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UI Foundation General Policy on
Information Sharing
Sections in this document:
The mission of The University of Iowa Foundation is to maximize private gift support to benefit The University of Iowa while continually laying the groundwork for future fund-raising success. In this way the Foundation is committed to aiding the University in fulfilling its mission of excellence in education, research, and service.
To achieve these objectives the Foundation must earn and maintain the trust of past, present, and future contributors. The Foundation's success is also dependent on working closely with contributors to provide gift opportunities and to assist in developing gift plans that are customized to each donor's personal and financial circumstances. For alumni and friends to support the Foundation's mission, they must be fully comfortable that personal confidences and private circumstances shared with the Foundation will be professionally and appropriately preserved.
Stewardship our contributors can expect
Alumni and friends become willing to give their valued resources to the Foundation only when they are confident their generosity will be directed to benefit The University of Iowa in the manner they have specified. Our contributors have a right to expect that the Foundation's stewardship of their gifts will include:
- Maintaining privacy and confidentiality relating to personal and financial circumstances as well as gift and estate planning;
- Acknowledging their generosity in appropriate ways;
- Respecting requests for anonymity;
- Fulfilling designations as to how gifts are to be used to benefit the University;
- Administering endowed funds prudently; and
- Maximizing private support while operating efficiently within a professional environment of integrity and accountability.
Information about the UI Foundation and its operations
Contributors' trust in the Foundation is further enhanced by openness and communication that demonstrates we are fulfilling our donors' expectations. Therefore we make publicly available various types of information regarding our organization and its operation, our fund-raising and advancement activities, and the benefits provided through private support of the University of Iowa through the Foundation. This information includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Our Annual Report on Giving to The University of Iowa, which includes for the reporting period a description of fund-raising activities, funds raised, and endowment performance
- Our Donor Intent Policy, which is our Board of Directors' policy to assure that all gifts are used as our contributors designate
- Donor recognition information, such as qualifications for membership in The Presidents Club and other recognition groups, and guidelines for creating endowed funds to support University priorities, such as scholarships and professorships
- The Foundation's organizational chart, mission statement, and names of current and past members and officers of the Board of Directors
- Audited annual financial statements
- Our Investment Policy Statement, which is our Board of Directors' policy for investment of endowment funds
- Determination letter for tax-exempt status
Information the UI Foundation is required to disclose
The materials we are required to disclose by law include:
- Annual federal information returns (IRS Form 990) filed with the IRS, which itemize revenue, expenses, and changes in net assets, and contain additional financial information
- Articles of Incorporation and Amendments filed with the Iowa Secretary of State
- Original application for federal tax-exempt status (IRS Form 1023) filed with the IRS
- Biennial Nonprofit Corporation Reports filed with the Iowa Secretary of State
Types of information the UI Foundation does not disclose
To respect our contributors' expectation of privacy with regard to confidential personal and financial information, to comply with legal requirements, and to help assure the Foundation's success as a professional fund-raising organization in a highly competitive environment, the Foundation does not share publicly (except as required by law) certain information including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Alumni biographical information (we refer such inquiries to the University of Iowa's Division of Alumni Records)
- Personnel records of Foundation employees, and other information that might infringe on an employee's reasonable expectation of privacy, other than information that is required to be disclosed by law
- Information pertaining to our contributors or prospective contributors (whether personal, financial, biographical or gift related) other than as authorized by the contributor or as required by law
- Plans, work product, lists, data, and other confidential and/or proprietary information not generally known to the public that is useful to the Foundation in fulfilling its advancement and fund-raising objectives and is either protected under the Iowa Trade Secrets Act or, if publicly disclosed, might jeopardize the Foundation's ability to most effectively and successfully fulfill its mission
Iowa law regarding donor and gift information
In addition to the policies and information described above, a 2006 change to Iowa's open records law (Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code) pertaining to donor privacy protection requires the following.
Information that must be kept confidential includes:
- Portions of records that disclose a donor's or prospective donor's personal, financial, estate planning, or gift planning matters.
- Records received from a donor or prospective donor regarding such donor's prospective gift or pledge.
- Records containing information about a donor or a prospective donor in regard to the appropriateness of the solicitation and dollar amount of the gift or pledge.
- Portions of records that identify a prospective donor and that provide information on the appropriateness of the solicitation, the form of the gift or dollar amount requested by the solicitor, and the name of the solicitor.
- Portions of records disclosing the identity of a donor or prospective donor, including the specific form of gift or pledge that could identify a donor or prospective donor, directly or indirectly, when such donor has requested anonymity in connection with the gift or pledge. (This paragraph does not apply to a gift or pledge from a publicly held business corporation.)
Information that must be disclosed upon request includes:
- The amount and date of a specific donation or donations.
- Any donor-designated use or purpose of the donation(s).
- Any other donor-imposed restrictions on the use of the donation(s).
- If a pledge or donation is made on the condition of the donor or a member of his/her family receiving "any privilege, benefit, employment, program admission, or other special consideration" from the UI or UIF, a description of such consideration(s) offered or given in exchange for the pledge or donation must be disclosed upon request.
- Portions of records relating to the receipt, holding, and disbursement of gifts made to the UI through the UIF, including but not limited to "written fund-raising policies and documents evidencing fund-raising practices," must be disclosed upon request.
Information requests
Requests for information (more on this topic) from the Foundation are to be answered promptly and in accordance with this policy, and should be directed to:
Susan Shullaw
Senior Vice President, Communications & Campaign Support
The University of Iowa Foundation
P. O. Box 4550
Iowa City IA 52244-4550
(319) 335-3305 or (800) 648-6973
E-mail: susan-shullaw@uiowa.edu
Web: www.uiowafoundation.org
Adopted by the UI Foundation Executive Committee, December 2002; revised July 2006.
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