Funding - Campus Events Funding
Purpose of the Campus Events Funding Program
The Campus Events Funding Program supports and encourages safe, student‑led programming by providing financial assistance to Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) hosting events open to all students. As part of the UI Alcohol Harm Reduction Plan, the program aims to build a vibrant landscape of activities that decentralize alcohol use while empowering students with the resources they need to bring their ideas to life. While the program encourages offering engaging activities after 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday evenings and throughout the weekend, programming outside those times is also welcomed and eligible for funding.
The deadline for student organizations to apply is four weeks prior to the event. Student Organizations will be notified of approval or denial in the timeline below.
| Organization Submission Deadline | Estimated Organization Notification Date |
|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | Sept. 4 |
| Sept. 18 | Sept. 25 |
| Oct. 9 | Oct. 16 |
| Nov. 6 | Nov. 13 |
| Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 |
Funding criteria and application
| Student Organizations must be registered to apply. | Student organizations must be currently registered by their specific governing body or UI Department (USG or GPSG, ARH, PHC, IFC, NPHC, MGC, or UI Department) at the time of the applications and at the time of the event or program. Additionally, other organizations, which include but are not limited to, university-wide collaborations and organizations are eligible to apply (e.g., CAB Events, Family Weekend, On Iowa!, IMU, University Departments) |
|---|---|
| Approved events only. | Registered student organization events must be submitted to and approved through the Engage Platform in order to receive Campus Event Funding. |
| UI Policy | Funding support and requests must be consistent with UI policy (e.g. risk management, purchasing) |
| Funding Amounts | Organizations may receive (but are not guaranteed) a maximum of $4,000 for the 2026-2027 academic year. Receiving funding one year does not guarantee your group will receive funding (or the same amount of funding) the following year. Campus Events Funding may not fully fund an event. |
| Attendance Tracking | Events require swipe technology to track attendance and demographics of attendees. Make your swipe reservation at Leaderhsip and Engagement Tablet Checkout Site. Swipe checkouts are available 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, so if your event is over the weekend, be sure to create your checkout for the Friday before the event. For more information about tablet reservations email at getinvolved@uiowa.edu. |
| Budget Templates | Applications should include a budget in an excel file format. Budgets should include ALL projected income and expenses AND indicate what specific items/budget lines are requested from Campus Events Funding. Sample acceptable budgets are listed below. Budget 1 Budget 2 Budget 3 |
| Post-Event Evaluation Form | Events require post-event evaluations and summaries utilizing the Post Event Evaluation Report form. Post Event Evaluation Forms not completed within three weeks (21 days) following your event, could be subject to funds not being approved. Your post event form should include a budget of final accurate expenses for your event. |
| Alcohol | Events must be alcohol free and held at locations where alcohol is not primary source of revenue. |
| Location | Events can be held on or off campus, within the Iowa City area. |
| Promotion & Accessibility | Events must be open as well as promoted and advertised to all University of Iowa students |
| Collaborations are encouraged. | Priority will be given to organizations that solicit other support and collaborative partnerships. |
| Student organizations must have a SOBO or external account and be an approved vendor to apply. | Student organizations must have a SOBO or external bank account for your student organization at the time of the applications and at the time of the event or program. Additionally, organizations must be approved vendors with the university at the time of applications. |
Prohibited expenses for Campus Events funds
Travel
Conferences
Regular Organization Meetings
Hotels
Prizes/ Gifts
Purchase of equipment or assets.
Events that generate revenue for charities will not be considered for funding.
Free-will donations for charities may be accepted at the event, but generated revenue from admission fees may not be donated to charity. The revenue from admission fees must go toward the cost of the event. Campus event funding should not be used for events for profit.
Campus event funding should not be used for the purchase of t-shirts.
Events that have already received partial funding from Campus Events Funding.
Applications should focus on these concepts
- How does this event appeal to a variety of students?
- How is the event open to all UI students and communities?
- Who are possible partners for this event?
- How is this new and different from existing events?
- Have you considered hosting your event on a Thursday or Friday evening, or a weekend?
Complete After Your Event
Fill out and submit the Campus Event Funding Evaluation Report on Engage (the post-event Evaluation Report needs to be submitted within 3 weeks (21 days) following after your event.This evaluation must be completed and submitted online. Click HERE to fill out the post-event Evaluation Report.
Your post event form should include a budget of final accurate expenses for your event with receipts attached. Failure to submit a Post Event Evaluation Form may mean your student organization is no longer eligible for funding in the future.
How to Apply
You can request Campus Event Funding when you register your event in Engage. To register an event in Engage, first log in to your Engage account and select your student organization. From the organization’s page, click the hamburger menu (three lines) or go to the Events tab in the organization management section. Next, find and click the “Create Event” button to open the event submission form.