I. Purpose
The College of St. Scholastica recognizes how important it is to acknowledge the receipt of a gift while stewarding the donor towards their next gift. This policy outlines guidelines for sustaining and strengthening the relationship between the College and the donor.
II. Policy
First and foremost, the College will acknowledge receipt of a gift within 72 hours. This means that a thank-you letter will be generated and delivered to the mailroom within that timeframe. This written notice will be compliant with all IRS requirements for receipt. The College may additionally choose to call or email the donor to thank them within that same window of time.Departments benefitting from the gift may also choose to acknowledge receipt of the gift.
Some donors choose to make their gifts anonymously. There are varying degrees of anonymity, so a gift officer will clarify with a donor what level of anonymity is desired. All anonymous gifts will be acknowledged according to the guidelines of this policy unless the donor requests NO acknowledgement.
The College recognizes that philanthropic decisions are frequently made as a family. Therefore, it is College policy to always grant soft credit to spouses who have separate donor records. Gift acknowledgement will be consistent with these assumptions. Donors may request to not extend gift credit to their spouse.
When an individual has primary ownership or financial interest in a corporation or foundation and when that organization donates to the College, that individual is granted soft credit for that donation.
Donor may give gifts that qualify for a matching gift from their employer or a corporation/foundation of which they have affiliation. In these situations, the corporation, foundation, or employer will receive legal credit for the gift and the qualifying gift donor will receive soft credit.
The College feels that memorial and honorary gifts should receive special acknowledgement. The names and addresses of donors who have contributed via memorials or honorariums will be shared with the next of kin or the honoree – gift amounts will not be shared. (See Honorarium and Memorial Gift Policy for more information.)
Some donors feel that their gift has been influenced greatly by someone else and wish to extend credit to them. The Vice President for College Advancement should be consulted before any soft credit is granted outside of the guidelines of this policy.
Donors who meet certain giving thresholds will have the opportunity to name funds, areas, or spaces. Donors should review the College’s Naming Policy for guidance on what these thresholds are and the guidelines that govern those opportunities.
Per IRS guidelines, the College may issue an annual summary to donors to substantiate their contributions when they have made multiple contributions in one calendar year.
To ensure accountability to donors who establish endowed funds, the College will provide reports on an annual basis of how those funds have been used. College Advancement will be responsible for communicating these reports to the donors with review by the Vice President for Finance or a designated official.
The College recognizes that donors give at various levels over time. It is the College’s responsibility to honor each donor’s contributions to furthering the mission and vision of the College. To recognize the many different levels of support annually, the College has established
Annual Gift Leadership Clubs.
- Benedictine Circle $10,000 or more
- Saint Scholastica Circle $5,000 - $9,999
- Trustees’ Circle $2,500 - $4,999
- President’s Circle $1,000 - $2,499
- Founders’ Club $500 - $999
- Deans’ Club $250 - $499
To recognize the lifetime support by donors, the College has established Benevolent Lifetime Giving Societies.
- Mother Scholastica Kerst Society $1,000,000 or more
- PAX Society $500,000 - $999,999
- 1912 Society $250,000 - $499,999
- Villa Sancta Society $100,000 - $249,999
- Blue Stone Society $50,000 - $99,999
- Daisy Field Society $25,000 - $49,999
Qualification for the Annual Gift Leadership Clubs and the Benevolent Lifetime Giving Societies is based on both legal and soft gift credit.
Members of the Annual Gift Leadership Clubs and the Benevolent Lifetime Giving Societies are privileged to honors and benefits beholden to their station. The honors and benefits may include calls from distinguished individuals at the College, special donor events, volunteer opportunities, ongoing communication about the use of their gifts, and additional acknowledgement.
To recognize levels of participation is the Community Partnerships for Education Excellence (CPEE) program, the following CPEE support levels have been established
- Investor $1,000 or more
- Supporter $500 - $999
- Friend $100 - $499
Investors will also qualify as members of the President’s Circle.
III. Applicability
This policy applies to all gifts and pledges made to the College.
IV. Revision Process
The terms and conditions of this Policy are subject to change. Revisions must be approved by
the Vice President for College Advancement, the President, and ultimately the College’s Board
of Trustees.
Approved By: (Board of Trustees)
Adoption Date: (October 2019)
Relevant Form Names:
- Benevolent Lifetime Giving Societies Descriptions
Relevant Procedure Names:
- Fund Notification Procedure
- Recognition and Stewardship Procedure