants are expected to exercise professional communication and discretion when contacting GSG and Campus Activities officials: ○ First contact the appropriate director before including any higher officers or staff members. ○ If an applicant experiences any difficulty with a particular director, the applicant may contact the GSG Vice President of Administration (gsgvpadm@usc. edu). ○ Time-sensitive topics may be labelled as “URGENT” in the subject line, but only if absolutely necessary. ★ Applicants are welcome to contact the Finance Directors to schedule individual meetings if office hours are not convenient. 53

Suspension ★ GSG reserves the right to suspend an individual applicant if the applicant: 54 ○ ○ Inappropriately contacts GSG or Campus Activities staff, Is non-communicative, or ○ Does not adhere to the responsibilities of an applicant as defined in our policies and orientation. ★ This does NOT penalize the RSO, only the individual. The RSO will have to select another officer to submit applications for GSG funding.

Accountability ★ All RSOs MUST follow GSG and University policies. ○ Please also review SCampus Part G for Student Organizations ★ GSG penalties for policy violations include but are not limited to: ○ Probation of current and future funding ○ Loss of privileges such as the UFDP ★ Campus Activities may issue its own penalties including but not limited to: ○ Loss of campus recognition status ★ All penalties are issued in respect to the severity and repetition of offenses. 55

Probation 56 What is probation in the context of GSG Funding? ★ A temporary period during which an RSO is prohibited from requesting or receiving GSG RSO Event Funding in response to policy violations. ★ During this period, an RSO is expected to reflect upon the violations and reinforce its leadership to prevent future offenses.

Probation Lists Blue List ★ Prohibits an RSO from requesting or receiving any immediate funds within the semester of the offense ★ Occurs when: ○ PE is not submitted within 5 business days after an event ○ PE is incomplete ■ Missing receipts, invoices and/or memos ■ Missing revisions ○ GSG identifies other policy violations that merit this penalty 57

Probation Lists Cardinal List ★ Prohibits an RSO from requesting or receiving funds within the semester of the offense, plus the semester following the offense ○ E. g. If penalized during spring semester, the organization is barred from funding for the following fall semester. ★ Occurs when: ○ PE is not submitted within 10 business days after an event ○ PE remains incomplete and applicant is unresponsive ○ GSG identifies other policy violations that merit this penalty ★ Depending upon severity and repetition of offenses, the duration of the probation period may be extended 58

Regaining Good Standing with GSG ★ Communicate acceptance of penalties 59 ★ Educate and reinforce RSO leadership responsible for funding ★ Follow our Finance Newsletter to stay up to date with funding policies and processes

Contact Information & Assessment 60

Contacts Contact Information Zipeng Zeng Director of Finance - Education and Access Email: gsgfinea@usc. edu Office Hours: By Appt. Brendon Grabowski Director of Finance - Approvals (UPC) Email: gsgupcfi@usc. edu Office Hours: By Appt. Christine Naya Director of Finance - Health Sciences Campus (HSC) Email: gsghscfi@usc. edu Office Hours: By Appt. Minhaal Memon Director of Finance - Disbursements and Reconciling Email: gsgfindr@usc. edu Office Hours: TBA Best Contact for: ● ● ● Finance Policies and the Application Process Application details before submission Advice on budgeting or event planning ● ● ● Funding Application Portal Application details after submission Finance Committee ● ● ● HSC event planning and resources HSC application details before and/or after submission Finance Committee ● ● ● Post-Event Form requirements Issues with receipts or invoices from vendors Umbrella Fund Disbursement Program (UFDP) Email a Director to request an individual or group appointment outside of office hours. 61

Other information Finance Committee Finance Interns GSG Vice President Administration- Meeting Days: M 4 PM SKS 410 Email: uscgsgfin@gmail. com Caitlin Mills Email: gsgvpadm@usc. edu Composed mainly of Senators, though other graduate student representatives may join. Overseen by the Director of Approvals and HSC Director of Finance. Reviews Funding Applications. Typically Works Study students pursuing degrees in related backgrounds. Overseen by Campus Activities staff as well as the Director of Education and Access. Process vendor payments. Manages GSG Administration Team including Director of Operations, Director of Grants, Directors of Finance, and, by proximity, related Committees and Interns. ● ● Contact Director of Approvals or HSC Director of Finance to get involved. ● Email to schedule Smart & Final appointments. ● Email or send representatives with concerns or ideas. ● Email Finance Interns and Director of Approvals regarding any issues with vendors during the processing phase. Email if encountering issues with any Finance Director(s). 62

FINANCE ORIENTATION ASSESSMENT 63 Thank you for completing this orientation! Please contact gsgfinea@usc. edu with any questions or concerns. CLICK HERE