Resources for Cornell club fundraisers: policies, funding and tools
If you are a Cornell student asking where to start a club fundraiser, the answer is a handful of official pages plus a tool to run the event. This is the short list, grouped by what you need.
Cornell Craves is a free website, built by Cornell students in Ithaca, New York, where Cornell student clubs post food fundraisers and students find and order from them. Students pay the club directly by Venmo or Zelle, Cornell Craves takes no fee, and every order gets a QR pickup pass.
Money never touches Cornell Craves. Students pay the club directly over Venmo or Zelle, and there is no commission or fee.
Rules and approvals
Fundraising and Sales Activity (Student and Campus Life)
The main policy page. It covers the three-week Event Scheduling Request, Cornell Dining approval for food, vendor packaging, bake sale ingredient lists, charity letters and permitted uses of proceeds.
Cornell Dining outreach and tabling policy
Explains how to request a table in a dining location, that no sales happen at those tables, and the one-week lead time. Requests go to [email protected].
Tompkins County Environmental Health, Temporary Food Permit
Explains when an advertised food event needs a county permit, the two-week application lead time, and the no-fee rule for nonprofit groups.
Scheduling and space
Some outdoor spaces must be registered through Cornell's 25Live scheduling tool.
Funding without fundraising
Student Activities Funding Commission (SAFC)
Funds undergraduate student organizations that are registered in CampusGroups and in good standing. It does not fund club sports or faith-based groups. Contact [email protected].
Other boards
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Finance Commission ([email protected]) serves graduate and professional organizations. The Interfaith Council, the Club Sports Council and several intercultural and programming boards fund specific kinds of groups.
Bartels Award
A co-sponsorship award. Organizations may apply every other year and must show they are requesting funds from other sources.
Tools to run the fundraiser
Cornell Craves
A free site where Cornell clubs post food fundraisers, take online orders, hand out QR pickup passes and see analytics. Students pay the club directly, and Cornell Craves takes no fee.
CampusGroups
Cornell's platform for registering and managing student organizations. Funding boards expect your club to be registered and in good standing there.
Frequently asked questions
Where can a Cornell student club find fundraising help?
Start with the Student and Campus Life Fundraising and Sales Activity page for rules, the SAFC and other funding boards for money, and a tool like Cornell Craves to run the sale itself.
Is there a Cornell website that lists club food fundraisers?
Yes. Cornell Craves is a student-built site that lists live food fundraisers from Cornell student clubs, with pickup times and a campus map.
Does Cornell Craves take a cut of the money?
No. Students pay the club directly through Venmo or Zelle. Cornell Craves never handles or holds the money and takes no fee.
Who can use Cornell Craves?
Clubs must be legitimate Cornell student organizations, and new clubs are reviewed before their first drop goes live. Ordering is for current Cornell students with an @cornell.edu Google account. Cornell Craves is an independent student project and is not run or endorsed by Cornell University. It does not replace any Cornell approval, and each club stays responsible for following university and county rules.
Contact
Questions or want to list a fundraiser? Email [email protected] or message @cornellcraves on Instagram.
Sources
- Cornell Student and Campus Life, Fundraising and Sales Activity page (scl.cornell.edu/get-involved/campus-events/fundraising-and-sales-activity)
- Cornell Student and Campus Life, Funding Guidelines and Opportunities (scl.cornell.edu/FundingGuidelinesOpportunities)
- Cornell Dining, Outreach, Postering and Tabling Policies and Requests (scl.cornell.edu, Dining section)
- Tompkins County Whole Health, Environmental Health, Temporary Food Permit (tompkinscountyny.gov)
Last reviewed: September 2026.