This section is all about money. How to get it, and how to best look after it for your club. From applying for grants to getting, and managing a bank account and sponsors, to understanding your budget and getting tax invoices with the correct info, finance is a big part of running your club. This page also includes info about clubs and insurance.
RUSU Club Grants
Some basic info about RUSU Club Grants:
- Club Grants are only available to Clubs that have finalised all aspects of their RUSU Clubs annual affiliation (registration).
- Clubs funding (including Clubs Department staffing) depends upon the amount of funding RMIT provides to RUSU (Student Union).
- All fully affiliated RUSU Clubs have access to the "Base" Grants (CAS and CAR). Entitlements are based on annual membership data.
- Clubs can upgrade their clubs size during the year as they sign up more members.
- Upgrading your club size = your club becomes eligible for extra Base Grants (see "Membership Data Timeline 2024" below)
- Special Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) Grants are competitive and/or otherwise restricted in some way. Applications for SSAF Grants are open to all fully affiliated RUSU clubs EXCEPT brand new clubs and political clubs.
Proudly supported by RUSU Poster
If your event/activity is supported through RUSU funding or other RUSU resources, please download and print out this poster to display prominently at your event/activity. DOWNLOAD POSTER
A Copy of the "RUSU Affiliate" logo to add you your promo is available from the last section of the Events & Promo page EVENTS & PROMO
Club Grants and Membership Data
For the Base Grants, entitlement is calculated based on a club's size. Club size may also impact SSAF grants.
2024 Club Sizes:
- Small Clubs (minimum): 20 to 40 enrolled RMIT student members
- Medium Clubs: 41 to 100 enrolled RMIT student members
- Large Clubs: 101 to 200 enrolled RMIT student members
- Very Large Clubs: 201 + enrolled RMIT student members
Membership periods:
- Annual - Members must re-join their clubs every year.
Minimum annual membership:
- 20 x enrolled RMIT student members every year.
- Non RMIT student members may not make up more than 25% of a RUSU club's total annual membership. They are not included in club size calculations for grants purposes.
Membership signup requirements:
- Membership signup process: must be through an electronic process that generates an automatic time/date stamp.
- Minimum Member detail to be collected:
- Name (1st & family)
- Date of birth
- Connection to RMIT (enrolled RMIT student, RMIT Alumni, RMIT Staff, other)
- If an RMIT student member - their student number (S number)
- If an RMIT Staff member, their staff number (E number)
- If your club has special conditions for Full Membership (eg. must be enrolled in a particular RMIT program), a question to gather information to identify if they qualify. REMEMBER - such special conditions must be included your clubs Constitution as initially approved by your Clubs Officer and then approved by democratic vote at a duly called, quorate General Meeting of the Club Members
Membership data timeline 2024:
- Minimum start of year membership: by 22nd April (for calendar year club initial applications + mid year club upgrades)
- Updates (for extra Base Grant): end of Week 4 of the following Semester (Semester 2 for calendar year clubs. Semester 1 for mid-year clubs)
- Final membership data: when club completes its registration for the following year (re-affiliation process)
Base Grants
Clubs Annual Subsidy (CAS) - open now
- See above section for club sizes and member data requirements and timelines.
- Member data format - must be uploaded on an Excel spreadsheet through the form link below - PDFs or Word Lists are not accepted.
- CAS payments are made directly to your Club’s bank account.
- Upload process - through the form link below. Use this form again for updates.
- COMPLETE FORM
Club Annual Reimbursement (CAR) - open now
- The CAR assists Clubs with costs for risk management approved events and certain club promotional material.
- Single-use hardcopy promo material (posters or fliers etc or event specific items) will not be reimbursed. Other long-term material must include the RUSU Affiliate logo (club banners etc).
- CAR is paid as reimbursements to Clubs (Club spends money, RUSU reimburses).
- CAR entitlements are calculated based on a club's logged size. Be sure your club member data is up to date!
- Apply as many times as needed to claim back your club's full CAR entitlement for the year - use the link below to apply.
- All Fully Affiliated Clubs are eligible for this grant – it is paid directly to your Club’s bank account.
Info needed to apply for CAR:
- A copy of the budget approved by your club's Executive leadership team for the event/activity you are claiming CAR for
- Proof of payments (receipts, online payment transfers to suppliers, linked invoices etc).
