At the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters, clubs are allocated budgets by the Wharton Council.
A club may only spend up to the total amount allocated for its semester budget. A club spending in excess of this total amount will only be reimbursed for the total approved amount.
Clubs may spend their total allocation of funds as they see fit amongst their events but must spend in accordance with Wharton Council funding policies, which are listed in detail below. In addition, Wharton Council funds can only be spent on events listed in a club’s budget breakdown.
Wharton Council funding policies
- Wharton Council funds will be applied toward expenses prior to the use of a club’s corporate funding. In other words, a club’s corporate funds will not be utilized to pay for expenses until all Wharton Council funds allocated to that club have been fully depleted.
- Wharton Council funds do not roll over to the following semester. If a PO vendor delays submission of their final invoice, your Purchase Order may hit in the following semester. To avoid this, please email ug-finance@wharton.upenn.edu a list of any outstanding Purchase Orders 30 days prior to the end of the semester.
- Student clubs may not use Wharton Council funding for private dinners, gifts, one-time banner use, or alcohol.
- Student clubs may not use Wharton Council funding or corporate-sponsorship money to make donations to charitable organizations.
Wharton Council Contingency Funding
Contingency funds* have been set aside for ad-hoc events, i.e., events that were not planned for and were not included in your semester budget. Contingency funds can also be used for club banners, which are requested on an as-needed basis. Contingency requests must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the event. To apply for contingency funding, please submit a contingency funding request through the Wharton Council website. If you have any questions, please contact the Wharton Council Finance Committee at whartoncouncilfinance@gmail.com.
* Contingency funding is the only funding option available for Wharton undergraduate clubs currently in their trial period.
Wharton Council Transportation Funding¹
Transportation costs can be covered by Wharton Council funding. Due to funding constraints and the needs of all Wharton undergraduate clubs, the amount of funding allocated towards a club’s transportation costs is at the discretion of the Wharton Council Finance Committee. Please note the following policies:
Flights: All plane reservations must be made using Concur travel; no reimbursements will be issued.
Trains/buses/subway:
- Amtrak—To purchase Amtrak tickets (non-Acela only), clubs must use corporate funding. However, with prior approval from the WC and the Undergraduate Division, WC funding may be used to purchase tickets for speakers.
- SEPTA—Maximum of two fares/rides per passenger per event.
- Bolt, Mega, etc.—Maximum funding of one round-trip fare per passenger per event.
Contact Ariel Robbins, Associate Director, to purchase tickets or fares. Regardless of payment method, you must submit the ticket stubs and names of travelers after the travel has taken place.
Taxis and rideshares: In certain situations, you may be reimbursed for these services. Please discuss this with Ariel Robbins, Associate Director, in advance.
Transportation for guest speakers: If you need to purchase tickets of any kind for your guest speakers, please discuss this with Ariel Robbins, Associate Director, in advance.
¹ Student organizations are expected to know and follow the policies on this website. Policy violations will be addressed through a student-group accountability process beginning with a conversation between organization leaders and Division staff. Failure to follow policies can result in freezing of Wharton Council and non-Wharton Council funds for 3 months to a full semester (excluding summer months). Information about the violations and resulting penalties will also be shared with Wharton Council and the Office of Student Affairs.