Foundation/Development
Procedure Manual
 
 

The purpose of this manual is to provide policy and procedural information regarding the development, coordination, and management of external funds. The following guidelines have been established to avoid duplication of services and to monitor the proper utilization of college resources.

Table of Contents
The Foundation/Development Office

1. Mission

2. Goal

3. Objectives

4. Organization

   1. Staff

   2. Function

      1. Development Office activities

      2. CCCCD Foundation activities

      3. CCCCD Student Housing Foundation activities

Funding from External Sources

1. Grants

2. Gifts

3. Sponsorships/Admission Fees

Grant Application Procedures

1. Concept Approval Procedures

2. Proposal Development

3. Proposal Submission

4. Awards

5. Administration/Reporting

Gift Acceptance Procedures

1. Solicitation

2. Donor tracking

3. Gift Acceptance Request Form

Establishing Program Support through an Excellence Fund

1. Purpose

2. Establishment

3. Requirements

4. Disbursements

5. Benefits

Establishing a Scholarship Fund

1. Purpose of scholarship funds

2. Establishment

3. Endowments

4. Annual Scholarship Funds

5. General Scholarship Funds

6. Selection

7. Disbursements

8. Microsoft Access Database

Establishing a Chair Endowment

1. Purpose

2. Establishment

Establishing a Named Facility

Donor Recognition

1. Ambassadors League

2. President’s Council

3. Legacy Guild

List of Policies and Forms within this document

CCCCD Policies: BAA - Board Legal Status, Powers, Duties and Responsibilities

CCCCD Policies: CAM - Appropriations and Revenue Sources: Grants, Funds, Donations from Private Sources

Grant Concept Approval Form

Gift Acceptance Request Form

Excellence Funds Letter of Understanding

Excellence Funds Request for Disbursement

Scholarship Worksheet

CCCCD Foundation Scholarship Application

Collin County Community College District
Foundation/Development Office
Procedure Manual

The Foundation/Development Office

These guidelines were established in accordance with the District's policies BAA - Board Legal Status, Powers, Duties and Responsibilities and CAM - Appropriations and Revenue Sources: Grants, Funds, Donations from Private Sources.

A. Mission

The Foundation/Development Office (FDO) mission is to support the institutional goal of providing opportunities for excellence in higher education by increasing financial resources.

B. Goal

The FDO provides leadership to initiatives that support the District in meeting community needs, expanding awareness of the District, and securing external funding from the private and public sector to enhance program development and expand student opportunities.

C. Objectives

The Foundation/Development Objectives are:

1. To work with the District’s leadership to define and implement short and long term resource development plans for securing funding from the private sector in support of the District and its students;

2. To pursue grants from governmental agencies and other external funding sources that will reinforce the capacities and mission of the institution;

3. To administer and promote the CCCCD Foundation and promote its Scholarship Programs;

4. To provide oversight and coordination to the CCCCDF Student Housing Foundation.

D. Organization

1. Staff

The Director of the Foundation/Development Office, who also serves as the Executive Director of the CCCCD Foundation and oversees the CCCCDF Student Housing Foundation, reports directly to the President of the District. The Office’s grant initiatives are among the responsibilities of the Manager of Special Projects and the Manager of Development Programs. An Administrative Assistant provides administrative assistance to the Director and reinforces the efforts of the Foundation/Development Office.

2. Function

The Foundation/Development Office promotes the creation of partnerships and consortium-based programs with educational districts, economic development entities, government agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The FDO staff works closely with District administrators and faculty to assess District/community needs relative to the District's priorities in order to determine which need(s) would benefit from external funding.

a) Development Office activities

The Development Office serves as a facilitator of change by working with faculty and staff in:

• sharing information on state/federal funding priorities;

• formulating proposal concept components;

• identifying and researching appropriate funding sources;

• stimulating District and community interest and commitment;

• authoring and co-authoring proposals for submission;

• cultivating relationships with potential funding agencies and individuals;

