Stewardship Policy

Policy Title:                     Stewardship Policy

Date Established:          Fall 2009

Office with Administrative Responsibility:  Alumni Relations and Advancement

Approver:                         Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President)

Revision Date(s):           April 2011, October 2020

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy to is to ensure gifts are acknowledged and processed properly and consistently throughout the University of Windsor (the “University”). The activities associated with stewardship are focused on ensuring that the funds provided by donors are utilized in the way intended, as conveyed in gift agreements and fund terms. 

Application and Scope

This policy is applicable to all gifts received by the University in the amount of $20.00 or more, received through all gift vehicles in accordance with the University’s Gift Acceptance Policy. This includes all ways of giving, whether it is through personal contact, mail, on-line giving or other means. It includes gifts received by any person on behalf of the University, including its academic and non-academic programs and entities, events and organizations.

Exceptions to Policy

Non-philanthropic gifts which would include research contracts and sponsorship are not subject to this policy.

Definitions

The definitions below are specific to the development and maintenance of this policy.

Stewardship:

1. The office, duties, and obligations of a steward.
2. The conducting, supervising, or managing of something, especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.

Donor: any person or organization making a gift to the University.

Gift: A voluntary transfer of monetary assets or real property from individuals, corporations, organizations, foundations, and other sources for either undesignated or designated utilization in support of the mission of the University. Gifts are made by the donor to the University without an expectation of benefit to the donor. No consideration or benefit of any kind is to be given to the donor or to anyone designated by the donor as a result of the exchange. Gifts may be monetary (cash, cheques, securities) or non-monetary (real property or personal property).

Designated Gift: A gift made to the University, where the donor has specified how the support is to be directed. Gifts may be “designated,” for instance to a particular Faculty, department, or initiative. A gift may not be designated to a specific person affiliated with the University.

Undesignated Gift: A gift made to the University, where the donor has not specified the purpose for which the gift is to be used. Funds may be designated at the discretion of the Board of Governors, or a delegate as assigned by the Board.

Pledge: A gift, which is committed over a period of time, normally to a maximum of 5 years and no less than 3 years, depending on the size of the gift and the nature of the appeal. Longer terms are negotiable based on the value of a gift.

Donor Recognition: action(s)/events taken by the University to acknowledge the generosity of a donor.

Endowment Fund Reporting: fiduciary responsibility of the University to report annually on the financial status of endowed funds.

Policy Statement

The University holds itself to a high standard of ethical conduct, both within its own community of scholars, students, alumni, and employees, and in all of its external relationships and interactions – with businesses and commercial enterprises, with other external organizations, and with friends and donors. The University intends to treat donations with the highest professional standards and the deepest appreciation. The proper stewardship of funds donated to the University includes the clear and timely official notification of receipt and appreciation for each gift, the efficient record and disposition of the funds and the appropriate issuance of receipts applicable for income tax purposes.

Policy Interpretation

The interpretation and application of this policy is the responsibility of the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President). Final decision related to this policy will be made by the President & Vice-Chancellor or designate, as required.

1. Gift Acknowledgment

All gifts received by the University will be recorded in the Fundraising Database Information System by the Finance Department. All terms of reference documents and gift agreements will be recorded within the Fundraising Database Information System by the Finance Department. All gifts of $20.00 or more will receive a thank you letter from a University designate within four weeks (4) of their donation.

Gifts up to $1,000

All donors who donate gifts up to $1,000 will receive a general thank you letter with an electronic signature from the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) within four (4) weeks of receiving the gift.

Gifts of $1,000 - $24,999

All donors who donate gifts between the amounts of $1,000 to $24,999 will receive a personally signed letter by the Dean of the Faculty, Department Head or delegate that the gift has been designated to. If a gift is undesignated the letter will be signed by the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President). These letters will be signed within four weeks (4) of receiving the donation.

$25,000 and Above

Donors providing a gift of $25,000 or more will receive a signed personal letter by the President &         Vice-Chancellor. These letters will be signed within four weeks (4) of receiving the donation.

Board Gifts

All gifts received from a member of the Board of Governors to the University will receive a signed acknowledgement from the President & Vice-Chancellor.

Gifts received from members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors will receive a signed acknowledgement letter from the Director of Alumni Relations.

