Fundraising and Solicitation Standards

Operational Standard/Purpose

The Educational Foundation is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of all fundraising activities and solicitations for the College from both public and private sources. The ICC Educational Foundation, separately incorporated with 501(c)(3) status, was organized to accept gifts from the private sector. As such, the Educational Foundation has certain legal responsibilities to document and acknowledge the acceptance of all gifts received. The Educational Foundation procedures comply with the standards of the Internal Revenue Service and ethical standards and best practices as set forth by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Council for Resource Development.

The Educational Foundation oversees all solicitations made on behalf of the College to ensure that all solicitations support the strategic plan and mission of the College. Planning and coordination are also necessary to ensure the proper stewardship, accounting, and recognition of all gifts. The College has a comprehensive resource development program coordinated by the Educational Foundation that seeks to expand the College’s resources through other sources of revenue. Coordinated efforts guided by comprehensive strategic planning are essential to successful fundraising. It is important to avoid approaching potential prospects with conflicting requests.

The following procedures do not apply to fundraisers (such as popcorn, chicken dinner, and bake sales) and concession sales, which often benefit student clubs and other special interests but are not considered philanthropic giving. Those funds are deposited into Trust and Agency accounts.

Scope/Applicability

Fundraising and solicitation activities referred to in this procedure may include, but are not limited to, requests for pledges, cash, corporate sponsorships, securities, items of property, in-kind gifts, fundraising events, and deferred or planned gifts designed to support programs at ICC such as academic initiatives, athletics, student activities, scholarships, endowments, faculty development, equipment purchases, and capital expansion.