• conducting ad-hoc proposal development training sessions during in-service training and being available for training specific departments upon request;

In addition to the above activities, a major responsibility of the Development Office is to administer and monitor grants and gifts along with the preparation and submittal of required agency reports.

b) CCCCD Foundation activities

The Foundation Office provides coordination and executive administration to the CCCCD Foundation Board. Although the Foundation is organizationally and fiscally separate from Collin County Community College District, it utilizes the name and mission of the District and therefore operates only under the approval and sanction of the Collin County Community College District Board of Trustees. The Foundation was incorporated as a 501c (3) non-profit corporation in 1987 to promote private support of the District. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors, representative of citizens and businesses from throughout the District's service area, that aim at sustaining excellence for students and faculty by increasing private financial support.

Activities supporting the CCCCD Foundation include:

• cultivating relationships with CCCCD friends and supporters;

• facilitation of linkages with individuals, corporations, and private foundations;

• promotion and administration of endowment funds;

• maintenance and coordination of the CCCCD Foundation scholarship program;

• administration of the CCCCD Excellence Funds;

• maintenance and expansion of a planned giving program;

• implementation of a donor recognition program.

c) CCCCD Student Housing Foundation activities

The Executive Director also oversees the CCCCDF Student Housing Foundation, which was formally organized in 2001 by the CCCCD Foundation. The CCCCDF Student Housing Foundation provides additional services to the District’s students as it owns and oversees the management of College Place, a 286-bed student-housing complex. College Place is intended to serve as an additional revenue source for the CCCCD Foundation.

Funding from External Sources

A. Grants

It is important to distinguish between a grant and a gift when pursuing external funding. External funding from grant programs and foundations (government or privately-held) are considered a “grant”. Refer to the “Grant Application Procedures” section of this document for a detailed explanation of how to apply for and administer a grant.

B. Gifts

External funding from all other sources, for either cash or non-cash gifts, is considered a “gift”. Gift sources may include individuals, businesses, and manufacturers. Refer to the “Gift Acceptance Procedures” section of this document for a detailed explanation of how to apply for and accept a gift.

C. Sponsorships/Admission fees

Sponsorship for special events or payment of admission fees is not considered a “gift”. Sponsorship of a special event or payment for admission fees is often partially tax-deductible; however, they are not officially recognized as "gifts", or "grants". The Office of the President must approve all fund raising events. Guidelines for soliciting sponsorships or admission fees will be determined for each approved event.

Grant Application Procedures

Collin County Community College District solicits funds for the development, maintenance, and enhancement of special programs and services. Solicitation is usually through a grant application (proposal) submitted to a specific funding agency. Any member of the District staff may originate a grant proposal, but the FDO is responsible for processing all proposals.

A. Concept Approval Procedures

1. A brainstorming session will be held to discuss the development of project ideas, potential funding sources, application deadlines, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) if the funding source is already identified.

2. If a potential source of funding has not been identified, the FDO will assist in researching funding sources, obtaining application guidelines, and other related information.

3. After preliminary discussion between the originating office and the FDO, a “Grant Concept Approval” form must be completed.

4. This form includes:

   • the project need;

   • a brief overview;

   • the proposed budget;

   • information on suggested funding source(s);

   • matching funds requirements;

   • indirect cost recovery;

   • application deadline (if this information is available);

   • the proposal’s author and project leader(s).

5. The FDO will review the Grant Concept Approval form and indicate its recommendation with a signature for proceeding with the proposal based on:

   • how well the proposed project is aligned with the District’s priorities; and,

   • whether or not the proposed project has a reasonable chance of being funded based on current funding trends and/or existing initiatives.

6. The FDO is responsible for obtaining approval from the appropriate Dean and Divisional Vice President to proceed with proposal development.

B. Proposal Development

The FDO will assist in the proposal development process in the following ways:

1. The FDO staff will collaborate with the initiator to prepare a draft proposal for the project. The FDO will also ensure that the proposal adheres to the guidelines provided by the funding agency and the District.

