II.12 UW Sponsored Events and UW Foundation Funds

We would like to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on the guidelines for depositing gifts and submitting requests for reimbursement by the UW Foundation. These policies were developed in consultation with the University Of Wisconsin Foundation and are designed to honor the intent of donors, and to give you the flexibility to use them in ways that further the goals and morale of your units. In order to serve you better and avoid unnecessary delays, we are asking you to follow these guidelines before submitting your Foundation Gift Deposit Forms and Check Requests Forms to the Dean’s office for approval.

• All questions in regard to Foundation deposits and reimbursement should be directed to Mehdi Rezai.
  
• The Foundation accepts only those gifts that meet all of the following
  criteria:
  
  1. The gift must provide support for broadly defined activities.
  2. No detailed technical and/or financial reports are required.
  3. No patents, copyrights and other intellectual property rights are claimed by the donor.
  4. The gift contains no restrictive provisions.
  5. The gift is irrevocable by the donor.
     
• Expenses that can be paid through University channels should not be submitted to the Foundation for reimbursement.
  
• The College has been receiving reimbursement requests from departments from their UW-Foundation funds which are for anywhere from a few pennies to a few dollars. This usually happens when reimbursement has been paid through the University up to its limits and the balance has been requested to be paid from the Foundation. In order to make the process more cost efficient, the College is setting a $50 minimum reimbursement policy for faculty, staff, and students. This policy applies only to people who have frequent reimbursement requests. Departments should accumulate reimbursement requests, with appropriate documentation, till it reaches about fifty dollars before submitting them to the College.
  
• UW Foundation Funds may be used to pay for meals involved in faculty recruitment, meeting with departmental visitors from outside the University, and other business purposes. Charges for meals that are in excess of University limits and reasonable costs of alcoholic beverages could be submitted through the Dean’s office for payment by the UW Foundation. The College has set $70.00 per person for meal reimbursement which includes food, drink, tax and tip. Exceptions to this rule will be rare. Examples of exceptions would be entertaining the Queen of Denmark, A Cabinet Secretary, a Nobel prizewinner, or a major donor. Some business meals, like a departmental meeting over the lunch hour will not be reimbursed. Most meals that involve faculty and/or staff from one department will not be reimbursed.
  
• Proper receipts/invoices must accompany all reimbursement requests and the level of documentation is similar to that required for payment through regular University channels.
  
• Each department is allowed one faculty/staff business retreat per semester from their Foundation funds.
  Reimbursement for receptions that are held in private homes are permissible:
  
  1. Business receptions at the homes of University employees for faculty or graduate student recruiting, for visiting speakers or other outside visitors will be allowed. Please include the names of people attending and a business agenda.
  2. Business events involving only university employees will be approved on a selective basis.
  3. Reception at home for social events will be allowed only if paid through the department’s social account.
     
• The Foundation does not reimburse expenses for retirement or any social event unless an account specifically for this purpose has been created.
  
• All Foundation requests must be forwarded to Mehdi Rezai in room 203 South Hall after being signed by the appropriate person (Chair/Director) in the department. The Dean’s office and Foundation will not process any forms without all proper signatures and documentation.

If you have any questions about gift deposit and/ or reimbursements by the UW Foundation please contact Mehdi Rezai (262-1556 or Rezai@LS.Admin.Wisc.Edu).

Added 8/23/05