Each week the ASUA Senate approves thousands of dollars for club funds — but the Appropriations Board decides the amount.

The Appropriations Board allocates around $140,000 in club funding to the hundreds of clubs recognized by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. This was cut by tens of thousands of dollars from last year.

At the end of last year, six board members were hired, but after two had to resign, ASUA Executive Vice President Katherine Weingartner was left with too small of a board. Five members is the minimum for properly approving requests.

“”With six we could operate, but I wanted to have seven in order to be a full board,”” Weingartner said, hiring two directors within the first weeks of school. “”But it is hard to advertise (the final spot) because people believe that all these positions are filled at that point in the school year.””

Carlita Cotton was the last addition to the board.

“”It’s a good way to learn about all the different clubs on campus,”” Cotton said. She said that what makes the job worth it is the mix of personalities on the board and funding clubs that can then go out into the community and promote the UA.

The board consists of seven directors and non-voting ASUA senators, who chair the meetings. Club advocates help show clubs how to approach the board for funding.

The directors then base decisions on both precedence in club funding procedures and the bylaws set by ASUA.

Funding is broken down into travel and general funds, allowing clubs support in sending members to conferences or competitions for travel or for shirts and space rentals for events in general funding requests.

Travel funding tends to be more, Weingartner said, but overall the more than $45,000 the board has delineated is right on pace.

“”I have a list of clubs that I want to join,”” said Sen. Jeff Adams, the ASUA senator who directs the meetings.

Because ASUA receives federal money, there are restrictions on what the board can fund, Weingartner said.

On the appearance of tabled and stricken requests, Weingartner said she “”doesn’t know how it comes off,”” but that usually the reason for the delays is to give clubs more of a chance to correctly apply and utilize the funds.

Mitchell Manburg, a sitting on member on the board and student studying Spanish and philosophy, added that allowing clubs to resubmit applications allows students the most money possible, even with the board’s shrinking budget. Jarrett Benkendorfer, a political science student and appropriations director, noted the board’s recommitment to funding club conferences and events is personally helpful to him, as his experience in clubs he was involved in was limited due to high travel expenses on a collegiate budget.

Tia Dankberg, a family studies and human development student and board director, said seeing the final products of the funding requests that come to the board is the biggest payoff of what is otherwise a rather unglamorous job. Board members get a $100 stipend for their work on the board, $20 of which can go to ASUA polos to wear to meetings.

“”It’s an interesting process,”” Weingartner said of being on the board long before her tenure as executive vice president this year. “”Most of the time, you get to hear about these exciting events. Students are doing all of these amazing things and what students are doing day to day to get involved.””