Budgeting - 2nd Year Fall Directing Projects

Budget

All budgets will need Production Management approval.

Each director will receive $300.00 for legitimate expenses to go toward Materials or Shakespeare productions. Each Materials and Chekhov project will receive up to $500 for Performance Rights (includes scripts and 3 performances). 

“Legitimate expenses” are materials for creating scenic elements, costumes, lighting, sound or video needs. These funds can also be used to pay non-Columbia-affiliated members of your team. No fundraising is allowed for first or second year projects.

As a tax-exempt institution, Columbia will not reimburse sales tax. Before each purchase, a student must get a tax-exempt form from Production Management and present it to each vendor at the time of purchase.

As you spend your funds, keep track of each expense, and communicate all expenses to the PM and APM. This report must be submitted by 3:00pm on the Friday directly following the Closing Night of the presentation. Any purchase not appearing on the Expense Report will not be reimbursed, regardless of whether there is a receipt for it.

Any materials paid for from this allocation becomes property of the SOA Theatre Program. A tax-exempt form must be presented at the time of purchase to the vendor as Columbia will not reimburse sales tax. 

• All purchases must be approved by Columbia PM prior to purchasing. If Columbia is faced with an unapproved expense, they may not pay it, leaving the expense burden on whoever made the purchase.
• Check with Production Management and Producer before making any purchases.
• If you need to make a purchase online, contact Production Management so that they may put it on their Columbia Purchasing Card.
• If the receipt has someone’s name on it, the reimbursement must go to that person.
• For purchases made with a credit or debit card, a check request for reimbursement is required
• Always use a NY tax-exempt form. If you are purchasing items on behalf of your production budget, tax will not be reimbursed
  • NY Tax-exempt forms can be found HERE or in Schapiro Hall outside of Room B23.
  • NJ Tax Exempt Forms can be found HERE or in Schapiro Hall outside of Room B23.
• When making production purchases, please refrain from including personal items on the same receipt as show purchases.
• Productions can request an advance in petty cash. Please notify your General Manager/Producer who will contact PM at least 48 hours prior to pick up. Turn in all receipts, and the remaining cash if applicable, by 5 days after strike.
  • ONLY CASH receipts can be submitted. You may NOT request petty cash to reimburse a credit or debit card payment.
  • All original receipts must:
    • be itemized (i.e., list all the items you purchased individually)
    • show the name of the business establishment (you can write this on there, if it does not)
    • show the date of purchase
    • proof of payment (i.e., paid by cash, paid).
• All receipts must be submitted to Production Management within 5 days after your strike.
• The following is a list of expenses that petty cash cannot be used for:
  • Honoraria
  • Services
  • Salary advances
  • Personal loans
  • Prescription medication
  • Subscriptions
  • Consultant fees and any other type of service payments
  • Expenses older than 120 days
  • Personal Banking Fees
• If you are reimbursing an international citizen, please use a W8 instead of a W9. In addition, a copy of the passport with an entry stamp and Visa.
• All items purchased by Columbia are owned by Columbia, not the production or any of its members. 

• Complete the Reimbursement Spreadsheet
• Make sure to include the full name, and address of the recipient of the reimbursement. Note Columbia will not send checks to PO boxes.
• Email photos or scanned copies of all receipts to the APM
• Circle the date, total, payment method, and vendor on each receipt.
• Submit the spreadsheets, receipts to the APM within 5 days of the final performance. Any receipts submitted after two-weeks will not be reimbursed.
• A current Columbia MFA Theatre Student is only eligible for reimursement if they are working on a show that is not a curricular requirement. 

It is strongly encouraged that students sign up for direct deposit through my.columbia.edu. Funds are distributed much more quickly electronically.