United Students Government (USG)

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How to Buy Goods & Services

NOTICE: THE USG BUSINESS OFFICE IS DOING ALL BUSINESS ONLINE AND BY EMAIL. THE SAME BASIC REQUIREMENTS ARE IN PLACE FOR PURCHASES BUT THE PROCESS IS ACCOMPLISHED DIFFERENTLY. ONCE YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW YOUR RESOURCES WILL BE:

PDF forms
Information and Processing: Sara Hamp nicholsa@buffalostate.edu

If you are a treasurer or officer in a USG member organization any transactions using your USG approved budget will involve Requisitions and Purchase Orders.

Making a Purchase
All financial transactions are processed by the college Research Foundation through the USG Business Office. An RF/USG Purchase Requisition Form (available on the USG Treasurer's Bengal Connect page under forms) must be submitted 1 month / 20 business days before you need the payment or approved Purchase Order.

To submit a requisition for approval:

First, make sure to submit the event that your organization is purchasing goods or services for on Bengal Connect.
Fill out a Requisition Form (located in PDF folder above) and gather the proper documentation needed.
To submit the forms go the to USG Treasurers Bengal Connect page under forms and click on the Requisition Submission Form. You will fill this out and attach the requisition pdf as well as the needed documentation. Submissions must be done 1 month / 20 business days before you need the payment or approved Purchase Order.
The USG Treasurer and Business Office will review the submissions for approval and will contact the organization treasurer with any questions.
Once Purchase Orders are approved and processed they are emailed to the organization treasurer to go make the purchase. Checks are mailed to the vendor unless requested to be picked up by the organization.
Please Note: for all payments to be processed all organizations must provide event attendance from your event using the Event Check In App.

See the Required Documentation for a Purchase for more information on the pruchasing process.

USG is tax-exempt in New York State - if your organization is purchasing locally or ordering a product or service from within New York State your organization would be eligible to have the tax waived on the purchase. All you have to do is request a tax-exempt form from the USG Business Office and inform your vendor of our tax-exempt status and fax them a copy of the form. Some vendors will ask you to mail it with your payment. In this case make sure when filling out your requisition that you write “Please send Tax Exempt Form,” this lets the USG Business Office staff know to send the form with your payment.

Vendors
Organizations can use any vendor as long as they can provide the required documentation to process payment.

Get a Receipt!
USG is required by our auditors to have original receipts on file. Receipts must be turned in the following business day after the purchase.

Required Event Records
Your group is required to turn in attendance sheets and advertising samples for any events that use activity fee funding. In place of paper attendance sheets you do have the option of using the Event Pass system set up through the Bengal Connect website for organization's use. Check with the Business Office for further instructions on these requirements.

Prizes and Giveaways
When purchasing prizes to give away at an event, remember your organization treasurer must fill out a USG Prize & Gifts Form. This form must be completely filled out at your event and turned in to the USG Business Office.

Items with Imprints
Make sure when you are ordering a product and having your logo or text printed on it to request a proof. Requesting a proof is important because it gives you a chance to see how it will look, to spell check all words and to approve the design. You should have any products ordered shipped to the USG Office and you will be notified with a note in your mailbox when the order arrives. The USG Business Office will retain any packing slips from your order to confirm delivery.

Contracts
If you are purchasing a service such as a DJ or performer you will need a contract from the vendor.

Vehicle Rental and Group Travel
If your group plans to travel off campus or rent a car or bus, see the sections on this site concerning those topics. In particular pay attention to the USG Travel Policy which is required for any group-sponsored excursions off campus.

Reimbursement
All purchases MUST be pre-approved and submitted two weeks / 10 business days before the event.
1. To be reimbursed you must first submit a Reimbursement Form (available on the USG Treasurer's Bengal Connect page under Forms) for the USG Budget Committee to review.
2. The Organization Treasurer will be emailed if the reimbursement form was approved or denied. If approved, you can then make the purchase. Don’t forget to keep all receipts. If the reimbursement was denied you were not approved to make the purchase.
3. Once the purchase has been made have your organization's treasurer fill out a RF/USG Purchase Requisition Form with you as the vendor and attach the receipts and a copy of the approved reimbursement form. It will take 7 – 10 days to process the reimbursement check. (Please Note: if the purchase was charged a copy of your monthly credit card statement will also be needed, with your name and the purchase highlighted; account information should be blacked out.)

United Students Government (USG)

Buffalo State • 1300 Elmwood Ave • Campbell Student Union 105E
Buffalo, NY 14222 • Phone: (716) 878-6701 • Fax: (716) 878-6600

usgactivities@buffalostate.edu

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