For additional details please contact the RSO Team at [email protected].

These are general guidelines for creating or managing a student organizational bank account. Note that each bank is different, so their policies might require more or less documentation. The Office of Student Life does not oversee or manage external bank accounts, they are considered external entities and in no way affiliated with GVSU. 

Starting a bank account or creating an EIN:

• Must provide a federal tax identification number. Most groups obtain this by competing an Employer ID number with the IRS. Visit www.irs.gov and search for “EIN” for the most current process. 
  • Can be completed over the phone (800-829-4933) or online
  • You will [functionally] be completing a SS-4 form.
    • Complete questions 1-10. DO NOT INDICATE THE GROUP IS A NON-PROFIT. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT NON-PROFITS.
    • Use 1110 Kirkhof Center, Allendale, MI, 49401, for the address so mail/statements will come to your student organization's mailbox in the Office of Student Life.
    • Make sure the name listed exactly matches the official name on LakerLink. It CANNOT include Grand Valley, Grand Valley State University, Laker, Lakers, GVSU, or GV. 
    • Typically, the president or financial officer sign the form; if completed over the phone, a social security number will be required for verification purposes
  • Once complete, submit a copy of your EIN number to [email protected]. 
• Provide a copy of your constitution/bylaws or articles of incorporation
• Provide meeting minutes identifying all current officers

Renewing a bank account or changing signatures for the account

• Varies widely per bank, so check with your bank directly

Every Registered Student Organization has an on-campus account that is to primarily be used for Allocated Funding (Student Life Fund dollars allocated from Student Senate), earned dollars from providing support for a Campus Department (i.e. setup support at Campus Life Night, managing coat check at President's Ball, performing at Commencement, etc.), and collecting donations through University Development. For information about your account balance, please contact Martha O'Brien at [email protected]

Procedure for Student Organization Account Usage

• Venmo/CashApp cannot be tied to these accounts as they aren’t checking accounts.
  • We do not have account or routing numbers. 
• You can deposit funds in the account with a check or credit card (4.5% processing fee) at the Office of Student Life.
  • We are a cashless campus and cannot accept cash.
• You can utilize the funds by requesting access to the Office of Student Life purchasing card (email Bri when you need it ~about 24 hours in advance and it can only be used when the office is open).
  • The purchasing card can only be checked out for 3 hours at a time during business hours. 
• You can utilize the funds by submitting Amazon orders to Bri.
• You can utilize the funds by submitting invoices to the Office of Student Life.
  • Invoices would be for individual contractors (choreographers, DJ's, etc.) and CANNOT be paid to students, faculty, or staff at GVSU. 

Procedure for Student Organization Purchasing Card Usage

1. To Request purchasing card usage, you must e-mail Martha O'Brien ([email protected]) AT LEAST 24 HOURS in advance of when you are wanting to check out the card. Martha and Bri Slager have the right to deny a request for any reason. In the e-mail you must include:
   1. Date and time you are looking to use the card
   2. Vendor/business you are looking to use the card at
   3. Items you are looking to purchase
   4. Total amount you are planning to spend
2. All purchases MUST be tax-exempt (Present the Tax Certificate of Exemption)
   1. If this was not applied, tax must be paid by the organization upon return
   2. Tax Exempt Code: Available upon request
3. The purchasing card and receipts of purchase must be turned in by the organization to the Office of Student Life by the end of the allotted time
4. The purchasing card must be used and returned by the organization member who signed the contract, as this is the person responsible for all the charges made on the card during the time it was signed out
5. Return the purchasing card between the allotted time/as soon as possible.

Unallowable expenses:

• Reimbursements
• Personal member expenses (personal clothing, supplies, equipment, rent, credit card payments, etc.)
• Seed money for fundraising or petty cash
• Furniture, office supplies, technology items
• Gift cards or items that are to be given away or donated
• Alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products/paraphernalia
• Large equipment purchases (boats, trailers, etc.)
• Gas for personal vehicles
• Ammunition and firearms
• Animals
• Automobiles and other road-vehicles (purchase or leased)
• Business cards (unauthorized)
• Cash advances, traveler checks, wire transfers, money orders
• Cell phones, smart phones, PDA pagers, two-way radios
• Computers, laptops, network-connected devices, technology subscriptions, local or cloud-based storage
• Tablets, peripherals, phones, printers, copiers, and software that consumes/transmits/stores GVSU data
• Copier machines (networked)
• Employment and temporary staffing services
• Furniture
• Letterhead stationery and envelopes
• Motorcoach Charter Bus
• Airbnb, Vrbo, house renting, etc.
• Services performed by an individual, partnership, or limited liability company

NOTE: Purchase of any of the above will result in no more funding and the organization being put through organizational conduct. 

Please keep this in mind when looking to purchase items and use the funds. We oversee over 400 accounts within our office and need to be mindful of our resources when we have organizations utilize the purchasing cards.