Printable Version (HTML)

Table of Contents

Statement of Policy

Reason for Policy

Who Should Know This Policy

Related Documents

Contacts

Definitions

Procedures

History

Forms

Statement of Policy

Responsibility for the coordination of solicitations and proposals to individual, corporate, and foundation prospects is vested in the senior vice president for advancement. Therefore, all private fund-raising activity is to be coordinated through the Office of the Senior Vice President for Advancement or designee, which will then coordinate with other University offices as necessary.

Reason for Policy

This document describes the policies and general procedures governing the solicitation of private support for University projects, programs, facilities, and operations from all sources. These guidelines are developed to facilitate, coordinate, and manage fund-raising activity to ensure that University priorities are met and that prospects are solicited in a coordinated manner consistent with the quality and manner appropriate to Purdue.

Who Should Know This Policy

• Prospect Management Policy

Contacts

Associate Vice President for Development (765) 494-6902

Definitions

Procedures

Fund-raising Planning and Priority-Setting

On an annual basis, the University’s fund-raising priorities will be formally reviewed and updated through a process coordinated by the senior vice president for advancement, the academic schools, nonacademic divisions and departments, and the Capital Projects Council under the direction of the president.

Solicitation Of Private Support

Once fund-raising priorities are established and approved through the process above, the responsible parties will undertake the solicitation of appropriate individual and corporate/foundation prospects. It is expected that the senior vice president for advancement will be cognizant of all solicitation activity and communicate appropriate solicitation activity to University offices as appropriate. Those involved in fund-raising will adhere to established practices and procedures.

Individual Solicitation

Three general levels of solicitation of individuals are recognized, with each having a defined approval process.

Leadership Solicitations

Approval Process: Approaches for gifts at this level require that the project or program or facility plan be submitted to the provost and senior vice president for advancement. Information to be provided includes:

1. Background description
2. Description of the initiative for which private support is being sought
3. Amount to be solicited and proposed recognition
4. Sources of additional funding anticipated (if any), including University allocation and state or federal funds

Approved programs, projects, and facilities (campaign goals) do not require additional approval for subsequent solicitations. The prospects to be solicited need to be coordinated through the prospect management program to ensure awareness and involvement of all appropriate team members and complete and timely recording of strategies, timelines, and activities.

Major Gifts

Approval Process: Approaches for gifts at this level are to be coordinated through the prospect management program, including awareness and involvement of all appropriate team members and complete and timely recording of strategies, timelines, and activities.

Annual Gifts

Approval Process: All direct mail and phone solicitation is coordinated by the Annual Giving Office to ensure the proper arrangements for accurate and efficient processing, review of timing and content vis-à-vis other University solicitations, and accurate selection of the population. University staff engaging in annual solicitations is expected to be in contact with the Annual Giving Office and to be familiar with the mail and phone procedures when undertaking an annual gift solicitation.

Corporate Solicitation

Responsibility for corporate solicitations lies with the Office of Corporate Relations, in conjunction with the senior vice president for advancement, the president, the provost, the executive vice president and treasurer, and the vice president for research. Voluntary support from corporate sources is defined by University Policy IX.6.2, Classification, Administration, and Reporting of Nongovernmental Support.

Corporate solicitations are part of the annual fund-raising planning process and the prospect management program. As such, the corporate relations office is to be apprised of all solicitation activity involving companies and is expected to be an integral part of the planning of approaches to major local, regional, and national corporations.

The approval process for the levels and procedures established for individuals (leadership gifts, major gifts, annual gifts) also define corporate solicitations. All corporate voluntary support proposals above $10,000 will be reviewed and approved by the corporate relations office.

Private Foundation Solicitation

Responsibility for private foundation solicitations lies with the Office of Foundation Relations, in conjunction with the senior vice president for advancement, the president, the provost, the executive vice president and treasurer, and the vice president for research. Voluntary support from foundation sources is defined by University Policy IX.6.2, Classification, Administration, and Reporting of Nongovernmental Support.

Foundation solicitations are part of the annual fund-raising planning process and the prospect management program. As such, the foundation relations office is to be apprised of all solicitation activity involving companies and is expected to be an integral part of the planning of approaches to major local, regional, and national foundations. Unit fund-raisers may initiate contact with private foundations where an alumnus is the main contact.

The approval process for the levels and procedures established for individuals (leadership gifts, major gifts, annual gifts) also define foundation solicitations. All private foundation proposals above $10,000 will be reviewed and approved by the foundation relations office.

In most instances, corporate foundation proposals will be reviewed and approved by the corporate relations office.

Fund-raising for Capital Projects

Fund-raising for capital purposes is a complex undertaking involving considerations that do not come into play with fund-raising for noncapital initiatives. The Capital Projects Council has been established to review all proposed capital projects.

Receipting and Acknowledgement

The University Development Office is responsible for providing official University gift receipts and information to donors. Depending on the size and designation of the gift and the University personnel involved in securing and stewarding them, gift acknowledgments may be sent by the central office and/or schools, departments, or units.

History

This policy supersedes Executive Memorandum No. B-63, which was originally issued July 13, 1980.

Forms

In support of this policy, the following forms are included:

• Process Manager Application
  
• Process Team Application