STARTING A CLUB

Got a great idea for a club? FUSA’s here to help! FUSA’s Club Affiliate program offers a wide range of support, including access to funding, equipment hire, room hire, design services, printing and much, much more. Best of all, it’s free!

Details on how to start a club are available below. Please note that the infographic provides a summary only, full details for the requirements of each step are outlined under the “More Details Here” tab underneath this infographic.

If you’re ready apply for affiliation, APPLY HERE.

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More Info
I’ve heard about University Clubs. What’s that about?
Can we get funding and other support?
What is affiliation?
Why should we affiliate with FUSA?
What’s the catch?
Sounds good! So how do I get affiliated?
I’m still confused! Can you help me?
Handy Forms
Handy Templates
Handy Contacts

I’ve heard about University Clubs. What’s that about?
University clubs are a great way to meet new people who are interested in the things you’re into. Running a university club is a rewarding experience that gives you the chance to make your mark on campus by improving campus culture for students. It also provides the opportunity to develop skills such as leadership, budgeting, event design and management, risk management and more; which all look great on your resume!

FUSA assist university clubs to operate throughout Flinders University campuses in a wide variety of academic, cultural, social justice, faith-based and social pursuits. Your club can receive a wide range of services and support simply by becoming affiliated with FUSA. Sporting clubs are affiliated and supported through Flinders Sport and Fitness.

How do I start a club?
The easiest way to get started is to get in touch with the FUSA Clubs Team via clubs@flinders.edu.au. When you’re ready, you can affiliate with FUSA to receive support!

There’s a few things you should consider when starting a club to make sure your club remains active and grows in membership:

  • What defines your club? Why are your members there? What will it do?
  • Does your club fit a niche interest? If so, how could you change the club to fit a larger audience? For example, a “Cheese Lovers Club” could instead become a “Food Lovers Club” to capture the attention of more students.
  • Is there a club like yours at Flinders already? How is your club different?
  • What activities could you run regularly to keep your members engaged?
  • How could you capture the attention of students to gain more members?

If you need help starting your club, you can always email the FUSA Clubs Team for further queries or to set up an appointment to discuss your club further.

Can we get funding and other support?
Yes! To receive support from FUSA, your club must become affiliated with us. This is quite an easy process, and allows us to provide you with support ranging from funding, to equipment hire, and much, much more!

What is affiliation?
Affiliation establishes a relationship between FUSA and your club, where FUSA agrees to assist your club, and the club agrees to abide by the requirements and regulations of FUSA. There are over 80 affiliated clubs that are supported by FUSA, and we’d love you to be part of our amazing community!

Why should we affiliate with FUSA?
To be recognised as a university club on campus, your club must affiliate with either FUSA or Flinders Sport & Fitness. While you’re of course free to meet and socialise with other students on campus, without affiliation you will only have access to the resources available to all Flinders students.

Affiliation with FUSA receives a ton of benefits, including:

  • $500 Start-Up Grant to get the equipment and resources you need (available in the first year of affiliation, conditions apply)
  • $1,000 in club funding each year, with more available via application (conditions apply)
  • Free hire of FUSA’s extensive range of equipment
  • Free bookings of many rooms and spaces on the Bedford Park, Sturt, FMC, and Tonsley campuses (subject to availability)
  • Free access to the Super Screen in the Plaza (subject to availability, conditions apply)
  • Logo design services from FUSA’s Media Team
  • Marketing and promotional support
  • Cover under Flinders University’s Public Liability Insurance policy for on and off campus events and activities (registered and approved through FUSA).
  • Free event consultation and assistance
  • Free printing and laminating services (limits apply)
  • Access to the Clubs Space in the Student Hub and its resources
  • Use of the McHughs Community Space
  • Free locker hire for club equipment
  • Ongoing operational support from FUSA’s Clubs Team
  • Much, much more!

What’s the catch?
For that much support, there HAS to be a catch, right? Well, not really. Your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) supports the clubs and societies on campus (as well as a lot more), so we ask for very little in return!

Typically, FUSA only asks that your club abide by the FUSA Clubs, Collectives and Academic Associations Regulations. The club must remain not for profit, and funding may not be used to purchase alcohol/tobacco, support political parties, or be used to fund illicit activities. There are other small administrational requirements (such as completing an Annual Review process each year) and from time to time we might ask you for information (such as gathering data on clubs to provide further support), but these will not usually impact the club significantly.