- Where it is an event, some proof of event/promo material, (poster, Facebook event page/photos, design etc.)
- Where it is for promotional material or club merch, pdf copies of the design
- COMPLETE FORM
No proof of payment?
- If you have lost receipts or only received an invoice and have no proof you paid cash, you can submit a completed Statutory Declaration (Stat Dec)
- Statutory Declarations are legal documents that must be signed by an authorised witness.
How to complete the Stat Dec:
- Explain what you purchased, what for (the event name and date) how much it cost, and the fact you have misplaced the proof of payments. Make sure you also include your club’s name and your role in the club.
- You can download a blank copy and instructions about Stat Decs below.
- DOWNLOAD FORM
SSAF GRANTS FUNDING 2024
- Applications for SSAF Grants are not open to brand new clubs or political clubs.
- For start of 2024, we have two (2) SSAF Funded Grants open for application by all fully affiliated clubs.
- If RUSU receives further SSAF Funding for Clubs form RMIT, we will advise of additional funding opportunities.
- Applications for SSAF Grants are not open to brand new clubs or political clubs.
- These are the Welcome Grant (to help with start of year social events) and the SPEG (Special Projects and Events Grant).
- Both grants require separate applications and are not guaranteed.
Welcome Grant - closed for Semester 1
Due to overwhelming demand, applications for Semester 1 Welcome Grant have closed.
Welcome Grant Acquittal Report Requirement:
- Welcome Grant recipients must submit an Acquittal Report within 2 weeks of their funded activity.
- Unspent funds - if you don't spend at least 80% of your Grant, we will deduct the balance from a future grant
- LINK TO WELCOME GRANT ACQUITTAL REPORT
Special Program and Event Grants (SPEGs)
SPEG provides financial support for:
- Special projects s or events that meet at least one of RUSU’s priorities for SSAF SPEG (see Q11 on the Application Form)
- Eligible events not already delivered but which will be delivered during the calendar year the SPEG is awarded.
Important SPEG information:
- See the Application Form for 2024 SPEG amounts available.
- No more than 50% of an event/activity's total costs can be covered by a SPEG.
- Clubs with sufficient funds to self-fund their project/event and/or where the project/event will make a significant profit might not receive a SPEG - you may apply but you will need to justify why your activity/event should receive a SPEG.
- SPEG is usually paid to the event supplier/s (venue, caterer, performers, etc)
- SPEG funds are not paid directly to a club except as a reimbursement.
- For more info about the criteria that SPEG applications are assessed against, please refer to the 2024 SPEG Assessment Rubric
- Contact your Clubs Officer if you need advice about your event/activity and the SPEG application process and criteria.
SPEG Acquittal Report Requirement:
- SPEG recipients must submit an Acquittal Report within 2 weeks of their funded activity.
- SPEG reimbursements are calculated through the recipients SPEG Acquittal Report.
- Failure to submit an Acquittal Report will result in loss of further funding to the equivalent amount received in SPEG.
- LINK TO SPEG ACQUITTAL REPORT
How to apply for a SPEG:
- Applications require a full budget for the activity/event as approved by the applicant club/s Executive leaders. Must include estimated income/spending and profit/loss.
- Evidence about costs the SPEG is to cover is also required (quotes, invoices, other information about costs, etc.)
- Funded Projects Events may be delivered any time in 2024 but after a certain date (see SPEG 2024 Application Rounds info next section)
- Applications are not accepted for Events/Activities already delivered.
- APPLY FOR A 2024 SPEG HERE
SPEG 2024 Application Rounds:
- Applications require a full budget for the activity/event as approved by the applicant club/s Executive leaders. Must include estimated income/spending and profit/loss.
- Evidence about costs the SPEG is to cover is also required (quotes, invoices, other information about costs, etc.)
- Funded Projects Events may be delivered any time in 2024 but after a certain date (see SPEG 2024 Application Rounds info next section)
- Applications are not accepted for Events/Activities already delivered.