2. The FDO will assist in identifying appendices, charts, and other supporting items to be included in the proposal.

3. The FDO and the initiator will collaborate to develop personnel and operating budgets for the proposal. Any matching funds required by the funding agency will also be identified.

C. Proposal Submission

1. Once the draft is completed, the FDO will present the proposal to the Vice President of Administration and the Executive Leadership Team.

2. A final proposal will be prepared including any recommended modifications and submitted to the President for review and approval.

3. Following Presidential approval, any additional required signatures are obtained, and the FDO will submit the application to the funding agency (either on-line or by mail). The FDO will distribute copies to the initiator and the appropriate supervising administrators.

4. The FDO will retain a copy of all submitted applications.

D. Awards

1. If the award is not granted by the funding agency, the FDO will review comments for enhancements or potential funding from other sources, and will retain the comments in the Foundation/Development office.

2. Upon notification by an agency that a proposal has been accepted, the FDO will:

   • notify the President’s Office that a Notice of Award (NOA) has been received and prepare acceptance documentation if required;

   • compare notification to the proposal and, with the proposal writer and funding agency, resolve any differences;

   • establish and maintain a proposal/contract file; and

   • keep the original NOA on file in the Foundation/Development Office.

3. Upon receipt and acceptance of the NOA, the FDO will work with the Business Office to:

   • assign account numbers to the project; and

   • establish fiscal control and reporting mechanisms for the project that include assigning approver designations for the district’s Financial Resource System.

E. Administration/Reporting

1. The FDO, in conjunction with the Project Administrator/Project Director will host an initial organizational meeting with the various representatives included in implementing the grant program to: develop a timeline for implementation, discuss personnel issues, reporting requirements, and purchasing requirements, etc.

2. The FDO will conduct official quarterly meetings with each of the various grant programs to monitor progress on grant activities and expenditures.

3. All purchase requisitions should be entered through the online Purchasing System utilizing the grant purchase approval path. The FDO will ensure that the purchase requested is allowable for the project and the amount of the purchase does not exceed available funding prior to forwarding any purchase requisitions to the Business Office for processing.

4. The Project Director is responsible for forwarding all forms and related documentation for grant budget expenditures to the FDO for approval prior to their submission to the Business Office. Copies of bookstore invoices, petty cash receipts, inventory control forms and other documentation related to internal charges against grant budgets must also be forwarded to the FDO.

5. The FDO will review any internal budget adjustments prepared by grant staff for appropriateness and forward them to the Business Office for processing.

6. Any modifications of contracts, budget amendments and contacts with program agencies should be approved by the FDO and by the Business Office. The FDO will initiate all budget amendments to the funding agencies. Upon approval from the funding agencies, the appropriate budget amendments will be entered on the Financial Resource System.

7. The project director controls all aspects of the project's implementation and is accountable to his/her immediate supervisor and to agency evaluators for program quality and expenditures. The project director is also responsible for submitting all required reports on a timely basis. The Project Director should retain one copy of all reports for their project files and provide an additional copy for the FDO monitoring files.

8. The FDO and the Business Office are responsible for financial reports to the funding agency. Funds are handled in compliance with applicable funding regulations and CCCCD's policies for budget expenditures.

9. The FDO is responsible for maintaining administrative files on existing grants including letters of awards, copies of proposals as submitted, operational budgets and revisions, and related correspondence.

Gift Acceptance Procedures

The CCCCD FDO administers the District's fund raising activities in a consistent, coherent, and productive fashion and establishes guidelines to take best advantage of the private resources available to the District.

The following guidelines for asking individuals, corporations, and foundations to donate to the District assure the fair and orderly solicitation of contributions by CCCCD academic and support departments. Everyone in the District community who raises funds for CCCCD should observe these procedures. As always, open communication, good will, and close cooperation will be the key to achieving our common objective: a successful contribution that benefits CCCCD students. Questions regarding prospective donors should be directed to the Director of the FDO.

