ASA - Association of Student Activities

Group Resources

Funding Large Events at MIT

The ASA administers two funds for large events at MIT: the Large Event Fund (LEF) and the Assisting Recurring Cultural And Diversity Events (ARCADE) fund.

LEF/ARCADE Application Roadmap

Your application to LEF or ARCADE should follow the steps outlined below.

1. Plan event and develop budget

Plan your event as usual. For some tips on event planning, please refer to the Event Planning Guide published by the Student Activities Office (SAO). You are strongly encouraged to visit the SAO in W20-549 to get help with organizing your event.

2. Review LEF/ARCADE descriptions and policies

Please review the fund descriptions and guidelines to ensure that your event is appropriate for one of the funds.

3. Seek feedback: meeting with SAO staff, LEF/ARCADE Office Hours

Groups encouraged to meet with SAO staff for feedback, especially for new events. In particular, groups paying honoraria or expenses for performers or speakers must meet with SAO about the event before applying. Contact Alana Hamlett and/or Joel Pettigrew in SAO in W20-549 to schedule a meeting and please email well in advance of the deadline.

There will also be LEF/ARCADE office hours for the Spring 2013 cycle on Thursday evenings in W20-401. A schedule of office hours can be found on the ASA website. Meeting with a member of the LEF/ARCADE Board is strongly encouraged for all events, and especially for new events or events that have not received funding from us in the past.

4. Check venue availability and make reservations

It can be difficult to reserve event space at the last minute, so the success of your event depends on having the venue reserved well in advance. The LEF and ARCADE boards only fund events where space is already reserved.

To reserve CAC spaces, please visit CAC Virtual EMS, and to reserve classrooms please refer to the Scheduling Office.

5. Apply online

LEF and ARCADE applications are submitted via an online form (MIT certificates required). You must submit the application by the appropriate deadline.

For an example of a good application and budget, please refer to the following sample application. Also, check out the application tips and guidelines and note in particular the requirements for events with invited/featured speakers and/or performers. Please note that our old policy of restricting groups to one LEF-funded and one ARCADE-funded event per funding period has been eliminated.

6. Fill out contract and meet with staff

Appplicants will be notified of the result of their funding request via email. Allocation results will also be posted on the ASA website. Results will be available within two weeks of the application deadline.

If the event receives funding, you are required to fill out a contract. You may be asked to set up a time to meet with Alicia.

7. Advertise event, fulfilling LEF/ARCADE requirements

LEF and ARCADE events must be advertised. All events must be registered at events.mit.edu to indicate that they are open to the MIT community. All promotional materials (posters, etc.) should indicate that the event is sponsored by LEF or ARCADE.

8. Spend funds, reimbursing for expenditures out of your main account.

Your account will be reimbursed later by LEF/ARCADE, assuming successful submission of the post-event report (see step 9). If your account needs to go negative, please contact the ASA Treasurer at as soon as possible.

9. Submit post-event report via email to the ASA Treasurer.

Please submit a post-event report detailing your expenditures and the outcome of the event to the ASA Treasurer at , with subject line "LEF/ARCADE Post-Event Report." Instructions on how to prepare a post-event report are available here. Reports must be submitted by the post-event submission deadlines.

After the post-event report is received and approved, the amount expended (up to the amount allocated) will be transferred to your group's main account.


Important Dates

2012-2013 LEF/ARCADE funding cycles and deadlines:


Past Allocations:

Apr-Jun 2012 (pdf)
Jan-Mar 2012 (pdf)
Oct-Dec 2011 (pdf)
Jul-Sept 2011 (pdf)
Apr-Jun 2011 (pdf)
Jan-Mar 2011 (pdf)
Oct-Dec 2010 (pdf)
Jul-Sept 2010 (pdf)
Apr-Jun 2010 (pdf)
Jan-Mar 2010 (pdf)
Oct-Dec 2009 (pdf)
Jul-Sept 2009 (pdf)
Mar-June 2009 (pdf)
Jan-Mar 2009 (pdf)
Oct-Dec 2008 (pdf)
Jul-Sept 2008 (pdf)
Mar-June 2008 (pdf)
IAP-Feb 2008 (pdf)
Oct-Dec 2007 (pdf)
Jun-Sept 2007 (pdf)
IAP/Spring 2007 (pdf)
LEF/ARCADE Fall 2006 (pdf)

Appeals

Neither the LEF or ARCADE fund has a formal appeals process; appeals are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to appeal a decision, please email lef-arcade@mit.edu by the listed appeals deadline.

Board Members

The ASA Treasurer is the chair of the LEF and ARCADE Funding Board. Other members of the board include members of the ASA, the GSC Treasurer, and the UA Treasurer.

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asa-exec@mit.edu
w20-401