Benefits that groups are often afforded from recognition include university funding, easy access to university space, ability to register in student activities fairs, greater ability to flier campus, etc. Some costs that you should take into account include requirement to attend meetings for student government, limitations of mission given that you’re a political organization, greater accountability for actions to the university, and limitations on marketing strategies given university restrictions.[1]
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[1] Note: this step is entirely dependent on your school’s policies. It may be that the benefits from gaining recognition are not worth the many costs you must incur to do so. If the university administration provides an excessive number of roadblocks to starting a recognized club, don’t feel compelled to seek formal recognition. Many successful organizations have no university affiliation. The most important thing that makes a club successful are the people, not the affiliation. Generally, however, gaining recognition is important to making people take your organization more seriously and accessing school resources, including such a basic resource as space to hold meetings.