Planned Gifts

Documented bequests, life insurance gifts and other planned giving vehicles that have been confirmed through the signed intent agreement should be acknowledged by a signed letter from the President & Vice-Chancellor or designate within four weeks (4) of notification. The Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) will ensure that the President & Vice-Chancellor has been notified of any planned gift and has been added to the Presidential monthly donor thank you letters.

A signed letter of intent and consent (found in Appendix A) by the perspective donor is required to publish their gift intent. This form will also be recorded in the Fundraising Database Information System by the Office of Advancement.

Pledges – $1,000 and more

All donors should receive an acknowledgement of their pledge within four weeks (4) of the commitment, signed, along with a payment schedule from the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President).

Upon payment towards the pledge, the donor will receive acknowledgment in a format consistent with the outline above. Once a donor has paid 50% of their pledge, their gift can be publicly recognized.

Monthly Donations, Staff and Faculty Giving

All donors, staff or faculty, who give to the University on a monthly basis or through payroll deduction will receive a thank you letter with an electronic signature from the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) at the end of each annual year. Tax receipts for external donors will be issued at the end of each calendar year unless otherwise requested by the donor. For faculty and staff who give through payroll deduction, their gift(s) will appear on their annual T4 slip and they will not receive a tax receipt.

2. Tax Receipts

Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $20.00 that qualify as a gift under Canada Revenue Agency guidelines. A charitable tax receipt will be provided within four weeks (4) of receipt of the gift. In instances where a business makes a contribution with an expectation to receive an advantage, such as advertising or promotion of its brand product or services, the University will not issue an official tax receipt, as the donation does not qualify as a gift under CRA Guidelines. The University may issue a business receipt which may be used and recorded as an expense by the business.

3. Donor Recognition

The University wishes to recognize the generosity and commitment of our donors who support the mission of the University with a gift.  Recognition is given on the basis of a philanthropic gift according to the University’s Gift Acceptance Policy and Naming Policy. Donor recognition is provided at the time a pledge is at least 50% realized through payment (including a contribution pledge over time, gift-in-kind, or a documented planned gift). If a donor’s gift is recognized prior to the pledge being realized, the                 Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) must have approved the recognition activity.

4. Recognition Activities and Events

In addition to gift acknowledgments via thank you letters, the University may recognize donors through a special event, announcement, or other donor recognition opportunity. The purpose of these activities is to strengthen the link between the donor and the institution, build trust, credibility and gratitude through acknowledgement, recognition and accountability. 

5. Fund Reporting

The University will provide donors of endowed funds with an annual financial report of their fund. In the case of student awards, information about the award recipient will also be shared according to the Office of Awards and Financial Aid’s internal policy. Annual stewardship reports will be provided to donors according to their gift agreement if applicable.

Distribution & Communication

This policy and its appendices will be made available to all Finance and Alumni Relations and Advancement departmental personnel by way of a formal Policy Bulletin (upon approval) and posted to a central, accessible location. A formal policy memorandum will be drafted and sent to campus partners directly impacted by this policy. Future incidental reviews of the policy will be communicated to campus partners as appropriate. Policies that impact all staff and/or all faculty and/or all students will be posted to the University of Windsor Central Policies Database.

Roles and Responsibilities

The interpretation and application of this Policy is the responsibility of the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President), who provides regular reports to the President & Vice Chancellor. Final decisions related to this policy will be made by the President & Vice-Chancellor, where required. The Alumni Relations and Advancement Department is subject to internal and external audits. It is the responsibility of the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) to ensure compliance with Canada Revenue Agency regulations.

Monitoring and Compliance

The Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) will designate a resource to act as Policy Custodian of this policy. The designated Policy Custodian will be responsible for establishing a compliance framework which supports the ongoing monitoring and reporting of policy issues. The designated Policy Custodian will also conduct an annual review and provide a summary report to the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) by April 30th annually.

The policy will undergo a formal review every three years. The policy may be subject to a review before the three-year term if:

• changes in legislation impact the policy,
• a specific incident necessitates a review of the policy, or
• a request for review is made by the Board of Governors. 

Contact Information

Inquiries regarding the policy should be directed to the Vice-President, External (or other individual as designated by the President) or appropriate individual in the department where the policy was developed, as per the contact information at the introduction of the policy.