In a second town hall forum to gather feedback on how the SGA can more effectively allocate funding to student groups, leaders from several student-led organizations suggested giving funding out in increments and providing incentives to cautious spenders.

While Monday night’s town hall focused largely on the need to provide treasurers with effective budgeting techniques, student group leaders proposed more specific changes to the allocation process. Discussion centered around funding student groups on a program-by-program basis and providing incentives to groups that do not spend all of their allotted money in one year.

Last semester, the body was tasked with dividing $730,000 among student groups, who requested a combined $3 million in funds. The Student Government Association allocated $20,000 more than it had to spend and held an emergency meeting to solve the dilemma. This September, SGA President Kaiyi Xie formed the Commission on Financial Reform task force, which organized last night’s forum.

By allowing 25 percent of the group’s leftover funds to roll over into the next fiscal year, student officials said they could encourage student groups not to spend all of their funds at once.

“[It] would go back into your budget the next fiscal year, rolling it over so that you can have it the next year if you don’t really need it right now,” said Gursean Singh, co-chair of the SGA Finance Committee. “Do I want to spend it all now or do I want to spend 25 percent of it next year?”

Many group leaders welcomed the idea of submitting a new budget for every event throughout the semester, enabling the student organizations to have a better idea of exactly how much money they’ll need.

“How do you assess whether one group uses $10,000 for one event or $1,000 for 10 events?” said David Berlin, SGA’s vice president of finance.

Several student group leaders, such as senior physics and philosophy major and Quidditch Team President Logan Anbinder, said they favored this idea over the current system because it could increase the amount of available funding.

“By asking on a program basis, it helps your group, but it also helps other groups in terms of not depriving them of the money they want also,” Anbinder said.

Anbinder also highlighted the difficulty for fledgling student groups — such as the Quidditch team — to hold fundraisers because they already lack money.

“As a newer student group, it’s been difficult,” Anbinder said. “Having no money, we can’t rent a room for fundraisers in which we could raise money.”

Student officials, such as co-director of student groups Jimmy Gray, handed out a pamphlet at the forum detailing “creative funding opportunities” for organizations and said the body will serve as a resource for ideas.

“Any time your group needs help with fundraising ideas, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Gray said. “The ideas are out there, please reach out; we’re more than happy to help.”

Anbinder said he sees the forums as catalysts for modifications to the allocation system, and he hopes input from both forums will be considered looking ahead.

“It’s certainly good that they’re proposing ideas and inviting others,” he said. “I hope this sort of gets people thinking. … Hopefully they’ll be thinking about it over break, and the committee will be able to hold another forum and come forward with more ideas.”

foley@umdbk.com