7.3 Rules
7.3.1
All fund-raising activity at the University must be supervised, coordinated, and directed by and through the Fundraising office.
7.3.1.1 The President maintains a prioritized list of donors who are approved for solicitation and this list must be consulted each time fundraising occurs.
7.3.1.2 No solicitation or negotiation regarding a gift can be made without the President’s explicit approval.
7.3.1.3 Gifts supporting specified research or specified aspects of research must be reviewed in collaboration with the office of the President.
7.3.2
No direct profit-based advantage, implied commercial return or other benefit may result in favor of a commercial entity seeking to donate funds or other gifts to the University. (Chapter 22)
7.3.2.1 Donations of specialized/unique research or other equipment which may require servicing and maintenance by the donor’s commercial enterprise require justification prior to acceptance.
7.3.3
Gifts which may involve donor use of the University names and marks must be coordinated with the office of the Vice President for Public Relations & Communication. (Chapter 16)
7.3.4
Fundraising proposals must satisfy the following criteria:
7.3.4.1 The funds raised will support a key mission or objective of the University;
7.3.4.2 The fundraising arrangement will not breach any other contract held by the University;
7.3.4.3 There is a connection between the University and the recipient of any solicitations;
7.3.4.4 Recipients of the invitations or solicitations have not been the subject of recent or repeated solicitations from the University; and
7.3.4.5 The number of similar promotional events over the last 12 months has not been so excessive as to give the University an appearance of undue commercialism.
7.3.5
Fundraising proposals based on sales of items to the public and use of the University’s name, marks, or logos must demonstrate the following:
7.3.5.1 The commercial entity selected to provide the items has a very high reputation for quality and service in its industry;
7.3.5.2 The commercial entity selected to provide the items to be sold has values and operational practices that are consistent with the University’s;
7.3.5.3 The product to be offered is of high quality; and
7.3.5.4 The price proposed by the entity selected to provide the items is competitive within the relevant market.
7.3.6
All gifts to support research, whether ultimately characterized as a gift to advance education or research, or as a private grant, is subject to the research review requirements established by the office of the President.
7.3.7
All fundraising is subject to the policies, rules, and procedures that apply to all University Funds.
7.3.8
An acknowledgment of the offer of a gift must be promptly sent to the donor, indicating that the gift offer has been received in the Fundraising office and the date of that receipt. An acknowledgement of receipt of a gift offer is not the same as an acceptance of that gift.
7.3.9
Once a gift has been formally accepted by the University, an acceptance letter must be promptly sent to the donor indicating the date of acceptance (not necessarily the same as the date of receipt or the date of the acknowledgement). Acceptance letters must state the nature of the gift and the amount (if cash) or a description of the gift sufficient to link it to the donor.
7.3.9.1 Gifts that are conditional are not considered “accepted” unless the University agrees to all the conditions and then notifies the donor of acceptance of the gift and its conditions.
7.3.10
Announcement of gifts may only be made by the Office of The President.
7.3.11
Processing and official receipting of gifts are handled exclusively by the Fundraising office, in coordination with the office of the Vice President for Financial Management.
7.3.12
Students should not be solicited for funds; their involvement in fundraising activities is limited to providing time and effort (and enthusiasm) only. Any exceptions to this constraint must be approved by the President and the Dean of the Graduate School.