Types of Funding
UFB allocates funds through three distinct budgeting processes: Annual, Supplemental, and Baseline. Each budgeting process has different timelines, requirements, and policies. For a more detailed explanation, please consult the UFB Handbook below:
Annual Budgeting
To be eligible to request an annual budget, a group must be recognized by the UCS Student Activities Committee as a 2024-25 Category 2, 3, or 4 student organization. The annual budgeting process for the 2025-2026 Academic Year has begun.
Note: if your club would like to stay Category 1, no action is required. If your club is Category 2, 3, or 4 and would like to opt out, you must’ve attended a seminar* and a form will be sent out via email. You must submit the form to opt out by Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:59pm. Opting out means you will still have eligibility for Supplemental Funding and Baseline Funding in the 2025-26 Academic Year. This is the same form as the Annual Budgeting Submission Form.
The schedule is as follows:
Week of Feb 3: Annual Funding Seminars
Feb 6-19: Creation of Annual Funding budget
Annual Budgeting spreadsheets must be shared with representatives by Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 11:59pm.
Feb 19-March 3: Meeting with Representatives
Annual Budgeting spreadsheets must be submitted by Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:59pm.
The submission form will be sent out to club emails and student leader contacts closer to the deadline. Please make sure your spreadsheet is set to anyone in “Brown University” can view. A code will be required to fill out the form, which you will obtain after meeting with your representative. We will be crosschecking submissions and if that club attended an Annual Funding Seminar*.
March 3- March 21: Annual Decisions by UFB
March 31- April 7: Buffer (In case more meetings are needed than expected)
April 7- April 25: Appeal Reviews and Decisions
*Annual Funding Seminars were mandatory to proceed in the annual budgeting process and all seminars have elapsed. Multiple notifications were sent to club emails and SAO primary and secondary student leader contacts leading up to the seminars, and additional make up sessions were also held. Failure to attend a session, makeup session, or have communicated any scheduling conflicts at this point has resulted in your club forfeiting eligibility for Annual Budgeting this cycle and Supplemental Funding for the 2025-26 academic year. Additionally, those Category 2, 3, 4 groups in this situation may be barred from baseline funding in the 2025-26 academic year as that decision is up to the discretion of the 2025-26 board. Note that baseline funding fluctuates every year and is not guaranteed.
Supplemental Budgeting
The supplemental budgeting process runs through the majority of the Academic Year. To be eligible to request supplemental funding, a group must be assigned a UFB Representative. To check if a group has been assigned a UFB representative, consult the sheet below. Not all UCS recognized groups are assigned a UFB representative. Non-newly recategorized Category 2 groups which failed to file a response during the last annual budgeting process are not assigned a UFB representative.
Baseline Budgeting
The baseline budgeting process is designed for small or new UCS recognized student groups to receive funding from UFB. Groups may request a baseline budget once a year regardless of their categorization by the UCS Student Activities Committee. UFB issues baseline funds for the entire Academic Year (for applications received prior to the Fall Deadline) or for the Spring Semester (for applications received prior to the Spring Deadline). Baseline funds are granted pursuant to the recommendation of the Chair of the Student Activities Committee and the UFB Treasurer.
Applications for a baseline budget can be found on the UFB forms page. Instructions and details for applying can be found in the UFB Handbook.