Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFundraising Policy

Responsibility for the coordination of solicitations and proposals for private gifts to individual, corporate, and foundation prospects is vested in the Missouri S&T Division of University Advancement. Therefore, all private fundraising activity is to be coordinated through the Office of the Vice Chancellor of University Advancement.  These policies and general procedures govern the solicitation of private support for University projects, programs, facilities, and operations from all sources to ensure that University priorities are met and that prospects are solicited in a coordinated, respectful and responsive manner.

DEFINITIONS

• Leadership gift solicitations are those of $500,000 or more typically used to name facilities, centers, and programs.
• Major gift solicitations are those between $50,000 and $500,000 and are typically used to establish endowments or equip facilities.
• Annual gift solicitations are typically conducted by direct mail or telephone and are frequently designated to a department’s or project’s general development fund.
  
  

PROCEDURES

Fundraising Planning and Priority Setting

On an annual basis, the University’s fundraising priorities will be formally reviewed and

updated through a process coordinated by the Vice Chancellor of University Advancement at the direction of the Chancellor and in consultation with the Board of Trustees.  Fundraising for capital purposes will be prioritized annually by the Chancellor’s Executive Committee.

Approval Process: Corporate & Foundation Solicitation

• Corporate and private foundations should not be approached with fundraising requests under any circumstances without prior permission from the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. This policy ensures all requests are considered before the campus prioritizes the projects for submission. Many corporations and foundations annually review all requests from an institution as one package.  Requests for support must be accompanied by a Request to Solicit form and must include written approval of the recognized student organization’s faculty advisor, if appropriate.
• Operating units/divisions of corporations may be approached for in-kind contributions at any time. Proposals from student organizations for such gifts should include the written approval of the project’s faculty advisor and be copied to the Vice Chancellor of University Advancement.

Approval Process: Annual Solicitation

To preserve Missouri S&T’s credibility among its financial supporters, optimize resources and safeguard the confidential nature of records, this policy will serve to govern all annual solicitations made on behalf of Missouri S&T.  This annual giving policy avoids communicating inconsistent, uncoordinated messages and inundating constituency groups with excessive appeals on an annual basis. 

• All direct and indirect annual gift solicitations targeting Missouri S&T alumni, parents, friends or other Missouri S&T affiliated entities are coordinated by the Missouri S&T Office of Advancement Services to ensure the proper arrangements for accurate audience selection, accurate and efficient processing, as well as a review of timing and content vis-à-vis other University solicitations.

• In order to safeguard all confidential information of Missouri S&T alumni and friends, contact information will not be directly released to any organization, department or unit.

• Recognized student organizations, departments or units will be permitted to solicit a defined audience once per academic year (This would be in addition to scheduled annual phonathon activities). 

• Requests for solicitation must be submitted in writing for approval four weeks in advance of the effort to the Director of Advancement Services.  This includes direct and indirect appeals for donations made via telephone, e-mail, letters, newsletters, brochures, or any other direct mail instrument.

• The Director of Advancement Services will coordinate and submit the data retrieval of contact information required for annual solicitations to Missouri S&T Printing Services personnel. The costs associated with the solicitation, including but not limited to printing and postage, will be charged back to the originating group. 

• As documented in Policy Memorandum III-28, all cash gifts given to Missouri S&T and the MSM-Missouri S&T Alumni Association are subject to a 5% assessment fee.   (This excludes funds raised by the department-based phonathon program for which each department/program pays a service fee.) However, annual gift solicitation conducted through the use of “stand-alone�? databases is covered by this policy.

Receipting and Acknowledgement

The Office of Advancement Services is responsible for processing all private gifts to the University and 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 also be sent by the Chancellor, Provost, and/or departments or units.

• Questions should be addressed to:
  (573) 341-4171//FAX (573) 341-4700
                               or
  Office of the Vice Chancellor University Advancement
  212 Parker Hall
  1870 Miner Circle
  Rolla, Missouri 65409-0940