- APPLY FOR A 2024 SPEG HERE
SPEG 2024 Application Rounds
| ROUND # |
For 2024 projects/events to be delivered any time after: |
Opening date |
Closing date |
| 1 |
26 Feb 2023 |
19 Dec 2023 |
7 Feb 2024 |
| 2 |
22 April 2024 |
9th Feb 2024 |
4th April 2024 |
| 3 |
22 July 2024 |
27 May 2024 |
23 June 2024 |
Finances
Club Bank Accounts
Learn about managing your RUSU Club bank account (and the money in it!) by reading our guide. Info about developing budgets is two sections down
Read Guide
Insurance
Only Club events/activities that have received the Club Event Risk Management Approval (ERMA) are covered by RMIT Public Liability Insurance. The link to apply for ERMA and additional risk management information can be found in the Risk Management section of Clubs Resources.
Individual club leaders open themselves to personal liability where ERMA is not gained.
Find out how to obtain insurance through RMIT.
RMIT Insurance
Budgeting
Use this Budget Template worksheet to develop your budget plan.
Spreadsheet
Read through our example activity budget to get a better idea of how to work your budget.
Example
About Invoices
Australian Tax Invoice Requirements
For SPEG grants and just generally, when your club makes a significant order/purchase, it should receive a Tax Invoice from your seller/suppliers. If your seller/supplier does not have an Australian Business Number (ABN), they must complete a Statement of Supplier. The info sheet below has the details you need to make sure the invoices you receive are 100% correct.
Tax Invoice Info
About Club-issued Invoices
- If your club needs to issue an invoice (for example to a sponsor or industry event participant), clubs do not issue a "tax invoice" unless the club is registered for GST (Goods & Services Tax). Instead, just issue an "invoice" with no reference to tax or GST.
- Clubs only need to register GST if the club's annual income is over/is likely to be over a certain amount. It is unlikely that any RUSU Club will ever reach this threshold!
- For more information about GST thresholds, please see the Australian Government web page www.ato.gov.au/Business/GST/Registering-for-GST
About Invoices issued to Clubs
If your club orders something, the club leader who places the order may need to provide their personal Melbourne address for the invoice (for billing purposes). This is especially important for booking on-campus event costs/services (RMIT Security, cleaners, RMIT Venues Staff, Insight AV etc.). DO NOT provide the RUSU or RMIT address - these are not RUSU or RMIT's invoices to pay.
Borrowing an EFTPOS machine
RUSU affiliate Clubs may request to borrow a RUSU EFTPOS machine for certain types of club events held on the City Campus (not for Clubs Day etc.). RUSU Clubs Department can't guarantee all requests will be approved. Please contact your RUSU Clubs Officer for a link to the booking form.
You can also talk to the Commonwealth Bank about hiring electronic terminals. Payment square systems (such as can be bought at Office Works etc.) generally require the user to have an ABN (Australian Business Number) or to be linked to an individual.
Clubs and Sponsorship
RUSU Clubs are encouraged to find people, companies, and other organisations (including RMIT University Departments) to support the club as sponsors.
Sponsorship might be financial ($AUD) or "in kind" - discounts (for the club and/or its members), free things for the club to use or give to members, guest speakers or performers, etc.
Info about clubs and sponsorship
- Read this " About Sponsorship Guide " if you want to know more about what's involved in clubs and sponsorship.
- The premise of the Guide is to help identify "best practices" around clubs and sponsorship - types of sponsors and the process of getting and keeping sponsors.
- RUSU clubs may issue their own invoices but they are not permitted to use the RUSU ABN (Australian Business Number). See the "About Invoices" section above if the club is going to issue it's own invoice to a sponsor.
Do your sponsor require an ABN on the invoice?
- RUSU clubs may issue their own invoices but they are not permitted to use the RUSU ABN (Australian Business Number).
- If your club requires an invoice from an ABN covered company, RUSU is able to invoice a club sponsor on behalf of your club. There are some conditions and it can take some time. The sponsor transfers the funds to RUSU and RUSU transfers all of the funds to the club.
- Use this RUSU Clubs Sponsor Invoice Request Form to read about the conditions and submit a request to RUSU to issue an invoice on your behalf.
- Be sure to let the sponsor know that this is what you are doing!
Funding Rules and Political Interests
It's important to understand the rules around funding and political interests to ensure you are not in breach of Commonwealth Government, RMIT, and RUSU Club rules.
Read Now
