Funding Options

Organizational (Umbrella) Funds

These funds are designated for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) to organize events accessible to all Full-Time MBA students, with some exceptions (refer to Additional Rules in the Organizational (Umbrella) Funds section below). They are funded through Marshall's GSG Graduate Programming Fee and typically have a quicker approval process than other funds. Use these funds only when other non-organizational funding sources are unavailable. The next section provides details on timelines and guidelines.

Request organizational funds only for events accessible to the broader Marshall community that support job attainment or build diverse and inclusive relationships.

Some examples of appropriate use of Organizational funding:

● Industry Round Tables

● Career Engagement

● Guest/Alumni Speaker Series

Funding Committee

Funding requests will be approved through an objective process conducted by a committee composed of MGSA members and the Full-Time MBA Program Office.

Non-Organizational Funds

These funds are granted at the discretion of the GSG Finance Committee and are ideal for events that do not qualify under standard organizational funding criteria. Processing typically takes around six to eight weeks, so please plan accordingly.

Discretionary Fund: Open to all recognized clubs, provided the event is officially accessible to all USC graduate students.

Joint Fund: For events co-organized by two or more organizations from two or more distinct schools or departments. Events must be advertised through GSG as open to all USC graduate students and must include the GSG logo on promotional materials.

Volunteer Fund: For volunteer or community service events hosted by any organization. Events must be advertised through GSG as open to all USC graduate students and must include the GSG logo on promotional materials.

Social Justice Fund: Events advocating for underrepresented groups are open to all organizations, awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. They must be advertised through GSG as open to all USC graduate students and include the GSG logo on promotional materials.

Sustainability Fund: The Green Fund at USC is supported collectively by the Undergraduate Student Government and University Administration, both of which also provide funding. Each partner is represented on a committee that evaluates and approves sustainability-related proposals.

Guidelines & Rules

These rules apply to all GSG-administered funding, in addition to the process steps described for each track below.

General Guidelines

● Organizations must be recognized by USC. See USC Campus Activities for recognition requirements.

● Only USC Authorized Vendors may be used for GSG funding. Vendor lists change frequently — before listing a vendor on an application, call to confirm they still accept USC purchase orders. If a vendor no longer accepts POs, email the GSG Finance Director with written confirmation from the vendor.

○ Catering and non-catering approved vendors: USC Events | Vendors

● Anyone submitting a Budget Proposal on behalf of their RSO must complete the GSG Finance Orientation. There is no fixed deadline (complete it any time before submitting your organization's first application of the year).

● Organizations that do not submit receipts on time will be placed on probation and will not be funded for the remainder of the semester.

● All Budget Proposals and Expense Requests must be fully completed and free from major errors. Submissions that are incomplete or contain significant mistakes are automatically rejected. Email notifications are sent for both approved and rejected submissions.

● Funds may not be used to purchase alcohol.

Meal Allocation Maximums

Maximum per-person meal reimbursement amounts are as follows:

Meal Time Window Maximum per Person

Note: Organizations may request multiple meals for events that span mealtimes (for example, a symposium running 9 a.m.–4 p.m. may request both breakfast and lunch), and snacks may be requested in addition to a meal.

Organizational (Umbrella) Funds

Submit all funding applications to the MGSA VP of Finance according to the timeline below. Do not spend funds before approval.

Budget Proposal

● Submit to the MGSA VP of Finance at mgsa.ft.vpfinance@marshall.usc.edu at least 4 weeks before the event, regardless of amount.

● Include the amount requested, event description, itemized line items with costs, and any other relevant details. An identification number will be issued upon submission.

● Submit one Budget Proposal for each proposed event.

● Once approved, enter the request into the Qualtrics portal.

Note: Approval of the Budget Proposal requests funding for the event, not final payment. Once approved, payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or direct reimbursement — see Payment Methods below.

Vendors

● Use USC-approved vendors when possible. If none are available, the vendor must be established as a USC supplier — this typically takes 5–6 weeks and cannot be guaranteed.

● Payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or direct reimbursement, depending on who paid — see the Payment Methods below.

Expense Request

● Submit after the Budget Proposal is approved, at least 2 weeks before the event.

● Submit one Expense Request per vendor.

● Include a formal statement from the vendor (a quote) confirming items and expected costs at a specified price, in advance of purchase. If the vendor issues this statement as an initial Invoice, submit it with the Expense Request as a quote, then submit a final Invoice afterward if nothing changed.

● Final Invoices must be actual invoices — estimates are not accepted.

● Receipts must be itemized. Credit card transaction receipts or statements are not acceptable.

● Vendor quotes or estimates are not acceptable for payment — only a final, actual invoice or itemized receipt will be processed.

Final Invoices

● Submit the final, actual invoice within 5 business days after the event ends.

Note: Payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or direct reimbursement — see Payment Methods below.

Additional Rules

● Request Organizational funds only when the event cannot be covered by existing club membership dues and be prepared to justify this if asked.

● If funding is denied, organizations have one week to resubmit an updated proposal.

● Organizations must complete all transition procedures and financial reporting for both their PayPal and credit union accounts.

● Club and social events funded by Organizational funds must be open to all Full-Time MBA students. The only exceptions are Industry Roundtables and highly specific career or recruiting events.

● Organizations must provide their bank account and PayPal account balances periodically upon request.

● Organizational fund caps are set per club, based on final enrollment numbers as of September 12, 2026.

● Only MGSA’s VP of Finance may serve as the point of contact for budget requests.

Non-Organizational Funds

For eligibility details on the Discretionary, Joint, Volunteer, Social Justice, and Sustainability Funds, see Funding Options above. The submission process below is the same for all five.

Note: Non-Organizational (GSG) Funds are reviewed and approved by the MGSA VP of Finance directly.

Submission Timeline

Submit all funding applications directly to the Qualtrics Portal according to the timeline below. Do not spend funds before approval.

Budget Proposal

• Submit directly to GSG at least 6 weeks before the event, regardless of amount.
• Include the amount requested, event description, itemized line items with costs, and any other relevant details.
• Submit one Budget Proposal for each proposed event.

Note:GSG approval of the Budget Proposal is a request to fund the event, not final payment. Once approved, payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or direct reimbursement — see Payment Methods below.

Vendors

● Use USC-approved vendors when possible. If none are available, the vendor must be established as a USC supplier Becoming a Supplier – USC Business Services for Suppliers — this typically takes 5–6 weeks and cannot be guaranteed.

● Payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or Reimbursement is direct and varies based on the payer — see Payment Methods below.

Expense Request

● Submit after the Budget Proposal is approved, at least 3–4 weeks before the event.

● Submit one Expense Request per vendor.

● Include a formal statement from the vendor (a quote) confirming items and expected costs at a specified price, in advance of purchase. If the vendor issues this statement as an initial Invoice, submit it with the Expense Request as a quote, then submit a final Invoice afterward if nothing changed.

● Final Invoices must be actual invoices — estimates are not accepted.

● Receipts must be itemized. Credit card transaction receipts or statements are not acceptable.

● Vendor quotes or estimates are not acceptable for payment — see the Accepted / Not Accepted summary above.

Final Invoices

● Submit the final, actual invoice within 5 business days after the event ends.

Note: Payment is made via Purchase Order (PO), Internal Service Delivery (ISD), or direct reimbursement — see Payment Methods below.

Payment Methods

The same three payment methods apply to both Organizational (Umbrella) and Non-Organizational Funds. Use Internal Service Delivery (ISD) or a Purchase Order (PO) when the USC Authorized Vendor or Internal USC Department is paid directly. Use Reimbursement when the requester paid out of pocket.