A. Solicitation

1. District staff who want to solicit a donor for any gift (cash or non-cash) valued at $500 or more must first consult with the Director of the FDO to determine the most appropriate plan of solicitation. The FDO will provide assistance in preparing for the solicitation, appropriate options for giving, and recognizing the donors. The FDO will consult with the President to make these determinations.

2. The FDO will coordinate solicitation efforts throughout the District. For example, it you are working with a particular donor and another staff member wants to solicit funds from the same donor, the FDO will determine the most appropriate way to respond to this situation that ensures both parties have a successful solicitation.

B. Donor tracking

1. In an effort to better track CCCCD donors, the FDO is enhancing a donor tracking system. Once in place, the FDO will be able to provide District staff with a complete profile of the prospective donor they wish to solicit. This information includes the prospective donor's affiliation(s) with CCCCD, interests, giving record, involvement in past or present solicitations, and other helpful information.

2. In order to assure this system stays current the FDO must be informed of follow-up contacts with each prospective donor.

C. Gift Acceptance Request form

1. Once a plan for soliciting a gift is agreed upon, a “Gift Acceptance Request” form must be completed. The Gift Acceptance Request form will be used for obtaining approval to solicit all gifting sources for either cash or non-cash gifts. This may include individuals, businesses, and manufacturers.

   Stage 1, Sections 1 – 4 of the form includes:

   • The District solicitor’s name, department and phone number;

   • The donor’s contact information including: company/donor name, contact, address, telephone, etc.

   • The purpose of the gift: for example whether for scholarships, endowments, specific programs, etc.

   • Designation whether the gift is cash (and amount) or non-cash (real estate property, equipment, stock, software, supplies, etc.) and description and restrictions for non-cash gifts, if applicable;

   • Donor’s signature with their statement of intent, date, and assessed value of the gift.

   Stage 2 of the form contains two sections.

Stage 2, Section 1 must be completed if the gift will become an asset of the Collin County Community College District. In this case, the appropriate Dean and the Division Vice President must provide their approval of the gift. The form must then be given to the V.P. of Administration and the CCCC District Executive Leadership Team who indicate their recommendation or disapproval. After recommendation by the Executive Leadership Team, the CCCCD President must recommend the acceptance of the gift. Any proposed gift valued at $5,000 or more will be presented to CCCCD Board of Trustees for final approval, which will be documented, by agenda item and date. After all required approvals are secured, the completed form should be returned to the FDO for processing and documentation of the gift.

Stage 2, Section 2 of the form must be completed if the gift will remain an asset of, and be administered by the CCCCD Foundation. In this case, the Executive Director or Chairman of the CCCCD Foundation must sign and date the form. Any proposed gift valued at $5,000 or more must then be forwarded to the CCCCD Foundation Board of Directors for final acceptance. The date the board approves the gift will be entered on the form. If the gift to the CCCCD Foundation is valued at less than $5,000, the form will remain in the FDO for processing and documentation of the gift.

2. The District must strictly adhere to the IRS regulations relating to in-kind contribution(s). District staff may not estimate the value of non-cash gifts. It is mandatory that the donor establish the non-cash gift’s assessed value within the “Statement of Intent” section of the “Gift Acceptance Request” form (section 4).
   
   Donors must also complete an IRS “Noncash Charitable Contributions” form if the total claimed value of all property exceeds $500. Donors must attach this form to their tax return.

3. Once the gift has been received, the FDO will provide the donor with the proper tax receipts and appropriate acknowledgement letters.

4. The FDO will prepare gift summary information for the President’s “Report of Gifts” to the Board of Trustees.

Establishing Program Support through an Excellence Fund

A. Purpose

Excellence Funds are intended to provide a repository for small, non-endowed gifts that are designated to benefit a specific department, division, or program area. All Excellence Funds are administered through the CCCCD Foundation, Inc.

B. Establishment

An Excellence Fund may be established at the request of a community sponsor (corporate or individual) or any District department, division or program area. Anyone desiring to establish an Excellence Fund should contact the CCCCD Foundation, Inc.

