New Group Applications

Guide to New Group Recognition

If you have any questions about the below information, feel free to email us at sgb@columbia.edu and don’t wait until the recognition deadline!

Mission/Goals

Your group’s mission must be political, activist, humanitarian, religious, spiritual, ideological, and/or identity-conscious in nature. Also, we are not allowed to accept groups whose primary purpose is to lobby for legislation or to campaign for any person running for public office.

Membership and Viability

How likely is it that your group will be alive and kicking, two years down the line? Groups must have at least 10 members. However, a large membership list, with members from the four different undergrad schools from a variety of classes tells us that there is popular demand for your group and you’ve made the effort to spread the word.

Past Programming

The more meetings and/or events you have been able to hold on your own, the more you’ve demonstrated how badly Columbia needs or wants your group. If you contact us early enough in the process, we can help you get in touch with groups who might help you put on an event, or may even help you ourselves with space and funding. You need at least two semesters of active programming in order to be considered for recognition. If you need help booking space or received funding, please check out our "Quick Forms" page.

Distinct and Non-Complementary Mission

Your group must be filling a niche on campus. In the event of substantial overlap in mission with an existing group, we will try to mediate a discussion with the existing group and see if you fit well together. Humanitarian groups, your group’s constitution should be inclusive enough to allow those who believe in your goals and mission, but not necessarily your current method or location of action, to be a part of your group.

For example, say your group is looking to reduce malaria in Africa. You decide that the best way to do this at the moment is to fundraise and buy malaria nets that will be donated to Sierra Leone. The mission statement in your constitution should not include the part about fundraising for nets and Sierra Leone. This would exclude students who also want to reduce malaria in Africa but prefer a method of building malaria nets themselves and donating them to many different countries. Once you form your group, you can decide by majority vote which method and location to adopt, and/or form sub-groups that employ different methods and target different locations. To be clear, all you have to do is have an inclusive mission statement in your constitution. You can employ whatever method you like wherever you like when you actually start operating.

Chapters of National Organizations

Chapters of National Organizations must be sovereign entities. Your group’s members, and not outside parties, must be in charge of your group’s agenda and decisions. Columbia University rules and the SGB constitution must take precedence over any policies of the National Organization, in the event of a conflict. Humanitarian groups, your group’s primary mission must not be to serve the disadvantaged exclusively in Morningside Heights, Harlem, and/or Washington Heights. The analogous governing board for volunteer groups, Community Impact, is the home for such initiatives.



Once you think your group meets these criteria, review the steps on the right to get started on the process for becoming recognized by SGB.