Fine Arts Funding Board

 

The Fine Arts Funding Board (FAFB) is a student-run umbrella organization with funding dispersed from student activity fees. Annually, FAFB allocates student funds to support its member entities:

  • ECU Gospel Choir (Expiring Fall 2025)
  • ECU Marching Pirates
  • ECU/Loessin Playhouse
  • Student Forum for Musical Organizations (SFMO)
  • Wellington B. Gray Gallery
  • Visual Arts Forum

Seven students comprise the Fine Arts Funding Board (one representative per organization plus a president). The FAFB is charged with equitably allocating funding to member orgs.

 

Two paths to funding:
  • Each member organization receives an allocation. Decisions about expenditures are made by student leadership within each org.
  • Funding can be requested of the FAFB at the Spring semester board meeting for the following Academic Year. ORG representatives should submit a proposal with a detailed justification for the funds, schedule of activities, complete budget, and any additional relevant information to support the request. Note that the FAFB rarely supports a full request: they expect students to commit to a portion of the budget.

 

Organization funding

To learn how your organization’s funding processes work, ask your advisor. ORGs are to work with their unit financial admin to request purchases and use of the funds.

 

Retaining a guest artist

Only a few ECU employees are permitted to enter into contracts. If you seek the services of a guest artist, you will be asked to provide certain details so that a contract can be extended. ORGs are to work with their advisor and school’s financial admin to set up guest artists in the ECU Supplier Management System.

 

How the money works

The funds approved by the Board will be distributed to each ORG account in July. The school’s financial administrator will manage these funds, handling purchases and processing invoices on behalf of the ORG. All expenses should be processed by the financial administrator and must pertain to items, travel, or services that have received Board approval.

 

How the payment process works for visiting artists
  • ECU issues a contract to visiting artists via email.
  • Artists return the signed contract via email.
  • ECU Supplier Management calls the artist to outline the following step:
  • An email arrives from “Sciquest.” This portal takes about 10 minutes to complete. It asks that you upload a new W-9 (the correct form  reads 2018 in the top right corner, it is available here). You may select payment by check or direct deposit. If you need help or do not complete the steps in the software, ECU Supplier Management will try to contact you to assist.
  • On successful completion of the Sciquest portal, ECU Supplier Management issues a vendor ID number.
  • Your contract is routed for approval at the Department, College, Human Resource, Materials Management and Financial Services levels.
  • Once you have completed service to ECU, payment is issued.
  • The process can take 4-6 weeks and is often delayed by either a tardy return of the contract and/or failure to engage with or complete the Sciquest portal.

 

Six-week rule

FAFB money isn’t ATM money. ORGs can request approval to submit proposals to the Fine Arts Funding Board at the next scheduled meeting, provided that there are still funds available in the FAFB budget and the activity is set to occur within 30 business days. The Board retains the right to deny any requests that were not properly submitted in the Spring or that have not followed the established procedures.
 

FAFB Bylaws

Bylaws for the Fine Arts Funding Board can be found here.