C. Requirements

An approved "Letter of Understanding" and a minimum $1,000.00 initial deposit are required to establish an Excellence Fund. An annual balance of $250.00 must be maintained to keep the fund active. See the Excellence Fund Letter of Understanding form.  

D. Disbursements

1. Disbursements must be in compliance with the general purposes and requirements of the Foundation as stated in our #3.01-3.04 Foundation Policy Non-Endowed Funds.

2. Funds may be expended for the specific purposes outlined in the Excellence Fund Letter of Understanding.

3. Requests for Disbursement must originate with the Fund Manager and receive approval of supervising Dean before being submitted to the Foundation Office for processing. See the Excellence Fund Request for Disbursement form. 

E. Benefits

1. Donor Tracking - the Foundation Office will provide the Originator/Fund Manager with a quarterly report of all transactions related to their specific Excellence Fund. In addition, all donations will be acknowledged with a letter of appreciation that includes charitable giving verification.

2. Promotion - all formally established Excellence Funds will be promoted as specific giving opportunities by the CCCCD Foundation, Inc. Published materials, including newsletters, scholarship/excellence fund brochures, etc. will identify Excellence Funds and their purpose.

Establishing a Scholarship Fund

A. Purpose of scholarship funds

The purpose of the scholarship program is to accept contributions, administer funds, and to process scholarship awards for Collin County Community College District students.

B. Establishment

Scholarships may be established either through an endowed gift or through sustaining/annual contributions to a specific scholarship account.  Endowments typically are established to honor an individual, living or deceased, and normally will bear the name of the person whom is recognized through the fund. An endowment also may bear the name of the organization, corporation or other appropriate entity that desires to support the CCCCD Foundation and District in this manner. Annual scholarships may also bear the name of the donor or honoree.

 

The Foundation Office will work with interested individuals and entities to establish scholarships. The donor may assist the Foundation staff in establishing criteria governing individual scholarship awards. This criteria details specific requirements to be met by applicants and outlines the award process for the scholarship. A Scholarship Agreement will be developed to finalize the specific criteria for the selection of the scholarship recipient. Click here for a "Scholarship Worksheet" which you can use as a guide in preparation for a formal Scholarship Agreement.

C. Endowments

Endowments are defined as restricted gifts for which the principal is held in perpetuity and intact. By contributing $20,000 to a permanent trust fund, donor(s) may establish a "Named" Endowed Scholarship.

The corpus of the trust shall be invested and reinvested separately or together with other funds of the Foundation, according to the established policy of the CCCCD Foundation. A portion of the earnings from the endowment will be used to fund the scholarship.

Additional endowments may be established to support the District's efforts in program development, faculty enhancement and professional development. Contact the Foundation Office, at 972-881-5611, to receive more information.

D. Annual Scholarship Funds

A minimum of $1,000 annually is required to create a "Named" Annual Scholarship. The donation should be received prior to the awarding of the scholarship. The Foundation encourages donors to sustain and/or renew these annual scholarships.

E. General Scholarship Funds

Donations of less than $1,000 support the General Scholarship Fund unless otherwise directed.  The General Scholarship Fund supports: Presidential Scholarships, Honor Scholarships, Recognition Scholarships and other special need scholarships.

Upon specific instructions from the donor, contributions may be directed to existing Endowed or Annual scholarship accounts. To see a list of current Endowed and Annual scholarship accounts, click here.

F. Selection

The Foundation Office works with the CCCCD Financial Aid Office to process scholarship awards. A Scholarship Committee comprised of District faculty and staff, and representatives from the Foundation make the recommendation for selections of these recipients. Foundation scholarships are available for both academic and technical majors. Individual donors assist in establishing specific criteria for their scholarship such as a specific major, financial need, GPA, and residency.

Students are required to submit applications to the Foundation Office online, via the CCCCD Foundation website, by the last Friday in May to be considered for awards for the following academic year. See the online CCCCD Foundation Scholarship Application.

