I. DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND THE ROLE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President for University Development will provide leadership and cohesion for all development initiatives and programs, and will work collaboratively with individual University units to further University priorities and the unit’s fund-raising efforts.
The Vice President for University Development is responsible for approving the design and ensuring the implementation of all fund-raising activities. Any effort to solicit philanthropic support from any source must include the prior approval of the Vice President for University Development or his/her designee.
Recognizing that the relationship between alumni and friends of the University and the Foundation is likely to be life-long, the Foundation will engage donors and prospective donors in an ethical, courteous manner. Philanthropy is voluntary and the Development staff will educate philanthropists to the needs of the University, and make every reasonable attempt to match the interests of those who are being asked to provide vital support with the interests and needs of the University.
All solicitations should clearly indicate that a donor’s support is sought for the benefit of the University at Albany through the University at Albany Foundation. In addition, all solicitations must include the following language:
The University at Albany Foundation is a 501 (c ) 3 not-for-profit corporation established in 1967 for the purpose of encouraging philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations in support of the activities and programs of The University at Albany. A copy of the Foundation’s Annual Report is available upon request at The University at Albany Foundation, UAB 226, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222 (and is also accessible through the internet at www.albany.edu/uafoundation) or from the NYS Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
II. SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES
THE UALBANY FUND
The UAlbany Fund is the annual effort to provide operating support to benefit the University, its units, and The University at Albany Foundation.
The UAlbany Fund is a centralized activity composed of three types of solicitations:
1) Direct Mail
2) Telephone solicitations
3) Personal solicitation
The Director of the UAlbany Fund will provide the UAlbany Fund solicitation schedule to all appropriate individuals, including deans and development officers, by April 1 each year.
Units should not engage in separate fundraising efforts for annual giving programs outside of the UAlbany Fund. If a unit would like to expand unit-specific solicitations, plans must be discussed with the Director of the UAlbany Fund and prior written approval given. In deciding whether to approve requests, the Director of the UAlbany Fund will weigh the following criteria:
1) timeliness of the request,
2) anticipated impact of the proposed solicitation on both the individual unit and the
over-all University fund-raising activity, and
3) anticipated return from the separate activity compared to the total cost.
MAJOR GIFTS
Major gift solicitations provide significant support for the benefit of the University, its units, and the University at Albany Foundation, often by building the Foundation’s endowment. These gifts require a coordinated, personalized approach to cultivate identified prospects and secure the largest possible contribution.
Prospect Assignment and Coordination
To raise sufficient funds and ensure that prospects are approached in the most effective but efficient manner, all major gift prospects will be assigned a prospect manager by the Prospect Management Team.
The Prospect Management Team may assign a prospect manager when one or more of the following criteria are met:
1) The research office determines that an individual appears to have the financial
capacity to give a significant gift (i.e, at least $25,000 over a 5 year period);
2) A development officer identifies an individual as having both the financial resources
and philanthropic interest in the University that could lead to a significant gift (i.e., at
least $25,000 over a five year period) and requests assignment as prospect
manager;
3) An individual accepts a leadership role on campus through a school’s advisory
committee, the Foundation Board of Directors, or similar group; or
4) The individual is a regular and consistent donor to the UAlbany Fund.
The Prospect Management Team will assign prospect managers based on the following criteria:
1) Area of academic interest or degree;
2) Personal compatibility of the prospect and prospect manager;
3) Perceived likelihood that a given prospect manager will successfully move a
prospect to make a significant contribution in a reasonable period of time;
4) Interest on the part of the prospect manager in working with a specific prospect,
5) Efficient geographic location of the prospect to other prospects managed by the
prospect manager;
6) Caseload level of each development officer, to ensure caseload equity; and
7) Appropriate level of attention within the University hierarchy.
