The Downing College Amalgamation Club (DCAC) is responsible for the allocation of funding to Sports Teams and Societies within Downing.

Reimbursement Form: DCAC Online Expenses Form

This page explains the process for applying for, and claiming back, JCR funding, along with additional information. For any additional queries, please contact the JCR Treasurer at: [email protected]

The Senior Treasurer, Dr Michael Ashby, can be contacted at: [email protected]

Sources

Every DCAC Affiliated Club or Society is eligible to receive funding from two sources, depending on the type of spending:

1. The Annual Consumable Grant (ACG) is allocated to cover the usual running costs of the club/society. Examples of ACG spending include court hire, transport costs, or purchase of equipment with a lifespan of less than a year.
2. The Depreciation Fund is a communal fund used to fund the purchase of new equipment, with a lifespan of more than one year.

Spending Regulations

The following is a summary of the spending regulations in the DCAC Standing Orders. In case of any conflict between the Standing Orders and the following information, the Standing Orders are correct.

Annual Consumable Grant

• More than one member of the club/society must directly benefit from the spending.
• Spending is for items with no lasting material effect. (i.e. lifespan of less than one year).
• Spending must be approved by the authorised holder of the budget, typically the president or treasure of the club/society.
• Sports teams may only spend on sports-related expenses (no social events).
• Academic societies may be reimbursed fully for events that meet the aims and objectives of the society. This can include Speaker expenses.
• ACG funding can be used to cover the cost of "reasonable refreshment". This does not include the subsidy of dinner. Funding for any amount of food more than just 'snacks', will be provided at the DCAC's discretion and must be approved by the Senior Treasurer at least 2 weeks before the event. If you aren't sure if you need approval, you should speak to the Senior Treasurer anyway.
• Alcoholic refreshments must be cleared with the Senior Treasurer at least 2 weeks in advance.
• Abuse of this funding will lead to discontinuation of funds for the society in question.

Depreciation Fund

• The expenditure should be for club kit and equipment that has a lifespan of more than one year, and therefore has lasting benefit on the club/society.
• The expenditure should be less frequent than annual, representing the fact that is a substantial cost that is only incurred over a period greater than the ACG provides for.
• The DCAC committee may approve expenditure from this fund that was not factored into the budget - in this case, please contact the JCR Treasurer before any purchases are made.

Claiming Back Funds

Before Spending:

• Ensure that your spending is within allocation. Club/Society Presidents and Treasurers can view their remaining spending via the DCAC Dashboard (Coming soon....)
• If extra funds are required beyond this, the JCR Treasurer should be contacted with a request before any purchases are made. - WARNING! Money spent before permission is given may not be reimbursed.
• It is preferable that claims are made throughout the year instead of all at once at the end of Easter Term.
• Claims must be submitted during the academic year to which they relate.

After Spending:

• Complete the JCR Online Expenses form with accompanying receipts and invoices. (See additional guidance on receipts.)
• Provided that the expenditure can be met within the club/society's budget, valid receipts/invoices are presented, and the spending rules are met, the JCR Treasurer will approve the reimbursement request, followed by the Senior Treasurer.
• Once your request has been approved by both the JCR Treasurer and Senior Treasurer, the Bursary will pay the reimbursement into your bank account (usually within a three-day period.)

Receipt Guidelines:

• All requests for reimbursement must include a receipt or invoice. Invoices must follow HMRC guidance.
• Screenshots are not considered formal receipts or invoices.
• Text messages or emails discussing the possible fees are not invoices or receipts.
• Receipts must be: a clear image, itemised (credit card slips will be rejected). The .HEIC image format cannot be processed by the bursary office, so please convert to .PNG or .JPG before submitting. (iPhone pictures are .HEIC by default.)
• All receipts and invoices must match the reimbursement value inputted into the form or the request will be rejected.

Applying for Funding

• Before the beginning of Michaelmas, the JCR Treasurer will email the President/Captain of each (affiliated) society/club to remind them to apply for a grant by submitting an ACG Application Form.
• Each society/club must also complete the College Societies Annual Registration (CSAR) form. Please sign in with your College/Distro credentials ([email protected]).
• Any society which does not apply for a grant by the deadline specified by the JCR Treasurer, or that has not completed the CSAR, will receive no funding that year.
• Academic societies are not permitted to charge an annual subscription fee and, therefore, events should be hosted within the financial constraints of DCAC funding combined with any donations and industry sponsorship, where appropriate.

Further Information

Society Bank Accounts

• Clubs and societies may keep their own bank accounts, on the condition that a Fellow of the College is a listed signatory on that account, and can oversee a hand-over from one committee to the next.
• DCAC will not fund society bank accounts directly. Therefore, clubs/societies with their own bank accounts will still be reimbursed using the DCAC Reimbursement Form.

Society Sponsorship

If your club/society wishes to receive sponsorship, before entering into any legal agreement you must contact the JCR Treasurer. In addition, the following two guidelines must also be met:

1. The signatory must have the legal authority to sign a sponsorship agreement.
2. All funds must be remitted before merchandise, kits, etc are ordered (i.e. the money must be "up-front")

Key Links

DCAC Constitution 

Standing Orders (as adopted 24 June 2022 and amended 5 October 2023)

College Societies Annual Registration Form

HMRC Invoice Guidance

Amazon Invoice Guidance

Budget 2023/24

Budget 2022/23

Budget 2021/22

Budget 2020/21