Operational and Conditional Fund (OCF)

Operational and Conditional Funding

A remodeled funding pool that assists student organizations with any basic operating or upfront expenses critical to the viability of their group at Duke.

Review full guidelines here.

Capital Expenditure Fund:

  • Funds used to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets
  • Examples include, but are not limited to, tables, chairs, white boards, teaching materials, etc.

Operational Expenditure Fund:

  • Funds used for developing or providing non-consumables
  • Examples include, but are not limited to, retreats, competition enrollment costs, costumes etc.

Student organizations are in charge of the upkeep and maintenance of the items funded through the Operational and Capital Fund. Students must keep these items for at least 4 years before requesting  a replacement or upgrade. Although there are no set caps for how much a group can request through the OCF, approved funding is determined at SOFC’s discretion, once a semester.

  • How to Apply

    Before applying for the Operational and Capital Fund, groups are encouraged to verify their account balance.

    ● How to find account balance on Dukegroups:

    ○ Navigate to your group’s page on DukeGroups

    ○ On the left-hand bar, select the “Money” function

    Please note, moving forward, no SOFC funds should remain in your account unused and should be returned to SOFC is not used for the purpose you requested.

    To apply, there are two main steps:

    💡 DukeGroups Application: This virtual application will allow you to explain in AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE the line you are requesting fund for and provide other important information.

    📢 Hearing: After you submit your application, SOFC will reach out to you to schedule a hearing with our committee to further discuss your application. Be prepared to answer questions about your application and specific line items!

  • OCF Policies

    If your group is within its first year of operation, you are limited to $1000 of OCF funding.

    Student Travel

    • We fund student travel which may be required to attend conferences, competitions, etc. All allocations are made on a case-by-case basis.
    • SOFC cannot fund more than 1 competition/conference a year and no more than 12 people per event.
    • Registration fees may be subsidized for student organizations to attend conferences.

    General Body Meetings

    • We will fund, in accordance with line-item policies, one closed general body meeting per semester per student group (up to $125/meeting)
    • For all events and GBMs open to all, please refer to the Programming Fund
    • SOFC understands that general body meetings are often a crucial part of student groups and allow students to build community within their organization. To maintain equity and ensure we have the budget to fund all groups, we fund one meeting per semester per group. The $125 limit is based on previous student group funding requests to SOFC.

    Reusable Items

    • We will fund the purchase of reusable items if they are proven to be needed in the long-term (as opposed to rented for more short-term use)
    • Examples: Cookware and bakeware, tents/outdoor furniture, games and sports equipment (e.g. netball), etc.
    • We will fund costumes as long as they are older than 4 years.

    Digital Costs

    • SOFC no longer funds website costs, we encourage groups to utilize DukeGroups or sites.duke.edu (a free site building service)
    • SOFC does not fund marketing costs (i.e. Facebook and Instagram ads).
    • SOFC understands that some groups may require specific softwares and tools that necessitate using third-party website platforms; however, since free platforms are available, SOFC will require justification for these costs. Moreover, student groups have access to Duke Groups, the SOFC Blast, and class Facebook groups for free and widespread advertising.

    National Organization Dues

    • Fees may be subsidized for national organization dues on a case-by-case basis.

    Conference Registration Fees

    • Registration fees may be subsidized for student organizations to attend conferences. See Student Travel and Lodging above for details about applying travel and lodging costs.
    • SOFC understands conference attendance allows student organization to build community, interact with other organizations, and advance its curiosity, interests, and educational aims. As such, SOFC will subsidize conference registration, travel, and lodging costs UP TO 12 students within an organization. Additionally, there is a 20 USD Cap per full day per student (Up to 2 Full days) Note: Reimbursements take 10 weeks to process

    Retreats

    • Student group and leadership retreats may be subsidized at $15/Duke undergraduate, once per semester.
    • SOFC welcomes student groups and leadership retreats which can help build community within the organization and advance the curiosity, interests, and educational aims of student organizations. Given our limited funding and commitment to funding retreat costs for all student organizations, we've developed a limit on a per-undergraduate basis. This ensures equitable fund distribution independent from the size of a student organization. As a result, each retreat is funded at the same rate across all student organizations and based on the number of people attending the retreat. The $15 limit is based on analysis of previous student group funding requests to SOFC.
  • Not Funded

    • Any items on the Student Affairs prohibited purchases list
    • We fund reusable decorations i.e., banners, but do not fund event-specific decor
    • Giveaways such as succulents, custom apparel, prizes, etc.
    • SOFC is not able to fund full time coaches/instructors