Recognized student organizations are eligible to fundraise on campus. Funds raised must be used to support the overall mission of the organization. Recognized student organizations that are in good disciplinary standing may fundraise on JMU property.  

Bake sales, or other food sales, must be approved by Aramark prior to the event through a signature on the Event Approval Form. This form can be found on the Event Services Website.  

Recognized student organizations are not automatically considered 501(c) (3) non-profits. If a recognized student organization is a student chapter of an established non-profit, check with the national organization to see if they extend that status to campus affiliated organizations. Additionally, student organizations can apply for this status through the Internal Revenue Service. 

Possible fundraising options include:  

• Working concession stands at JMU football and basketball games  
• Food sales (all food sales must be approved by Aramark prior to the event) 
• Merchandise sales 
• Events with an entrance fee (see the gambling policy within the student handbook) 

Solicitating, Petitioning, Selling, Surveying, and Publicizing 

Recognized student organizations must adhere to the Student Handbook Soliciting, Petitioning, Selling, Surveying, and Publicizing policy.  Fundraising activities may not include door-to-door solicitations. Recognized student organizations can engage in off-campus solicitations but must notify JMU’s Development Office before seeking public donations. 

Gambling 

Recognized student organizations must adhere to the Student Handbook Gambling policy.   

Date Auctions

The purpose of this statement is to discuss briefly two aspects of date auctions that make them inappropriate at James Madison University. It is not our intent to propose that the organizations that have sponsored date auctions in the past had any intentions of promoting or endorsing these issues. Rather, it is our intent to promote awareness of these concerns and point out potential problems and liabilities for future consideration.

Racial insensitivity – Date auctions tend to have the appearance of slave auctions. Slave auctions were a very real and tragic part of the history of this country. They devalued the dignity of human beings to the level of merchandise. Regardless of the intent of a date auction, it still involves one person “bidding” for the services of another person. Whether the services consist of work, time or something else, an auction of this type consists of one person paying a second person (or organization) for the services of a third person. The bidding process invariably involves a comparison of the relative “value” of each person being auctioned. On a campus where equality, openness and sensitivity are valued, any activity that suggests the auctioning of one human being’s services to another is inappropriate.

Gender insensitivity – An extension of the issues above is the need for us all to respect the rights of others and to know that a person cannot be bought. One of the dangerous attitudes that continues to exist between men and women is the concept of “whoever pays is entitled.” Many date rapes result from the assumption on the part of the man or the woman or both that whoever pays for the “date” is entitled to more than the other person wanted. Date auctions can tend to create an environment where those expectations may be used to the disadvantage of one or the other participants.

Developed by Texas A&M University, used with permission. 

If you have any questions, please contact Student Life at beinvolved@jmu.edu.