Policy Manual

Effective April 24, 2025, this policy has been revised. For individual changes, see the redlined version. 

This policy shall apply only to on-campus solicitations of money or goods by organizations that are neither officially recognized by nor affiliated with this university. Within the meaning of this policy, officially recognized student organizations are organizations registered according to the provisions of the Policies and Regulations Affecting Students dealing with "Registration of Student Organizations." Provisions for solicitation by student organizations are found in IV-4.3. Organizations affiliated with this university are organizations like, for example, the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. This policy does not apply to off-campus solicitations of university staff, to solicitations on campus by United States mail, or to on-campus solicitations by organizations recognized by or affiliated with the university when they are acting within the scope of their organizational purposes.

As used hereafter the term "organization" shall refer only to such non-recognized and non-affiliated organizations.

1. Organizations may solicit money or goods on campus only with prior permission from the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations or their designee.
2. Such permission shall be granted an organization by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations provided: 1) the organization is a bona fide charitable organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and 2) the solicitation is approved by a University department, college/division, or other major administrative unit, and 3) the organization is eligible to partake in the enrollment period outlined in Iowa Code 70A.14. 
3. Organizational solicitations approved pursuant to paragraphs a and b above may be conducted only in the following manner:
   1. The organization will deliver, to the appropriate university official, written copy for the paragraph that will describe the organization on the enrollment period web page of University Human Resources Employee Self Service.
   2. Solicitations may be conducted only once a year during the enrollment period designated by the university.
   3. At the beginning of the enrollment period, the university will post the current year's charitable giving information on the enrollment period web page and in Employee Self Service. The university will distribute one  campus email to all employees working 50 percent time or more. Individual organizations granted permission to solicit pursuant to paragraphs a and b above may, during the enrollment period and at their own expense, promote their programs and services to the university department(s), college/division(s), or other major administrative unit(s) that have approved their solicitation request(s). The information regarding enrollment will remain on the enrollment period web page until the next solicitation, subject to change at the university's discretion and as permitted by Iowa Code 70A.14 and 70A.15.
   4. At the written request of any university staff member, the university shall deduct from their salary, as permitted by Iowa Code 70A.14 and 70A.15, and according to rules and limitations specified by Payroll, particular amounts to be paid over to the qualifying charitable organizations (see III-17.18g) that have made such a solicitation pursuant to the above procedure. Otherwise, staff may send their contributions or pledges directly to the soliciting organization.
      
      All other modes of on-campus solicitation by organizations covered by this policy, including personal solicitations, are prohibited except as provided in paragraph d below.
4. Notwithstanding paragraph c above, on-campus solicitations of university employees in the workplace are permitted to benefit a federation of local (community- or county-based) health, education, and human services agencies with whom the university has affiliation by virtue of all of the following:
   1. agencies are used as sites for placement of students for clinical experiences; and
   2. university students, faculty, or staff are significant recipients of the agencies' services; and
   3. university students, faculty, or staff serve in leadership roles for the agencies as board members.
      
      To be eligible to solicit University employees under this policy, the federation must spend a minimum of 80 percent of collected funds in Johnson and surrounding counties. On-campus personal solicitations by charitable organizations sanctioned under this paragraph will occur under the following protocol:
      1. Timing. The university will designate an enrollment period in the fall semester of each year during which solicitation of employees by approved charitable organizations may take place in the form of informational meetings and the distribution of informational literature. No collections of charitable contributions may occur at these informational meetings. In addition, informational one-on-one contacts may occur between employees during the designated enrollment period.
      2. Format. Approved organizations may hold informational meetings to inform faculty and staff members of the charitable purposes of the organizations. Such meetings shall not be held as part of any other organized university activity such as a staff meeting but may precede or follow such meetings. Attendance may not be required at informational meetings. Informational one-on-one contacts may occur between employees provided that 1) the contact does not interfere with workplace productivity; 2) no funds, pledges, or other commitments to contribute are transferred at that time; and 3) the contact is between peers based on a similar rank or pay grade and a non-supervisory relationship.
      3. Location. Subject to V-35, the information meetings may be scheduled in university-owned spaces if available. Informational one-on-one contacts may occur between employees in work areas but not in public areas where students, patients, visitors, or other non-employees would typically have access, such as parking lots, classrooms, lobbies, dining areas. At no time may employees provide fund solicitation information, in a one-on-one context, to students, patients, visitors, or other non-employees.
      4. Scheduling. During the designated enrollment period, any faculty or staff member may request permission to schedule an informational meeting for an organization in that person's department, college/division, or other major administrative unit. Only one such meeting per organization should be held in an individual department during the annual enrollment period. The request should be made to the departmental executive officer, dean/vice president, or administrator of the affected unit.  With approval from the Executive Vice President and Provost or the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations as appropriate, major administrative units may implement a more restrictive policy regarding informational one-on-one contacts than described above in (a), (b), and (c) for their respective employees and/or work areas.