13.06 Fund Raising – Policy and Guidelines
Policy Rationale
The University of Northern Iowa Foundation is the IRS designated 501
(c)3 organization to receive gifts and grants on behalf of the University
of Northern Iowa. This designation allows donors to utilize the tax advantages
inherent in contributing to the University. As a result, all gifts and
grants from private sources to the University should be recorded through
the Foundation office in the Development division in order to maintain
a complete and official record of gifts to the University.
In the broadest sense, the purposes of the Office of Development are:
(1) to create an awareness within the private sector of the financial
needs of the University of Northern Iowa which are not met by state or
federal support, and (2) to implement a plan by which these financial
needs can be met through private gift and grant support. To fulfill these
purposes, it is the responsibility of the Development division to institute
an organized program for obtaining gift and grant support for alumni,
friends, faculty and staff, corporations, organizations, and private foundations
on both an annual and capital basis.
As a result, the University Cabinet and the University of Northern Iowa
Foundation Board of Trustees have approved the following policy statement
and guidelines:
Solicitation of gifts and grants from private sources made in behalf
of the University of Northern Iowa, or any agency thereof, requires
the prior approval of the Vice President for Development.
Guidelines for Policy Implementation
To maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the services provided
by the Office of Development, the guidelines that govern fund-raising
for the benefit of the University of Northern Iowa and all its functional
units are defined as follows:
1. Coordination of Appeals for Funds and Approaches to Donors
It shall be the responsibility of the Office of Development under the
direction of the Vice President for Development, to serve as the coordinating
agency for all types of fund-raising programs and for all solicitation
of funds from private individuals, foundations, businesses, corporations,
and organizations in order to avoid an excessive number of solicitations
in the name of the University of Northern Iowa. Any written request
to undertake a fund-raising program or to solicit gifts or grants from
individuals, private foundations, businesses, corporations, and organizations
should be reviewed first through regular channels by the appropriate
department or division head. Any request involving the planning, construction,
enhancement, or expansion of a building, to be funded by private sector
gifts or grants, shall be submitted to the appropriate dean and vice
president and require cabinet and presidential approval.
Programs to be coordinated through the Vice President for Development
include:
- Plans to raise funds from alumni on an annual basis, similar to,
or as a part of, an alumni fund solicitation;
- Establishment of an "associates," "friends,"
or "membership" program designated to solicit financial
support;
- Special fund-raising efforts appealing to various University of
Northern Iowa constituencies regarding scholarships, memorial funds,
fellowships, aid programs, professorships, endowed chairs, etc.;
- Plans to raise private funds for the construction, expansion, or
renovation of a University of Northern Iowa building, regardless of
other sources of funding, following all appropriate approvals by deans
and vice presidents;
- Requests to private sources for the funding of new or existing
academic programs;
- Requests to private foundations and/or corporations for capital,
programmatic or scholarship support;
- All other programs to raise funds in the private sector.
2. Acceptance, Recording, and Acknowledging of Gifts
It shall be the responsibility of the Gift Records Office (within the
Office of Development) to record and acknowledge receipt of all gifts
and grants from private sources to the University of Northern Iowa or
any agency thereof, including cash, pledges, securities, trusts, insurance
policies, real estate, equipment and other gifts-in-kind. Therefore,
all gifts, grants, and donations should be processed through the Gift
Records Office before being deposited in any University account. A complete
and accurate record of every donor to the University shall be maintained
by the Gift Records Office and shall be kept strictly confidential.
Donor anonymity will be protected whenever desired by the donor.
All gifts-in-kind and restricted gifts and grants to the University
of Northern Iowa for its benefit must be approved by the appropriate
department or unit of the University with other such approval as may
be necessary.
3. Budget Formulation for Fund-Raising
The formulation of budgets for private fund-raising projects is the
consultative responsibility or the Vice President for Development.
4. Fund-Raising Calendar
The Office of Development will be responsible for establishing and
maintaining a master calendar that incorporates the schedule of all
fund-raising mailings and solicitations. Various units of the University
should coordinate their efforts with the Office of Development to maximize
the efforts of any contact and to avoid unnecessary duplication.
