Fund Raising Policy : Foundation : SUNY Cobleskill

Fund Raising Policy (PDF format)
Fund Raising Request Form (PDF format)

This fund raising policy applies to all faculty, staff and students of the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) and concerns the solicitation of donations from individuals, corporations, groups and foundations for the support of college departments, programs and college-related organizations and clubs or any solicitation of SUNY Cobleskill faculty, staff or students which takes place on the campus, or utilizes any resources, of SUNY Cobleskill for the benefit of either a campus or non-related organization.

SUNY Cobleskill is not a charitable organization. As such, the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation and the SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association were created as 501 (c)(3) corporations to accept and managed charitable donations made to benefit SUNY Cobleskill. Only contributions made to the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation or the SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association are eligible in any part for the purposes of a tax deduction.

Office of Institutional Advancement

The SUNY Cobleskill Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) manages the fund raising efforts of the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill and is responsible for approval and coordination of and follow-up to all donor solicitation of private support conducted on behalf of SUNY Cobleskill, its programs and its subsidiaries. The OIA , in consultation with college divisions, departments and student organizations, will, where appropriate, coordinate activities to increase charitable contributions to SUNY Cobleskill, including the soliciting, receipt, recording and acknowledgement of all donations of a charitable nature made to the college, including gifts-in-kind, corporate sponsorships, and value-added contributions. No fund raising effort shall be conducted by any agent of the college without the prior knowledge and approval of the Office of Institutional Advancement.

In order to avoid duplication of efforts and multiple requests to donors, all fund raising for SUNY Cobleskill, its departments, programs, student organizations and subsidiaries will be coordinated through the Office of Institutional Advancement. The Office of Institutional Advancement includes the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation, the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Development, the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Alumni Affairs, the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs, and the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Public Relations.

Proposals for all fund raising should be directed, first, to the SUNY Cobleskill Office of Development. That office will be responsible for reviewing the proposal, and will either approve, disapprove, request additional information or changes, and/or submit the request to the college's senior management team for consideration in light of the college's long range plan and fund raising goals. The senior management team will prioritize all fund raising major projects approved.

Fund Raising Proposals

Timing: Fund Raising proposals will be reviewed on an annual basis and must be submitted to the Office of Development by April 1st each year for consideration for the following school year. Emergency fund raising requests received during the school year will be reviewed as needed.

Fund Raising Proposal Cover Sheet: A form for the cover sheet of a fund raising proposal can be obtained from any member of the Office of Institutional Advancement or a printable version may be found on Coby Forms (SUNY Cobleskill fund raising request form). The form provides space to list the project name, originator, goal, purpose, method, individuals involved, and contact information. It should be filled in completely and accompany any fund raising proposal.

Fund Raising Proposal Body: Each fund raising proposal submitted should contain the following.

Executive Summary-clearly and concisely summarize your proposal
Introduction-establish your credibility and qualifications for leading the project
Narrative-document the problem or need to be addressed; establish the hoped for outcomes of the project in measurable terms; describe the activities through which the desired results will be achieved; describe how the success of the plan will be measured; describe how the project will be supported after it is established.
Budget-detail the project's overall costs, and breakdown individual costs of the project. All budgets should add a fund raising expense of 10% above total needs of the project goal.
Supplemental Funding-identify additional sources of internal and external funding
Project Team-identify and provide background information on yourself and other key players in the project.
Back-Up Materials-provide letters of endorsement, pertinent articles, etc.

Prospect and Donor Relations

A key proponent of fund raising is the identification and cultivation of prospective donors and the recognition and continued cultivation of current donors. These activities should be coordinated with the Office of Institutional Advancement. If you have contact with an individual who meets the above description, or invite such an individual to campus, please contact a member of the Institutional Advancement Team to advise them.

Alumni Relations: Alumni constitute a large portion of the SUNY Cobleskill donor base. Management and cultivation of alumni donors is vital to our advancement efforts. No alumnus should be contacted for the purpose of visitation, solicitation of donations, etc. without prior notification of and coordination with the Office of Alumni Affairs. Any time an alumnus is invited to campus for a group event or individual meeting, the Office of Alumni Affairs should be notified for the purposes of alumni recognition and donor cultivation. Members of the SUNY Cobleskill faculty and staff who are attending off-campus activities that may involve alumni (conferences, competitions, fairs, field trips, trade shows, etc.) should notify the Office of Alumni Affairs 14 weeks in advance of the event so that the office can plan accordingly (request meetings, send gifts, manage follow-up, etc.).

Types of Fund Raising Activities Requiring Approval

Capital Campaigns: Capital campaigns are designed to generate funding for a wide variety of long-term projects that are integral parts of the college's long range plans. Future capital campaigns will be planned by the Senior Management team in consultation with the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation.

Direct Campaigns or Calls: A mail or telephone campaign, gift level club, annual giving program or direct request for a contribution made to an individual, corporation, foundation or association must be approved by the Office of Institutional Advancement and endorsed by the senior management team.

