Fundraising Ideas

Admission sales tax will be deducted from proceeds and remitted to the City of Boulder. Current admission tax rate is 5%.

Cash or check donations to a student organization are not tax-deductible. Donations through CU Crowdfunding are tax-deductible.

Games where an entry fee may be charged and the winning individual or team could win a prize.

University of Colorado Boulder Crowdfunding is an online fundraising tool available to CU Boulder students, faculty and staff. Created by the university, the crowdfunding platform provides an opportunity to share fundraising campaigns to an expanded audience garnering peer-to-peer financial support for a specific goal.

Crowdfunding donations are tax deductible to the donor and proceeds are exempt from GAIR.

To apply for a crowdfunding campaign, visit CSI to discuss your club’s campaign idea. More information on CU Boulder Crowdfunding.

CSI Finance will deduct tax from food sale proceeds and remit to state and local entities. Current food sales tax is 8.995% as of December 2019.

To reserve a space on campus, contact CU Events Planning & Catering, 303-492-8833, UMC room 140.

Vendors that sell or promote a product on campus must be sponsored by a registered student organization. Vendors that wish to rent Loggia space in the UMC must contact CU Events Planning & Catering, 303-492-8833, UMC room 140) where they will be instructed to contact student organizations from the BuffConnect directory for sponsorship. Student organizations may bring in outside vendors they are currently working with. 

Vendors will pay a daily loggia fee, of which a minimum of $35 per day is paid into the student organization’s BuffConnect account. Student organizations may negotiate a higher rate.

A raffle is a game of chance lottery in which a prize is won by a random drawing. Raffles are classified as gambling and must be administered by a games manager certified by the Colorado Secretary of State. Student organizations that wish to conduct a raffle are required to attend a meeting with the CSI assistant director for finance a minimum of 60 days in advance of the raffle. Advertising and ticket sales are not permitted until a meeting is held.

Many restaurants will support student organizations by donating a portion of their proceeds for a set block of time. Some restaurants may require a W-9 for tax deduction purposes. Unfortunately, because student organizations are not considered “part of” the university, student organizations may not use the university’s W-9 form.

Student organizations may apply for an EIN number with the IRS which is needed to complete a W-9 form. CSI Finance can not assist student organizations in obtaining an EIN, and student organizations with an EIN number may be responsible for reporting income to the IRS.

Student organizations may charge for services and deposit the proceeds into their BuffConnect account. Examples of services may include: photography for an event, graphic design for posters and logos, private music or comedy shows for departments on campus, henna etc.

Silent auctions can be a great way to generate funds greater than the value of the items auctioned. Items auctioned can be purchased or donated from individuals or businesses. Please meet with the CSI Assistant Director for Finance to discuss potential tax implications and required documentation for silent auctions.

Sponsorships occur when companies or individuals provide money, services or other support to a student organization event or activity without receiving substantial benefit from CU in return. In return, the sponsor’s name and/or logo may appear on event brochures, banners or other promotional materials. When the promotional benefit received by the sponsor exceeds the mere acknowledgement of the payment, then the sponsorship becomes advertising income to the university. This advertising income, in turn, can result in unrelated business income tax (UBIT) for the university.

The following types of sponsorships will not result in UBIT. This is not an all-inclusive list.

• Visual display of sponsor name/sponsor logo on items such as the event web page, invitations, flyers, brochures, event program, banners, banquet table signage or display monitor screens.
• Verbal recognition of the sponsor at the event.
• Value-neutral descriptions of the sponsor’s product whether in a print, broadcast or internet medium. That is, the descriptions do not contain qualitative or comparable .language/description, price or call to action to use or purchase the sponsor’s products or services.
• A hyperlink on a university webpage to a sponsor’s website and nothing more.

The following types of sponsorships may result in UBIT. This is not an all-inclusive list.

• There is a call to action relative to the sponsor’s products, services, facilities or company (i.e., language or logo itself, that promotes use or inducements to purchase sponsor's products, services, facilities or company).
• There is a comparative or qualitative description, price information or other indications of savings or value of the sponsor’s products, services, facilities or company (e.g., # 1 burgers in town, lowest prices in Colorado).
• Sponsorship payments whereby the individual or company is entitled to the use or acknowledgement of the business name, logo or product lines in a university periodical versus an event-specific program or brochure.
• Payment by the sponsor for advertising in a periodical, which is defined as any regularly scheduled and printed material (such as a monthly journal) that is published by or on behalf of the organization or one of its organizational units.

Sponsorship payments can be deposited into an approved CU Crowdfunding account or into a student organization’s revenue account. Revenue account deposits are not tax-deductible and will have a GAR fee applied.

Ideas include:

• T-shirts
• Stickers
• Cups
• Mugs
• Pens
• Notepads
• Bags
• Flash drives
• Keychains
• Hats
• Lanyards, etc.

CSI Finance will deduct non-food sales tax from proceeds and remit to the city and state. Current non-food sales tax is 8.845%. 

See CU Events Planning & Catering for space rental on campus. Please note that you may not sell items purchased with university budget funds for fundraising for your organization. 

Some vendors and businesses will provide financial support to an organization that provides their time to a cause. Some examples are providing clean-up services, refereeing, event concessions, etc. Some businesses may require insurance coverage or a W9 for payment. 

Student organizations may seek insurance coverage through the university’s risk management department or through a third party entity, Tulip.

Student organizations may apply for an EIN number with the IRS which is needed to complete a W-9 form. CSI Finance cannot assist student organizations in obtaining an EIN, and student organizations with an EIN number may be responsible for reporting income to the IRS.