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CAM REGULATION

SOLICITING AND ACCEPTING GIFTS AND DONATIONS

SECTION ONE: GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1.01 Definition of Gift/Donation 

For purposes of this regulation, “gift” and “donation” are defined as:

  • Grants and non-monetary gifts from private philanthropic individuals, partnerships, or foundations;

  • Voluntary transfer of value, usually in the form of cash, checks, securities, real property, or personal property;

  • Cash, securities, and gifts-in-kind such as real estate, art, literary materials, automobiles, equipment, software, etc.; and

  • Use of equipment, vehicles, membership privileges, real or personal property, or other goods and services for College operations or functions. 

  • Gifts and donations do not include:

  • Transactions, as determined by the College President, that may not be recognized as charitable donations by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service; 

  • Transactions where the donor may retain explicit or implicit control over the use of the donation after acceptance; and

  • Contractual agreements (i.e. quid pro quo arrangements).

1.02 Authority to Solicit and Accept Gifts to the College

The College President must give prior approval for the solicitation or acceptance of all grants or gifts, and must approve all external fundraising activities.  Final authority for the acceptance of gifts of real property rests with the Board of Trustees.

1.03 Unsolicited Gifts

If an individual or entity inquires without solicitation about a potential gift to the College, the employee should obtain the potential donor’s name and contact information, refer the potential donor to the College President, and notify the Office of the President about the inquiry.   

1.04 College as Gift Recipient

Although the College will honor the wishes of donors when accepting a gift, gifts must be made to the College and may not be made directly to individual employees, groups of employees, administrative units, or academic programs. 

1.05 Criteria Used In Considering Gift Acceptance

All accepted gifts must contribute to the College’s basic mission and purpose and enhance overall College resources without undue budgetary expenditures or constraints.  

The following criteria will be used in considering the acceptance of noncash gifts:

  • potential utility of the gift for the College;

  • acceptability of donor restrictions;

  • market value if disposal of the item is permitted by the donor;

  • space requirements if the item is to be retained for College use; and

  • expense to the College associated with the gift, including repairs, maintenance renovations, annual operating expense, shipping, storage, safekeeping, disposal, etc.


1.06 Authorization to Solicit Gifts on Behalf of the College

The College President may give prior authorization in writing to specific employees, private individuals, or organizations to solicit gifts on behalf of the College.  

1.07 External Gift Solicitation Process

The College President shall issue a letter on College letterhead if he/she authorizes a private individual or organization to solicit gifts on behalf of the College.  The individual or organization must give a copy of the official letter to any potential donor upon the donor’s request.  

1.08 Internal Solicitation Authorization Process

Employees may only solicit gifts or donations on behalf of the College with prior written authorization to do so.  An employee seeking authorization to solicit a gift or donation must submit a written request to the employee’s direct supervisor detailing (a) the specific gift for which he/she will solicit, (b) the intended purposes or uses for the gift, (c) the individuals or entities from which the employee will solicit the gift, and (d) the timeframe in which the employee intends to contact potential donors.  

The employee’s direct supervisor will forward the written request to the vice president or dean to whom he/she reports with the supervisor’s assessment of the potential benefit to the College if the College receives the gift.

After reviewing the written request and consulting with the vice president or dean, if the College President approves the request, he/she will authorize the employee to solicit for the gift in writing.

1.09 Gift Solicitation and Acceptance by Registered Student Organizations

Individual students, groups of students, and unregistered student organizations may not solicit gifts or donations on campus, and may not use the College’s name, logos, or seal to solicit gifts or donations off campus.  Student organizations registered with the Office of the  Executive Director of Student Affairs may solicit and accept gifts or donations supporting the programs or services of the registered student organization, community service projects, or charitable initiatives.  All fundraising activities or gift solicitations by registered student organizations, whether on or off campus, must be approved in advance by the organization’s faculty advisor, the Student Life Coordinator, and the  Executive Director of Student Affairs.  Registered student organizations may use the College’s name or logos when soliciting gifts or donations with express authorization from the Executive Director of Student Affairs and as necessary to identity the registered student organization’s affiliation with the College. 

1.10 Gift Acknowledgement 

The College President shall acknowledge gifts to the College in writing that includes:

  • Name of the individual or entity;

  • Amount of cash contribution;

  • Description (but not value) of noncash contribution; and

  • Statement that no goods or services were provided by the College, or description and good faith estimate of the value of goods or services, if any, that the College provided in return for the contribution.

1.11 Gift Records

The Vice President of Business Affairs or his/her designee shall maintain official records for all gifts to the College.  

The Vice President of Business Affairs is responsible for reviewing and updating this policy. Policy reviews are made in accordance with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness Policy Tracking document.

Document History:

Adopted: 09/1995

Revised: 07/2017