Fundraising and Solicitation Policy

Policy Statement:

SUNY Oneonta solicits and receives charitable gifts and grants through the Division of University Advancement and the SUNY Oneonta Foundation, Inc. (the Foundation) to enhance the academic status and support the mission of SUNY Oneonta. The Division employs a systematic and strategic approach to securing gifts and grants from individuals, foundations, corporations and other sources. The intent of this policy is to maximize the effectiveness of institutional fundraising efforts and to avoid “donor fatigue” or confusion on the part of donors and prospective donors.

Rationale:

The Foundation was created to raise, receive, and administer private funds for scientific, educational and charitable purposes for SUNY Oneonta. The Foundation has the sole authority to receive and administer private charitable contributions to SUNY Oneonta. As a 501 c (3) organization, the Foundation is the only campus related organization that can issue receipts for charitable contributions for IRS tax and legal purposes.

Applicability of the Policy:

This policy applies to all SUNY Oneonta faculty, staff and students, and includes any individual or organization that is involved in the solicitation of charitable gifts on behalf of SUNY Oneonta or the Foundation. Collection of payments for SUNY Oneonta activities not defined as fundraising are subject to the SUNY Oneonta Cash Handling and Payment Collection policy.

Policy Elaboration:

Generating private support for SUNY Oneonta is an institutional priority. Private support, raised through charitable giving, provides substantial financial resources for SUNY Oneonta’s students, faculty, staff and academic and campus programs.
Coordinated and planned solicitations by SUNY Oneonta, faculty/staff, and any agents of the institution are necessary for successful fundraising. Restricted appeals for individual SUNY Oneonta programs or departments should be rarely requested or implemented.
From time to time students and SUNY Oneonta employees engage in fundraising activities in which the institution is not the intended beneficiary. Those who organize activities in which SUNY Oneonta is not the beneficiary must clearly disclose who, or what organization, the beneficiary is.

Definitions:

Fundraising is the professional process of obtaining voluntary contributions from various sources for the support of an organization or project. Fundraising includes any activities that can reasonably be considered as solicitation of charitable gifts, contributions, pledges from individuals or grants from corporations, foundations or other organizations (excluding those activities conducted through the SUNY Research Foundation).

This includes solicitations or communications that:
1) claim to benefit SUNY Oneonta, departments, programs or entities, or members of the SUNY Oneonta community;
2) require checks be written payable to (or otherwise processed by) the Foundation; 3) promise donors or create an expectation for a gift receipt for tax purposes.

Gifts include:

• Voluntarily given transfers of value: including cash, checks, securities, credit card transactions, real or personal property such as land, homes, collections, jewelry, and artwork
• Gifts-in-kind (equipment, furnishings, software, inventory, etc.)
• Deferred or planned gifts (commitments made through an individual’s estate plan)

Procedures:

All fundraising efforts on behalf of SUNY Oneonta must be consistent with the following:

• Maximize effectiveness of SUNY Oneonta's overall fundraising program
• Meet IRS standards for tax deductibility
• Meet PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards (when appropriate)
• Adhere to the Foundation’s Grant and Gift Acceptance Policy
• Be coordinated and approved by the Division of University Advancement to prevent or eliminate over-solicitation of any demographic (alumni, businesses, faculty/staff, parents, foundations, etc.)

To engage in a fundraising initiative, a Fundraising Initiative Request Form must be completed. Completed forms must be submitted to and reviewed by the vice president for advancement who will approve or deny them based on the feasibility of the project, and conformity with the conditions above.

Related Documents / Policies:

State University at Oneonta Foundation Grant and Gift Acceptance Policy (pg.19-28)

Credit Card Processing and Handling Security Policy
Cash Handling and Payment Collection Policy