Procedures

1. All Fundraising Activities: The following applies to all Illinois Central College fundraising activities:
   1. Annual communication of this procedure will occur in August of every year. Special workshops will be hosted for managers and special interest groups.
   2. Received and processed through the Educational Foundation, gifts shall be accepted only if they are consistent with the mission and goals of the College. No gift shall be accepted with intent so restrictive as to impede the use of the gift.
   3. All gifts must be consistent with the laws, regulations, and policies of the state and federal government.
   4. No individual or unit of the College shall solicit gifts in the name of, or on behalf of, the College until and unless authorized to do so by the President, their designee, and the Educational Foundation chief administrator.
   5. Individuals wishing to implement a fundraising effort in support of an approved College-sponsored activity must contact the Educational Foundation for assistance (309) 694-5530. This includes any fundraising events coordinated on behalf of a College group. In addition to ensuring that a proposed fundraiser is properly established, a second consideration includes the avoidance of competing and conflicting requests to the Educational Foundation’s current and prospective donor base.
   6. College personnel shall not benefit personally from any gifts, sponsorships, or grants received by the College or Educational Foundation.
   7. College personnel and other members of the College community who are approached by donors wishing to make gifts to the College should refer all such donors to the Educational Foundation (309) 694-5530.
   8. Illinois Central College is incorporated as an institution of higher education. The ICC Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated for the specific purpose of seeking philanthropic support. Since the College is not authorized to act as a conduit for gift giving, potential donors will be directed to make contributions to the ICC Educational Foundation. Under no circumstances should potential donors be directed to make philanthropic gifts directly to Illinois Central College.
   9. All requests for gifts shall be made within ethical business and philanthropic practices, to avoid any real or apparent conflicts of interest in present or future relationships. The ICC Educational Foundation adheres to the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Code of Ethics and the Donor Bill of Rights (). Donor anonymity for any gifts will be protected whenever desired by the donor.
   10. If any of the above fundraising activities or solicitations is deemed to be in conflict with the fundraising program and activities of the Educational Foundation, the Educational Foundation Chief Administrator will meet with the group or individuals to reach a mutually agreeable solution. If a solution cannot be reached, the President of Illinois Central College will consider the issue, make a final decision in a timely manner, and notify the parties involved of the decision.
2. Gifts: Gifts are solicited for and accepted by the Educational Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation to serve the educational purposes of the College. The Educational Foundation shall not accept any gifts which may jeopardize its tax exempt status with the State of Illinois or U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
   1. Donors may designate how a gift is to be used by the Educational Foundation. The Educational Foundation shall be responsible for receiving, acknowledging, managing,accounting for, and using gifts in accordance with the purpose designated by the donor. In accordance with IRS regulations, the Educational Foundation determines how funds are used based on a donor’s designation. The ICC Educational Foundation Board of Directors maintains final approval for all expenditures from unrestricted funds.
   2. All monies collected as charitable gifts will be deposited into the Educational Foundation account. This is required by IRS regulations and is for the protection of the College, the organization, and the donor. To ensure the proper stewardship, accounting, and recognition of all philanthropic gifts, personal solicitation, and underwriting for events will be accepted by the Educational Foundation and placed in the respective account within the Educational Foundation. The appropriate administrator and cabinet member are responsible for approving requests to withdraw funds from those respective accounts. Gifts must be used for the purpose(s) specified in the solicitation.
   3. Donors wishing to contribute monetary gifts online may do so by visiting the College’s website Educational Foundation. Online contributions to the Educational Foundation may be restricted to the donor’s interest or to a specific program. Faculty, staff, board members, and students wishing to highlight their department, student activity, or need through online giving may contact the Educational Foundation.
3. In-Kind Gifts: The Educational Foundation Chief Administrator must be consulted prior to the acceptance of any in-kind gifts on behalf of the College. In-kind gifts may require an IRS Form 8283 be filed by the donor.
   1. The Educational Foundation staff can advise a donor as to whether they need to consult a financial advisor in regards to the IRS Form 8283. In cases where an IRS Form 8283 is required, the Educational Foundation chief administrator must sign off on the document with the Educational Foundation’s Employer Identification Number (EIN).
   2. In-kind gifts are gladly accepted with the approval of the recipient department’s Associate Dean or Director. Remember to include any other departments that may be impacted by an in-kind gift (e.g. facilities) in your decision-making process. The IRS prohibits the Educational Foundation from placing a value on the gift, but will recognize the gift with a thank you letter describing the item that can be used for tax purposes. The value is placed by the donor in conjunction with their financial advisor.
   3. Departments wishing to accept an in-kind gift must complete the Gift In-Kind Receipt Request form available on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading. Forms must include the donor’s name and contact information for proper donor recognition, a detailed description of the item(s) being donated and appropriate signatures as listed. This form insures that in-kind gifts are appropriately recognized and recorded by the College for insurance and inventory purposes.
   4. Disposal or sale of any items previously accepted as in-kind gifts must be approved by the Educational Foundation to adhere to IRS regulations.
4. Student Organizations and Other Special Interest Groups Fundraising: Student fundraising projects must have the approval of the group’s advisor and the Manager of Student Life prior to initiating and publishing the fundraising project. Special interest groups must have the support of the appropriate Vice President.
   1. The Manager of Student Life is responsible for directing and approving the fundraising activities that directly benefit student clubs and should notify the Educational Foundation of any activities outside of those allowed below.
   2. The vice president assigned to any other special interest group (for example, Vocal Jazz, SkillsUSA, Ag Judging Team) is responsible for the directing and approving of fundraising activities at the College and should notify the Educational Foundation of any activities outside of those allowed below.