Corporate or Business Sponsorships and Gifts: Any request for corporate or business sponsorship or gift (cash or in-kind, including donations of food and supplies) for any college program or event must have prior approval from the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Events: Any sale (art, craft, merchandise, baked goods, etc.), auction or event (car wash, dance, etc.) in which individuals outside the SUNY Cobleskill campus will be solicited that will support any SUNY Cobleskill program or department or any solicitation of SUNY Cobleskill faculty, staff or students which takes place on the campus of SUNY Cobleskill for the benefit of either a campus or non-related organization must be approved in advance by the Office of Institutional Advancement. Such fund raising events being planned by student-run, college-affiliated clubs or organizations must first be approved by club advisors and the Office of Student Affairs and then be submitted to the Office of Institutional Advancement for final approval.

Types of Gifts

Annual gifts are any gifts, regardless of size, that can be expected to recur on an annual basis. These gifts rely heavily on proper donor and prospect management.

Current use gifts are those intended for immediate or near-term expenditure.

Designated gifts are those in which the donor specifies a specific use, for example a program, scholarship, project, etc.

Endowment gifts are gifts maintained, invested and managed by the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation to fund an initiative in perpetuity. The gift is used as principal and only investment earnings are distributed. The minimum level for an endowed account is $10,000.

Major gifts are those at a level significantly above a donor's normal level of annual support. These gifts can be outright, a multi year pledgmulti-yearned gift or a combination thereof.

Planned gifts are those gifts that incorporate some element of the deferred transfer of assents, such as an income trust or a provision within a donor's will.

Acceptance of Gifts

Decisions regarding acceptance of any gift of a value up to $100,000 are made by the Office of Institutional Advancement in conjunction with the Vice President of Administration and Finance and the dean or director of the program area of the college which will benefit from the gift.

The president of the college must approve any gift over a value over $100,000 and any gift which, in the opinion of the Executive Director of Development, exposes the college to an uncertain or potentially significant liability, is precedent setting, or involves sensitive issues.

The SUNY Cobleskill Foundation, the SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association and SUNY Cobleskill reserve the right to decline any gift that is believe to not be in the best interest of the college or the students, or if maintenance of said gift would result in a fiscal or legal liability for the college, the foundation or the association.

All donations toward SUNY Cobleskill divisions, departments and programs should be made to "SUNY Cobleskill Foundation" or "SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association." Donations designated for a specific project, scholarship, or department should be labeled as such on the memo portion of the check.

Tax Deductibility of Gifts

SUNY Cobleskill Foundation and SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association are non-profit corporations (New York) established for the support of SUNY Cobleskill and have been granted 501(c)3 status. Contributions to the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation and the SUNY Cobleskill Alumni Association for the purpose of scholarships, programs and other uses related to SUNY Cobleskill are tax deductible under IRS regulations. Some contributions may not be tax-deductible or only a portion of a contribution may qualify as a tax deduction.

The Office of Institutional Advancement will provide a copy of the 501(c)3 determination letter from the IRS for fund raising groups. Private contributions will be traced by the donor name and receipts and acknowledgements sent to the contributor.

The Office of Institutional Advancement should be consulted for clarification on the deductibility of all types of contributions to the college.

Management of Funds Raised

The SUNY Cobleskill Foundation will manage monies raised for projects through investments. When an account is set up with the Foundation for a college department or organization, the department head or faculty advisor must provide a memo stating the people authorized to request transfers to the college. The memo must include the account administrator's name(s), the purpose of the fund, the fund name, and how account deficits will be handled. SUNY Cobleskill Foundation will not cover account deficits. Requests for payments from a specific account must be submitted to the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation in writing by the authorized personnel.

Contributions made for endowments will be managed in perpetuity by the SUNY Cobleskill foundation. Creating an endowment fund will require the execution of a memorandum of understanding among the college, the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation and the donor(s) wishing to establish the endowment that includes the purpose of the fund and specification on disbursement of earnings.

All accounts will earn interest based on the annual average balance. An administrative fee of 1%, subject to change, of the total market value will be charged to all endowed accounts annually. A 3% administrative fee, subject to change, will be charged to non-endowed program accounts. The administrative fee is charged according to SUNY Cobleskill Foundation policies and procedures. These administrative fees and the 10% fund raising expense built into fund raising proposal budgets are used to cover such fund raising expenses as production of IRS statements, printing, office supplies, donor contact, etc.

Any designated restricted account that remains inactive for over three years will be subject to closure by the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation. Any remaining balances will transfer into the General Fund of SUNY Cobleskill Foundation.

Fund Raising Activities Requiring Special Treatment

Charitable auctions require special treatment according to the IRS. Procedures and approval for any charitable auction must be reviewed in advance of the auction with the Office of Institutional Advancement to ensure IRS regulations are followed.

A fund raising organization wishing to conduct a raffle must obtain a license through the State of New York. The Office of Institutional Advancement can provide advice and direction on fund raising raffles. Costs of raffle tickets (as well as bingo and lottery tickets) are not deductible as charitable contributions. All license applications must be processed through the Office of Institutional Advancement and issued in the name of the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation. Five percent of the net proceeds of any raffle shall be assigned as undesignated funds to the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation. Requests for exceptions to this requirement will be reviewed by the Office of Institutional Advancement on a case-by-case basis, subject to Foundation approval.