In the fall of 2022, the Student Staff Council (SSC) reinstated a pre-COVID club funding program that requires clubs to raise their own money before they can apply for funding. Since the reinstatement of the policy, the amount of funding requests has declined.
In response to the pandemic, the SSC reworked the club funding program in 2020 to prioritize student safety and minimize close contact during the fundraising process. After a two-year pause, the SSC returned to its previous model.
SSC President senior Julian Montes-Sharp told the Bit that he noticed a decline in the number of funding requests and the amount of funding requested since the reinstatement of the policy. “The amount of money they need drops because they’ve raised that themselves,” he said of clubs.
According to Montes-Sharp, once a club has raised money, it can submit a request for funds to the SSC using a Google Form. If a club requests money without trying to fundraise on its own, the SSC will ask them to do so and reapply after.
Once an application is submitted, it is reviewed by council treasurer Jeremiah Farr and then by the club funding committee, which is composed of one SSC representative from each grade and a dean. The committee rotates representatives every quarter.
Farr is a managing editor of the Bit and had no role in editing the article.
Montes-Sharp said that, in the past, the entire council voted on funding requests. Due to time constraints, the SSC established a club-funding committee in 2022.
Senior Amelia Oscherwitz, a co-head of the Ethics Bowl club, said the club did not apply for funding. “We have a club fee of $175 for the National Ethics Bowl competition fee, and we raised $200 during a bake sale, so we just did not need to” she said.
“I didn’t think we were going to be having too many meetings that would require any amount of money,” said Mental Health Club head sophomore Ryan Libby, who also did not apply for funding.
Seven of the eight students interviewed by the Bit said that SSC’s funding limit is too low.
Clubs can also request more than $500. Montes-Sharp said that if clubs want to do so, they must have a further discussion with the administration to demonstrate their need for the funds.
According to Montes-Sharp, Model UN requested $1,700 last year. The request was elevated to Assistant Principal for School Life Quinn Killy to be reviewed for potential funding from the student life budget.
Montes-Sharp said the committee grants most of the funding requests SSC receives. When the club-funding committee votes not to fulfill the entirety of a club’s request, it usually matches what the club raised in fundraising.
While the committee can grant clubs up to $500 in funding, most ask for about $300 to $400.
Montes-Sharp said that in the pre-COVID era, clubs held car washes, garage sales and other fundraising events—however, almost all clubs hold bake sales now as they are easier, more profitable and more convenient. He also said bigger clubs tend to raise more money.
Montes-Sharp said that the fundraising process “forces clubs to think about what funds are actually needed,” which he believes is important to ensuring that GDS’ money is spent properly.
CLARIFICATION (Feb. 29 at 8:03 p.m.): A previous version of this article stated that Model UN requested $1,700 in funding this year. Montes-Sharp amended his statement and said that the club requested $1,700 in funds last year.