   3. The following do not require approval of the Educational Foundation: the operation of a concession stand; the sale of small items or services (such as clothing); bake sales; car washes; and other small activities that are not fundraising events and do not involve corporate sponsorships. These are not tax-deductible gifts.
   4. Students may not fundraise in support of their personal, individual student trip expenses. They may solicit tax deductible gifts for the good of the entire organization or club, which must be directed to the Educational Foundation and/or its website. Students may ask family and friends for support of their personal, individual expenses, but these dollars are not tax deductible and students will not receive a receipt for tax purposes. Students are advised against creating crowdfunding sites for personal expenses related to College activities. Students establishing crowdfunding sites for personal expenses cannot solicit on behalf of Illinois Central College, nor use its likeness (logo, photos, name, etc.).
   5. For all fundraising that falls outside of these guidelines, the Financial Request Form, available on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading, must be submitted to the Educational Foundation prior to organizing a fundraising event or activity. All forms must have the appropriate signatures.
   6. After the approvals described above, solicitations of businesses, foundations, individuals, or community organizations by student activity groups or special interest groups must then be approved by the Educational Foundation. This includes any corporate sponsorships or requests for monetary or in-kind donations.
5. Athletic Department Fundraising: The Director of Athletics is responsible for coordinating the casual fundraising activities that directly benefit the intercollegiate athletics program at the College.
   1. All bake sales, concessions, leagues and camps, clothing sales, and other casual activities done on behalf of the athletic department and for athletic teams must have the approval of the Director of Athletics. Funds raised in this manner will be placed in the appropriate Trust and Agency Account and are not tax deductible.
   2. Any events or fundraisers that utilize community or corporate sponsors must work with the Educational Foundation in advance of the event (see “Fundraising Events” below).
   3. In the event the Athletic department wishes to target a formal list of specific businesses and donors or for capital projects or sponsorships, such solicitations must be done in conjunction with the Educational Foundation to maximize ICC’s effectiveness, minimize duplication of donor solicitations, and to ensure proper donor stewardship. The athletic department donor recognition wall will be updated annually upon the completion of the calendar year in coordination with the Educational Foundation.
6. Fundraising Events:
   1. The Financial Request Form, available on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading, must be submitted to the Educational Foundation prior to organizing a fundraising event or activity. All forms must have the appropriate signatures.
   2. Any events or fundraisers that utilize community or corporate sponsors must work with the Educational Foundation in advance of the event (golf outings, dinners, performances, etc.).
   3. To ensure the proper stewardship, accounting and recognition of all philanthropic gifts, personal solicitation and underwriting for events will be accepted by the Educational Foundation and placed in the respective account within the Educational Foundation. The appropriate administrator and cabinet member are responsible for approving requests to withdraw funds from those respective accounts.
7. Raffles: Groups that are interested in the sale of raffle tickets must contact the Educational Foundation to ensure that all local laws are followed. Groups conducting raffles are required to obtain a raffle license from the cities/counties in which they will sell raffle tickets. Raffle license applications must be submitted by the Educational Foundation. The timing of this request is critical, as to allow for processing and approval by local officials.
8. Crowdfunding Sites: Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions through online sites, such as GoFundMe, Kickstarter, Teespring, CrowdRise, etc. Faculty, staff, board members, and students are not authorized to establish a crowdfunding account on behalf of the College, the Educational Foundation, or College-sponsored team, club, organization, etc. Donors wishing to contribute monetary gifts online must do so by visiting the College’s website Educational Foundation. Online contributions to the Educational Foundation may be restricted to the donor’s interest or to a specific program. Faculty, staff, board members, and students wishing to highlight their department, student activity or need through online giving may contact the Educational Foundation.
9. Fundraising and Solicitations by External Groups: Solicitations, sales, and fundraising by external groups in the College’s facilities are prohibited unless authorized by the Executive Vice President of Administration, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, or their designee(s).
   1. The President of the College may designate certain charities as College-wide causes (e.g., United Way). It is understood that personnel will spend a reasonable amount of time on these efforts, an amount of time that will do justice to the cause but will not detract from their regular duties.
   2. College personnel who rent facilities to external groups for fundraisers should consult with the Executive Vice President of Administration before agreeing to rent the facility, to confirm that the fundraising effort of the external group is not in competition or conflict with the College’s and Educational Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Additional Provisions/Information

Q: Where would one find the IRS Form 8283?

• A: The form is located on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8283. The donor and/or their financial advisor must generate the IRS Form 8283. The form serves as a formal report of the donor’s non-cash charitable contributions when the amount of their deduction for all noncash gifts is more than $500. Representatives of the College and Educational Foundation are prohibited from accessing the value of any in-kind gift. The appraisal must be made by a qualified appraiser, who is not affiliated with the nonprofit receiving the gift. The Educational Foundation Chief Administrator must complete the Donee Acknowledgement on the IRS Form 8283.

Q: Where would one find the Educational Foundation Gift In-Kind Receipt Request Form?

• A: The Educational Foundation Gift In-Kind Receipt Request Form is located on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading.

Q: Where would one find the Educational Foundation Financial Request Form?

• A: The Educational Foundation Financial Request Form is located on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading.

Q: Following a fundraising event or activity, where would one find the Educational Foundation Financial Request Form?

• A: The Educational Foundation Financial Request Form is located on ICCNET under the Educational Foundation heading.