The Flinders University Student Association exists to support the Flinders University community, so to ensure we are doing so we also have requirements that the club maintain a membership composition of at least 50% currently enrolled Flinders University students. Affiliation with FUSA to receive support also requires the approval of Student Council.

Sounds good! So how do I get affiliated?
Affiliation is easy, however, the process depends on whether you want to be financially affiliated or non-financially affiliated. The benefits for each are identical, with the exception that financially affiliated clubs receive funding for events and activities.

If you’re unsure about financial affiliation or can’t get all the documents in time, we suggest applying for non-financial affiliation and applying for financial affiliation when you’re ready. Getting non-financially affiliated is very easy, and allows FUSA to start supporting your club sooner than later! Simply follow the directions below.

How to get Non-Financially Affiliated with FUSA

  1. Draft a constitution for your club. A template for your Club Constitution can be found here.
  2. Start signing up members to your club, recording their full name, student number, email address and the date they applied for membership. A template for your membership list can be found here.
  3. Set a date for your inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) and book a room to hold the meeting. Room bookings can be made via the Event Registration Form.
  4. Inform the General Secretary of FUSA and your members of your Annual General Meeting by emailing the General Secretary. You should also publicise your annual general meeting with posters and social media to gain more members.
  5. Run your Annual General Meeting. A recommended agenda and minutes template for your Annual General Meeting can be located here. The meeting must have at least 5 members present and must have minutes recorded.
  6. Within the AGM, elect office bearers for the club, with at least a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Please note that the President must be a current Flinders University student, and at least 60% of the office bearers must be current Flinders University students overall.
  7. Submit your member list (with minimum of 10 Flinders University students), minutes of your meeting and constitution via the affiliation application form here.
  8. Your application for non-financial affiliation will be voted upon Student Council in the next general meeting, typically held on the first or second week of each month.

How to get Financially Affiliated with FUSA
Financial Affiliation is similar, however, there are a few extra requirements in order to organise your club bank account and to satisfy FUSA requirements.

  1. Draft a constitution for your club. A template for your Club Constitution can be found here. You could simply enter your club name and aims into the template, or you may alternatively change the constitution or create your own constitution provided it complies with the Clubs, Collectives and Academic Associations Regulations.
  2. Start signing up members to your club, recording their full name, student number, email address and the date they applied for membership. A template for your membership list can be found here.
  3. Set a date for your inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) and book a room to hold the meeting. Room bookings can be made via the Event Registration Form.
  4. Inform the General Secretary of FUSA and your members of your Annual General Meeting by emailing the General Secretary. You should also publicise your annual general meeting with posters and social media to gain more members.
  5. Run your Annual General Meeting. A recommended agenda and minutes template for your Annual General Meeting can be located here. The meeting must have at least 5 members present and must have minutes recorded.
  6. Within the AGM, ensure separate motions are in the agenda to A) set up a specific bank account (i.e; ‘Motion: That <club name> set up an NAB Community Fee Saver Account’) and B) to list the elected executive committee as signatories for the bank account. Note: Using the agenda template (linked in point 5  or in the Handy Templates section below) will ensure you run the meeting correctly.
  7. Within the AGM, elect office bearers for the club, with at least a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Please note that the President must be a current Flinders University student, and at least 60% of the office bearers must be current Flinders University students overall.
  8. With the executive committee, take your constitution and AGM minutes to your bank of choice and sign up for a not-for-profit bank account. FUSA clubs typically use an NAB Community Fee Saver Account. Ensure at least two executive committee members (who are current Flinders students) are listed as signatories of the account.
  9. Submit your member list, constitution, AGM minutes and club bank account details via the affiliation application form here.
  10. Your application for financial affiliation will be voted upon Student Council in the next general meeting, typically held on the first or second week of each month.

I’m still confused! Can you help me?
Of course! You can email the Clubs Team at clubs@flinders.edu.au for queries or to set up an appointment to discuss your club in person.

Handy Forms
Apply for Affiliation with FUSA

Handy Templates
Constitution Template
Annual General Meeting Template
Membership List Template

Handy Contacts
FUSA Clubs Team – clubs@flinders.edu.au
General Secretary – general.secretary@flinders.edu.au
FUSA Front Desk– fusa@flinders.edu.au
Flinders Sporting Clubs – sport.fitness@flinders.edu.au