G. Disbursements

After the selections have been made, the Foundation Office contacts the Financial Aid Office with the names of the students to receive scholarship awards. The Financial Aid Office works with the Bursar’s Office to credit the student’s account. Upon registration, the scholarship is applied to individual accounts for tuition, fees, books and supplies. If the student is rendered ineligible to receive the award (i.e. failure to maintain GPA or hours of enrollment), the scholarship may be re-awarded to another applicant.

H. Microsoft Access Database

Each online application submitted by students is stored on a Microsoft Access database, named “Results”. The Foundation/Development Office Administrator prints the applications in “report” mode, and distributes them among the Scholarship Committee. Distribution of the applications takes place in June before the upcoming academic year.

After the Scholarship Committee matches applicants to scholarship criteria, the Administrator and other office staff can enter additional administrative items on each applicant’s database record, such as:

• which scholarship they received
• whether they RSVP’d to the scholarship award event
• number of guests the student plans to bring to the scholarship award event
• whether their donor will attend the scholarship award event, and how many guests
• which table number they are assigned, if the award event uses tables

Each year, very quickly after the new cycle of scholarship applicants is awarded, the Administrator backs up that year’s “production” database (named “Results”) to an archive file, named appropriately for the scholarship cycle years (e.g. “2004_2005_Applicants”). The production database (named “Results”) is then emptied and ready for a new batch of incoming online applications for the next academic year (e.g. for 2005-2006).

 

Establishing a Chair Endowment

A. Purpose

The Collin County Community College District Foundation wants to ensure the continuation of the exceptionally high quality of instruction now afforded to CCCCD students. To attract and retain the best faculty, the CCCCD Foundation is now offering donors the opportunity to establish an endowed chair by creating a permanent fund named for an honoree.

B. Establishment

A minimum gift of $100,000 is required to fund Endowed Chairs. Those interested in learning more about this meaningful opportunity should contact the Foundation Office.

 

Establishing a Named Facility

Donors who give a substantial donation to the CCCCD Foundation may be eligible to have a designated facility named for them or their honoree. The required contribution will be based on a percentage of the cost of the facility as determined by the Collin County Community College District and CCCCD Foundation, Inc. policy. For details on endowment and facility naming opportunities, please contact the Executive Director, Foundation and Development, at 972.881.5611.

 

Donor Recognition

All donors, whether contributing through the CCCCDF or contributing directly to the CCCCD, should be equally recognized. Therefore, it is important that a Donor Recognition Program be jointly coordinated and administered by both the Foundation and College District. Donors are recognized for their annual gifts through membership in the Ambassadors League and for their cumulative contributions through membership in the President’s Council or Legacy Guild. See below for details about the various giving societies.

Giving Societies:

A. Ambassadors League

The Foundation provides its annual supporters recognition through the Ambassadors League. Membership is based upon the total cash received from a donor during each fiscal year. Matching gifts are credited to an individual’s total donation prior to determining each member’s category. The CCCCD Foundation has established the following categories within the Ambassadors League:

Pewter $10-$99
Bronze $100-$999
Silver $1,000-$4,999
Gold $5,000 -$19,999
Platinum $20,000 and over

B. President’s Council

Donors who have contributed $20,000 or more in cumulative gifts will be recognized as members of the President’s Council. Matching funds are not considered. Gifts may be given to the Foundation in the form of cash, securities, or real property.

C. Legacy Guild

The CCCCD Foundation has recently created the prestigious Legacy Guild to honor its major donors and those who will sustain the college through planned gifts. Donors, who have contributed $100,000 or more in cumulative gifts (excluding matching funds), or who have named the Foundation as a major beneficiary in their will or estate plan, will become permanent members of the Legacy Guild.

Gifts may be given to the Foundation:

(a) In the form of cash, securities, or appreciated property.

(b) Through deferred or planned gifts, such as:

• A bequest in a donor’s will;

• A charitable gift annuity;

• Designating the Foundation as a beneficiary of a charitable trust;

• Naming the Foundation as the beneficiary of an insurance policy.