Guidelines & Policies

We recognize that some funding must come from external resources. These initiatives not only enable an organization to host events, attend conferences, and undertake projects, but also instill crucial skills in members, such as teamwork, communication, and project management, fostering a sense of community engagement.

On Campus 

Non-monetary solicitation   

  1. Eligibility: Student groups may engage in non-monetary solicitation, either in person or passively.  
  1. Activities: Solicitation is only permitted to obtain signatures for petitions on matters of concern to Yale students or to distribute questionnaires of a noncommercial nature. (For fundraising, see below.)  
  2. Passive sales: Links and QR codes may be shared in accordance with the Posters, Chalking, and Publicity policy.

Sales

Yale College students are not permitted to engage in commercial, for-profit activity on campus, except in limited circumstances. 

  1. Eligibility:  Items and services may only be sold on campus by registered undergraduate student organizations, the Yale College Council, and Yale students engaged in on-campus performances or regular publication activities; these sales must support the relevant group’s activity.    
  1. Items and services may also be sold by student businesses operating in conjunction with the Associated Student Agencies or Tsai City.  
  1. Permitted items of sale: tickets of admission to benefit performances of plays or musicals held on University property; regularly issued student publications; approved merchandise to support student events held on campus; approved merchandise to support the mission-based activities of registered student organizations. (Some additional items and services may be sold by student businesses under the supervision of Associated Student Agencies or Tsai City.) 
  2. Passive sales: Links and QR codes may be shared in accordance with the Posters, Chalking, and Publicity policy.

Permitted locations for sales:  

In-person sales may only take place in a limited number of campus locations. Students must request permission in advance and abide by any policies associated with the location. In addition to reserving space, student organizations must register the event with the Student Organizations office, here.

  • The Schwarzman Center Rotunda (submit request here);   
  • Performance venues, in conjunction with a student performance, with permission from Undergraduate Productions. 
  • Residential college common rooms (make request at the Head of College office, this is usually only permitted for sales related to campus events like tickets to a performance).   

Passive sales: Links and QR codes may be shared in accordance with the Posters, Chalking, and Publicity policy.

Please refer to the Solicitations & Sales sections of the Undergraduate Regulations for more detailed information.    

If you have any questions, please reach out to Student Organizations at student.organizations@yale.edu.

Off Campus

Undergraduate organizations are allowed to seek funds from a variety of sources, including reasonable membership dues; donations at concerts, speeches, or other events; and advertisements in publications. Fundraising activities are permissible only to the extent that they are needed to support the activities of the organization, since each organization is operated on a non-profit basis.