Mesa State College Fundraising Policy

This policy applies to all faculty, staff and students of Mesa State College and concerns the solicitation of donations from individuals, corporations, groups and foundations for support of college departments, schools, or clubs and organizations. This policy does not apply to individual or institutional sponsored programs applications or proposals that are coordinated through the Office of Sponsored Programs. School clubs or organizations who are submitting grant proposals for fundraising must also go through the Office of Development and the Office of Sponsored Programs. This policy does not pertain to the Mesa State College Foundation. The fundraising goals and operating procedures of the MSC Foundation are separate from Mesa State College unless the Foundation Board has adopted the fundraising goals of MSC.

The Role of Faculty, Staff and Students in Fundraising
To avoid duplication and proliferation, all Mesa State College faculty, staff and student organizations involved in fundraising shall be coordinated through the Office of Development.

Fundraising Procedures:
Statement of Purpose for Fundraising Projects
Obtain a Fundraising Proposal Form from the Office of Development or complete the form on the web at www.mesastate.edu/InstAdv/fundraise.htm or obtain the printable version. The form states the objective of the fundraising effort, method proposed, dollar goal, and a list of prospects to be contacted. Any previous fundraising history should be noted on the form. Return this form along with any additional materials to Craig Glogowski, Director of Development.

The Director of Development will review the request and depending on the nature of the request, either approve the activity, disapprove the activity, require changes, or submit the request to the Mesa State College Development Council. You will receive written notification indicating the status of your request from the Director of Development..

Proposals are reviewed on an annual basis. Proposals must be received by April first each year for consideration the following school year. The Development Council will prioritize the proposals on an annual basis. Emergency fundraising requests will be handled on an as-needed basis.

Development Council Endorsement
As Mesa State College launches a Capital Campaign to generate funding for the many projects under consideration for the future, it is imperative that all fundraising efforts be coordinated through the Development Council. The Development Council will review fundraising requests and make a decision on these requests in a manner that serves the best interest of the college as a whole and supports Mesa State's priorities to the fullest extent possible to ensure the success of the Capital Campaign. Future capital campaigns will be reviewed by the Development Council and must be approved by the Foundation Board and incorporated into the MSC Foundation's fundraising goals.

Types of Fundraising Activities
Campaigns and Direct Calls
Proposals for campaigns (mail or phone), gift level clubs, annual giving programs, and direct contribution requests to individuals, corporations, foundations, and associations must be approved by the Office of Development and endorsed by the Mesa State Development Council.

Corporate or Business Sponsorships
Obtaining corporate or business sponsorship (cash or in-kind) for any college program or event must have prior approval from the Office of Development.

Fundraisers and Group Activities
Art and craft sales, car washes, singing grams, bake sales and other group events are not under the direction of the Office of Development. These fundraising projects or events are overseen by the Mesa State Sales and Solicitation policy (see Student Handbook) and the appropriate club or organization advisors.

Use of College or Foundation Name on all Fundraising Materials
Letters, brochures, and all materials to be used in fundraising campaigns must include the logo of Mesa State College and/or the Mesa State College Foundation. All promotional materials for Mesa State fundraising efforts shall be approved by the Office of Development.

Contributions to the Mesa State College Foundation
All private contributions are to be made directly to the Mesa State College Foundation and may be specifically designated to the college program of the donor's choice.

The Mesa State College Foundation is a non-profit corporation (Colorado) for support of Mesa State College and has been granted 501(c)3 status. Contributions to the Mesa State College Foundation for scholarship programs and other uses related to Mesa State College are tax deductible under IRS regulations. Some contributions may not be tax-deductible or only a portion of the contribution qualifies as a tax deduction. Contact the Foundation for clarification on all types of contributions to the College. The Mesa State College Foundation shall receive contributions, acknowledge receipt to the donor(s), and will credit contributions to accounts established for approved fundraising groups.

• Donations made through the MSC Foundation need to be made out to the "Mesa State College Foundation."
• The Foundation will provide a copy of the 501(c) 3 determination letter from the IRS for fundraising groups. Private contributions will be tracked by the donor name and receipts and thank-yous sent to the contributor. Donations earmarked for a department or project should be labeled as such on the memo portion of the check.
• All accounts will earn interest based on the annual average balance. A 1% administrative fee will be deducted from earnings of endowed accounts annually. A 6% fee will be charged to non-endowed, program accounts. The administrative fee is charged according to the MSC Foundation policies and procedures. Earnings are posted according to MSC Foundation policies and procedures.
• The MSC Foundation will manage monies through investments.
• When an account is set up for a College department or organization, the department head or faculty advisor must provide a memo stating persons authorized to request transfers to the College. The memo needs to include the account administrator(s) name(s), the purpose of the fund, the fund name, and how accounts deficits will be handled/made up (other than the MSC Foundation). The MSC Foundation will not cover account deficits.
• Requests for payments on behalf of the club must be submitted to the Foundation in writing by authorized personnel.
• Any student club or organization account that is inactive for over one year will be subject to closure by the Foundation. Any remaining balances will transfer into the General Student Activity Fund at the Mesa State College Foundation.
• All budgets should include a fundraising expense of 10% above the fundraising needs which should be added into the project goal.
• Contributions made for endowments will be managed in perpetuity by the Mesa State College Foundation. Designated funds will require a memorandum of understanding among the College, the Foundation and the donor(s) that includes purposes of the fund and specifications on disbursement of earnings.
• Procedures for charitable auctions must be reviewed in advance with the Foundation to assure IRS regulations are followed.
• To conduct a raffle, the fundraising organization must obtain a license through the State of Colorado. The Mesa State College Foundation can provide advice and direction on fundraising raffles. Costs of raffle tickets (as well as bingo and lottery tickets) are not deductible as charitable contributions (IRS Charitable Contributions Publication 526)

  Approved by Mesa State College Development Council 10/4/2001
  Revised by Mesa State College Development Council 4/29/2003