Finance & Grants
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
Clubs Grants information is distributed directly to all Club Leaders and Club emails as per their completed annual online details forms.
Club Grants are only available to Clubs that have finalised all aspects of their RUSU Clubs annual affiliation (registration).
All RUSU club grants are funded through the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) collected by RMIT from RMIT students.
Clubs Grant funding (including Clubs Department staffing) depends upon the amount of SSAF funding RMIT provides to RUSU (Student Union).
Proudly supported by RUSU Poster - if your event is supported through RUSU funding or other RUSU resources, please download and print out this poster to display prominently at your event.
Annual Administration Grant (AAG)
- AAG assists Clubs with the cost of a Club’s administration, membership & promotional materials, meeting costs (including food/drinks), allowed training & costs arising from participating in RMIT Events.
- These types of costs above cannot be claimed back through the Annual Program Reimbursement (APR)
- Clubs may update their data by the advised deadline to increase the AAG entitlement.
- To have your Club's AAG entitlement calculated or recalculated, please upload your member data Excel spreadsheet through the form link below - PDFs not accepted
All Fully Affiliated Clubs are eligible for this grant – it is paid directly to your Club’s bank account.
Complete Form
Annual Program Reimbursements (APR)
- The APR assists Clubs with non-AAG covered event costs for approved face-to-face & online club events costs.
- APR is paid as reimbursements to Clubs (Club spends money, RUSU reimburses).
- APR entitlements are calculated on the basis of a club's AAG entitlement - be sure your club member data is up to date!
- Apply as many times as needed to claim back your club's full APR 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.
Complete Form
Info needed to apply for APR:
(1) a copy of the event/activity budget approved by your club's Executive leadership team (2) proof of event (poster, Facebook event page/photos, etc.), and (3) proof of payments (receipts, online payment transfers to suppliers, linked invoices etc).
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) explaining what you purchased, what for (the event name and date) how much it cost, and the fact that you have misplaced the proof of payments. Make sure you also include your club name and your role in the club.
Statutory Declarations are legal documents that must be signed by an authorised witness. You can download a blank copy and instructions about Stat Decs below.
Stat Decs
Special Program and Event Grants (SPEGs) - closed for 2023!
SPEG provides financial support for:
- Special in-person & online activities or events that meet at least one of RUSU’s priorities for SSAF SPEG.
- Eligible events not already delivered but which will be delivered during the calendar year the SPEG is awarded.
- The annual RUSU Clubs Grants Information Sheet and other comms sent directly to clubs provide details about priority information
Important SPEG information
- The total annual SPEG funding pool & amount clubs may apply for changes annually depending on the annual funding RMIT grants to RUSU.
- The Event SPEG is a competitive grant- not all applications will be successful.
- Clubs may not receive as much SPEG as they apply for.
- No more than 50% of an event/activity's total costs can be covered by a SPEG.
- Clubs that can self-fund their activity/event and/or where the event/activity will make a significant profit might not 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.
How to apply for SPEG
SPEG applications have closed for 2023.
- Applications for SPEG only open for a short period (a "round")
- Applications are not accepted for Events/Activities already delivered.
- Applications require a budget for the activity/event as approved by the applicant club/s Executive leaders.
- Evidence about costs the SPEG is to cover is also required (quotes, invoices, other information about costs, etc.)
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
Ony 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 https://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 invoicing of Club Sponsors
RUSU is able to invoice a club sponsor on behalf of clubs. There are some conditions and it can take some time.
Use this RUSU Clubs Sponsor Invoice Request Form to read about the conditions and submit a request to RUSU.
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.
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