In situations where a prospect has more than one area of interest or some other criteria listed above, the Prospect Management Team may assign a second prospect manager. When two prospect managers are assigned, the two are considered co-equals and are expected to work collaboratively to secure the largest possible gift from the assigned prospect.
Once a prospect has an assigned prospect manager, no other development officer or University staff person should contact the prospect without prior agreement from the prospect manager. A timely e-mail or phone call is sufficient for such notice.
If a prospect manager does not successfully move a prospect toward making a significant gift within a 6 month period of time, then the Prospect Management Team may decide to change the prospect manager assignment to someone else upon consultation.
The Vice President for University Development may, in his or her discretion, revise these procedures and thresholds to provide more effective cultivation and solicitation in support of University and unit fundraising priorities.
The Role of the Prospect Manager
The prospect manager serves as the planner and coordinator to ensure that a prospect is moved along to make the largest possible gift to the University. In this role, the prospect manager:
1) Prepares a written solicitation strategy toward a significant gift within a reasonable,
foreseeable timeframe. The strategy should include a time-line of steps, the people
involved at each step, and the anticipated gift’s purpose. These strategies are
centrally filed and readily available to all staff of the Division of University
Development.
2) Ensures that the solicitation strategy is kept up-to-date and is followed in a timely
fashion by appropriate University staff and/or volunteers.
3) Regularly communicates with the prospect about issues of interest to the prospect
and positive developments at the University.
4) Prepares briefings, talking points, and solicitation proposals for themselves, other
University staff and/or volunteers to use when meeting with or soliciting the prospect.
PLANNED GIFTS
The Office of Gift Planning is responsible for providing technical support to prospect managers and coordinating solicitation activity for planned gifts.
When a prospect manager identifies a prospect as likely to make a planned gift, the prospect manager should contact the Office of Gift Planning to discuss strategies to be presented to the prospect.
Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Charitable Lead Trusts
The Office of Gift Planning will work with the prospect manager to prepare an illustration providing a variety of giving scenarios for all prospects interested in a life income gift or other tax-favored deferred gift arrangement.
The Foundation offers a gift annuity program and a pooled-income fund for donors interested in life income arrangements. The minimum amount and age levels are:
Minimum amount Minimum age
Gift Annuity $10,000 60
Deferred Gift Annuity $5,000 40 (with payments beginning at age 60)
Pooled Income Fund $2,500 60
Donors can establish a charitable remainder trust with a separate trustee.
Bequests and Bequest Intentions
The Foundation will record bequest intentions or other revocable deferred gifts that are documented in writing by the donor. The Office of Gift Planning will provide a Letter of Intent form for prospect managers.
Occasionally prospects ask members of the Foundation or Development staff to serve as executors for their estates. Foundation or Development staff shall not accept such an appointment as it could create a conflict of interest. Development officers can ask the Office of Gift Planning for a list of professional referrals.
CORPORATE & FOUNDATION GIFTS
The Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations (OCFR) focuses on campus-wide or specific prospect solicitation activity where the prospect is a corporation or foundation in collaboration with other development officers. To ensure effective and efficient solicitation of corporate and foundation prospects, however, OCFR must be informed about any interest on the part of a unit and may be in a position to give experiential guidance in seeking a successful contribution from an identified corporate or foundation prospect.
Research staff will be identified who may be consulted by development officers for research to identify corporate or foundation suspects or verify areas of interest and prior giving.
III. ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT CONDUCT REQUIRED
All Division of University Development staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner. To the extent that they are employees of the State of New York they are liable under the New York Public Officers Law and must abide by those strictures. In addition, development staff should be aware of and adhere to the CASE Statement of Ethics and the CASE Principles of Practice for Fundraisers in Education.
When a new professional development staff member is hired, he/she will be advised of the CASE Statement of Ethics and the CASE Principles of Practice for Fundraisers in Education as part of their initial briefing. They should receive a copy of the Statement and the Principles and provide a signed statement for their personnel record that they have reviewed it and agree to abide by its terms.
