Concessions Board

Spring 2025 requests for funding due March 28, 2025 (5PM CST)

Concession Board: Overview and Guidelines

OVERVIEW

The Concessions Board is allocated $100,000.00 annually from the President’s Office. The money is derived through Auxiliary Enterprises such as vending machines on campus. The purpose of the money allocated for dispersal by the Concessions Board is to "Make life at Auburn better for faculty, staff, students, and the community."

The Board is typically made up of 2 - 3 faculty members, 2 - 3 staff members, with one from the University bookstore permanent, 2 graduate students, and 2 undergraduate students (specific members are listed on the web at University Administration University Committees). Current Chair is Steve Shapiro, Associate Professor - Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts.

The Board typically meets once a semester in the Fall and Spring Semesters and sometimes we will meet during the Summer Semester, to hear the submissions and make recommendations to the President who has official and final authority to approve requests. Notification may take several weeks after a group presents to the Board.

Recommendations to the President can range from no funding, to partial funding, to full funding. Typically, the funding limit for each proposal is $10,000. If possible, the members of the Concessions Board will try to point out alternative or more appropriate sources of funding for those proposals that are not fully funded or are not suitable to this source of funds. Proposals require no matching monies and are more often allocated to one-time expenses for which there are no stable revenues or alternatives for funding available.

What the Board Can and Cannot Fund

The Board Cannot Fund:

• projects with an obvious link to University NCAA athletics. (Although student groups that support school spirit [like the Aubie program or the Band] may be supported.)
• tuition or construction projects (although we can fund materials).
• any form of salary or travel, labor, rentals, food, honoraria, T-Shirts.
• faculty/staff/student improvement opportunities that have limited application to the campus at large.

Student groups must be officially recognized by the University. AU Sports Clubs filter their proposals through Campus Recreation.

GUIDELINES:

Suggestions for Creating Your Proposal:

1. All proposals must be from officially chartered student organizations or academic/administrative units. In other words, requests from an organization with no official charter, even if represented by a large number of students and having an advisor will not be funded.
2. There is no prescribed format for written proposals but the cover sheet and line item budget must accompany all requests.
3. The proposal should be prepared as if it were going to an unknown panel with no special need to reference individual members. Graphics, posters, photos, or examples may be used to clarify details or explain needs.
4. Remember, only the cover sheet and the budget are required but the inclusion of some (or all) of the following will help support your proposal:
   
   1. 1. Letters of support from the administrative/academic/advisor next in line above the person(s) making the request. For example, a student club should have a supporting letter (or copy of an email) from the faculty advisor, a Department Head from a Dean, and a staff member from the administrator of the unit or immediate supervisor.
      2. A discussion about the estimated number of people impacted by the activity or request; explain who will benefit from the project, show or explain matching dollars and how the requested amount would put you in a position to do something positive for Auburn that couldn't be done otherwise.
      3. A discussion of additional/alternative funding if applicable. Indicate if there are matching funds.
      4. d. A line item budget. Discuss complete costs of project even if some of the items cannot be covered utilizing Concessions Board Funding. For example, if a project needs funding for both salaries and equipment, include both although the Concessions Board cannot fund salaries. Note: Sales Tax need not be added in line item budget.
      5. An indication that requests for furnishings or architectural alterations have been approved by the Director of the Department of Design and Construction in the Facilities Division (844-9407).
      6. Quotes from vendors if available.
5. Complete the "Concessions Board Proposal Cover Sheet"
   1. 1. Make sure to complete the form from Date down the double line. Fill out the applicable sections of the checklist and include a departmental/unit ship to address if necessary.
      2. Obtain all appropriate signatures. Digital signatures are acceptable.
6. 6. Submit original proposal, cover sheet, and any other material in one DIGITAL PACKET (Microsoft Word or PDF) by stated deadline email to the Concessions Board chair, currently Steve Shapiro at shapisk@auburn.edu.

The Next Steps:

Once the proposals are submitted, a date will be set for the Concessions Board to meet and hear oral presentations regarding the proposals.

A representative from the applying group will attend the ZOOM Concessions Board meeting to present the proposal and answer questions to be considered for funding. Each proposing group will have been given a time to “arrive” to the ZOOM meeting and be in the waiting room. Presentations should be about five minutes with an additional five minutes for questions.

After the presentation the Board will discuss the proposal, then call for the next proposal. At the end of the meeting the Board will make a recommendation to be forwarded to the University President. Upon his or her decision, the President will notify the Chair of the decision. This process may take a few weeks. Once the Chair has been notified of the President’s decision that the proposal has been approved funds will be disbursed by the payment of bills. Special draw-down accounts are not set up. Paperwork and purchasing is handled through the University Bookstore.