Fundraising Priorities and Prospect Management
Introduction
This policy provides members of the University community a clear approval process to be followed by Faculties, Schools and other academic and administrative units when seeking charitable or sponsorship funding to support identified initiatives (including, but not limited to, capital, research and programming). The purpose is to optimize fundraising efforts by ensuring an ideal match of donor interests and University fundraising priorities, and to avoid the uncoordinated approaches to donors.
Two specific matters are addressed:
- The approval required for initiatives requiring charitable or sponsorship support.
- The role of University Advancement (UA) in facilitating the raising of resources through charitable or sponsorship support through all stages of the donor cycle.
These guidelines are intended to ensure that when seeking and securing charitable or sponsorship funding, there is clarity with respect to the following points:
- Securing the necessary approvals for a fundraising priority
- Scope of the fundraising priority to be supported by the funding raised
- Locus of responsibility for all funding and support (charitable, sponsorship, government, other) required to complete the project beyond that provided by the donor
- The ability of the University to meet the expectations of the donor and steward the donor long-term
Note: This policy does not apply to applications to public competitions whether through granting agencies or corporations or foundations in support of teaching or research initiatives, or the securing of research or teaching contracts. For the most part these are the responsibilities of researchers as managed by the Office of Research Services.
Policy
University Advancement (UA) is mandated by the University to be its central fundraising office. As such, UA is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the listing of fundraising priorities and managing the donor identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship cycle.
To optimize opportunities and secure support for University fundraising priorities, it is critical that all University members work with UA before entering into discussions with a potential donor/supporter, whether they are an individual, a corporation, a community organization or a foundation (with the exception of applications to advertised programs, these being supported through the Office of Research Services).
Before any steps are taken to seek charitable or sponsorship support, UA must be consulted and engaged. Gifts accepted by the University of Regina are outlined in the University Gift Acceptance policy.
Consequences for Noncompliance
If proper approval is not obtained before charitable or sponsorship support is sought, the University’s interests and reputation could be harmed, and the University’s ability to raise funds in support of its teaching and research mission could be negatively affected. Moreover, multiple approaches by various areas of the University to the same donor could result in donor frustration, lost opportunities, or lower than optimal gifts being received.
Working through UA enables an overarching strategy with donors to optimize the University's relationship with the donor and the gift size requested and received.
If a matter cannot be resolved according to this policy and in consideration of the need to match donor and University priorities, the matter will be forwarded to the President for final decision.
Processes
Fundraising Priority Setting
As part of its long-term planning, UA consults with Faculties, Schools, and other academic and administrative units for their fundraising priorities. These are then aligned with strategic goals and institution-wide priorities by the President and executive team. Priorities requiring support through fundraising will be managed by University Advancement under the responsibility of the Executive Director, University Advancement through the Fundraising Priority Setting process. Approval authorities for fundraising priorities are outlined in the Signing Authority/Approval Authority Registry.
Prospect Relationship Management
Should a member of the University community identify a prospect with interest in donating to the University via charitable or sponsorship support, the prospect’s name is to be forwarded to UA, who will facilitate the gift, working closely with the Faculty or unit that could benefit from the gift.
The relevant leader (i.e. Dean or AVP) and UA will work together to prepare content related to the opportunity for charitable or sponsorship support and what could be achieved through the project as well as the impact at various funding levels. It is essential that there is a clear understanding of what can be accomplished to ensure there is no misalignment between the donor’s expectations and the Faculty’s or Unit’s (and the University’s) ability to deliver. It should also be made clear what will happen when funding is fully expended.
In the case of interdisciplinary opportunities, more than one leader may be consulted.
UA is responsible for the long-term stewardship of donor data such as contact information and giving history. This information will be used for long-term stewardship and engagement of the donor.
Prospect Interest Based Priorities
Should UA identify a prospect with interests in a particular academic or research area of the University outside the approved fundraising priorities, UA will first consult with the relevant leader to determine possible interest, and then the Provost and/or Vice-President (Research), if necessary, to secure approval to move discussions forward. An analysis will be undertaken of the expected annual costs of entailments associated with the project of interest.
Gift Agreement
A gift agreement forms the basis of an ongoing relationship between the University and donor and begins a stewardship process that should occur with each donor. For more information, please see the Donation and Gift Acceptance policy (GOV-030-005).