5. Identification and Coordination of Appeals to Corporations and Foundations
It shall be the responsibility of the Vice President for Development
to coordinate the cultivation and solicitation of corporations and private
foundations. This coordination will ensure avoiding an inappropriate
number of solicitations to any single source of private, corporate or
foundation funds. In the case of contract research proposals in corporations,
the Office of Development should be notified by the appropriate University
of Northern Iowa unit in advance so that the corporation's contracted
involvement will be reflected in the Office of Development's prospect
files.
6. Public Statements Regarding Gifts and Grants from Private Sources
to the University of Northern Iowa
It shall be the responsibility of the Public Relations Department
of the University of Northern Iowa, in coordination with the Office
of Development and the Vice President for Development, to initiate the
preparation of all public statements concerning gifts and grants from
private sources to the institution or any units thereof. Coordination
also should include the unit designated in a restricted gift or grant.
7. Gift and Grant Processing
All gifts and grants from private sources received by any school, department,
or administrative office are to be directed (no later than three working
days after receipt) to the Gift Records Office in the Office of Development,
accompanied by all original correspondence pertaining to the gift or
grant and the following specific information:
- Donor's name and street address. If the gift or grant is from other
than an individual, i,e., corporation, foundation, association, etc.,
an individual's name and title should be reported in addition to that
of the firm.
- Amount of gift or grant.
- Date gift or grant received.
- Account number and name in which gift or grant is to be deposited.
If a new account is to be established for the gift or grant, so indicate.E.
Designation (school, department, or activity).
- Purpose (scholarship, institute, research, general fund, etc.).
Copies of the gift or grant transmittal and related correspondence
will become a part of the permanent gift files.
8. Matching Gift Forms
All matching gift forms must be signed by a representative of the Foundation
and therefore should be sent to the Gift Records Office for that purpose.
This will assure that the match will be deposited in the correct account
when received.
9. Gift and Private Source Grant Acceptance and Acknowledgment
Personal letters acknowledging all gifts and private source grants
over $500 will be sent to donors by the President of the University.
Personal letters acknowledging all gifts and private source grants of
$100 to $500 will be sent to donors by the Vice President for Development.
Deans and other faculty or University administrators should also respond
as appropriate. All gifts and grants will be acknowledged, regardless
of size.
10. Clearance
To avoid institutional and donor embarrassment, multiple appeals and/or
solicitation of gifts or grants over $100 from businesses, individuals,
organizations, or foundations must be cleared through the Vice President
of Development.
11. Unacceptable Gifts and Grants
Those which contain;
- Restrictions as to relatives or descendants as beneficiaries.
- Restrictions reserving the designation of beneficiary of gift or
grant to the donor or his/her assigns; i.e., scholarships, fellowship,
professorship. (Such "gifts" restrict donor tax consequences.)
- Restrictions based upon the future employment of the donor of any
gift or grant.
- Restrictions on interest rates and conditions for repayment of
loans.
- Any endowment fund with a corpus under $5,000 unless additional
sums are assured in writing
12. Forms for Bequests
All wills or bequests or estate plan documents which provide funds
or other assets far use of the University of Northern Iowa should be
made payable or transferable to "The University of Northern Iowa
Foundation," the approved corporate body to receive, manage, and
disburse such assets.
All gifts or grants received for restricted endowment purposes, when
accepted, will be accepted only on the condition that, should the purpose
for which the funds are provided cease to exist, the Foundation Board
shall allocate the income from those funds to purposes as near as possible
to the original intent of the donor. Such provisions should be provided
in all wills and devices as far as possible.
13. Institutional Advancement Data Base
Biographical and financial records stored in any computer data base
should be treated as confidential information and should not be released
or accessed without specific written approval of the Vice President
for Development or designated officials in the Development and/or Alumni
Office. Under no circumstances shall data be released for the primary
purpose of private enterprise or gain. All Freedom of Information Act
regulations will be observed.
UNI Foundation Executive Committee Approved, 11/89
University Cabinet Approved, 2/90 |
