Recession threatens group funding

Student events such as Little 500 are feeling the effects of the economy this year.

The IU Student Foundation, the campus organization responsible for running the Little 500, cut 13 percent from its budget in mid-January as a preventative measure for what the recession could bring.

Student groups – from IUSF to student government – are struggling to find money and fund projects.

Jenny Bruffey, director of IUSF, said the cuts were made to deal with the economic downturn in ways that wouldn’t affect the Little 500 riders’ experience or the overall vision of the foundation, such as stationery and office supplies.

“These cuts ensure no matter what ticket sales are, we’d still have funding for students,” Bruffey said.

Now, more student groups are applying for aid.

The IU Student Association has seen a spike in the number of groups that ask for student funding, which IUSA distributes from money collected from student activity fees.

In past years, the IUSA Student Organization Funding Board, the group that reviews and distributes funds, saw seven to eight funding applications per week, said Brian Saligman, the board’s director. This year, the board reviews 13 to 15 applications per week, he said.

During the fall semester, 76 organizations applied for funding, and 10 were denied.
Similar to student government, IUSF distributes funding for student groups and has seen an increase in applications, Bruffey said.

She also said the number of students applying for IUSF scholarships has increased, but the increase in applications has actually helped the foundation by giving it more publicity among the student body.

But some groups are in better shape.

Doug Bauder, office coordinator of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services, said the center has been relatively unaffected by the economy because most of its funding comes from private donations and endowments.

But he has seen the economy taking a more visible effect on the students the center serves.

The availability of financial assistance for students applying for independent status after their families disown them for coming out is drying up, Bauder said.

“For the first time this year, a student’s request for independent status couldn’t be honored because there were other issues like families losing income,” Bauder said.

Though the center’s funding is relatively secure at the moment, Bauder said it is important to keep an eye on the situation because it is difficult to estimate what direction the economy will go in the future.

“It’s always a roller coaster,” Bauder said. “We don’t count on a certain amount of money.”