PEA Funding For Students’ Organizations Investigated

Each year, the Academy administration distributes funds to clubs around campus, which allow them to run and participate in activities and competitions. The funding is determined by the Student Funding Committee that consists of Leigh Drapeau, Stephanie Girard, John Hutchins, Joanne Lembo, Dean Melissa Mischke and Dean Ethan Shapiro. The funds come from a variety of sources, including the Richard Ward Day Fund, Davis Fund, Harvard Knowles Residential Life Fund, Loewenstein Fund, and Riordan Fund, in addition to alumni and other donors.These funds provide money for student events, club trips and team competitions. Ideally, each student group acquires funding deemed appropriate for its unique needs. While each organization’s expenses differ, the committee tries to distribute the funds relatively equally.In order to receive funding, officially recognized clubs must apply for money from the committee each year. The committee responds to applications from new clubs over student groups who have received discretionary funding within the last two years in an effort to distribute money equally.

“I think that if we reconsidered the allocation of funds, there will be a richer diversity of extracurriculars on campus.”

Although there is no limit on the number of times clubs can request funds, there may not always be money available. “A new club formed mid-year may not receive funding until the following budget year,” Chief Financial Officer David Hanson said. According to Hanson, “most of the discretionary or budgeted funding is already used, but we try to entertain requests as they arise.”To prevent haphazard applications, the Student Funding Committee asks each club to think ahead and plan with their advisors to request for club funds early. The committee tries to fully cover all essential costs for skill-based events such as tournaments and competitions. However, for volunteered events, the school may only cover the full costs on a limited basis ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. Any expense not covered by this amount must be provided by the club members or faculty advisors.Student Council’s Budget Committee also plays an important role in overseeing the distribution of money to help clubs enhance the Exeter experience. “We [the committee] look to fund clubs that...enrich the broader campus life,” committee head and senior Matthew McShea explained. The committee has funded events such as the American Culture Club to have a tailgate for sports games and gave funds for a club to travel to a vegetarian conference who then shared what they learned with the community.The Budget Committee accepts proposals from campus groups that detail how received funding will be allocated. Every Tuesday, the 20 committee members discuss the merits of incoming applications and then votes on whether to approve the spending. According to McShea, “most of the time, we approve and get the club on the way to making Exeter better.”While funds allocated by the Budget Committee are vital to the operations of many of the more well-known clubs on campus, the process sometimes fails to promote the growth of new, smaller clubs that are eager to grow. Upper Jackson Parell, co-head of Exeter Entrepreneurship Club described the “major difficulties” he faces in trying to secure club funding. “As co-head of a start-up club like EEC, I find myself in a difficult situation,” he said. “I would like to grow my club, but I can’t do so without proper funding, which often goes to larger organizations.”Parell lamented the fact that such a large number of new clubs fail because of inadequate funding. He also stressed the potential benefits that redistributing funds to smaller clubs could have on student life. “I think that if we reconsidered the allocation of funds, there will be a richer diversity of extracurriculars on campus.”While many of the large student organizations on campus rely on funding from Student Council, Some clubs, like The Exonian, have endowments that have accumulated over the years from continuous donor support. These clubs do not have to go through the process of requesting funding. If a donor earmarks their donation for a certain club, the school must put this donation into that club’s endowment.The total amount of money that the Academy has varies depending on donor support. “Donors may provide additional support throughout the year or may add to endowed support,” Hanson said. Nevertheless, the committee distributes the money wisely to meet a variety of student needs.Regardless of the potential complications involved in club funding, Hanson strongly supports student groups. “Clubs are a vital part of the educational experience in high school.” Hanson said. “They enriched my experience significantly, and some of my best friends to this day are people I met through clubs in high school.”