Home

V-9 Fund Solicitation and Prohibition on the Use of University Funds for Charitable Purposes

(Regents 9/11–12/69; amended 1/97; 10/05; 7/06; 2/07; 1/18; 4/24/25)

Effective April 24, 2025, this policy has been revised. For the most current version without redlining, return to V-9.

9.1 General

(Amended 7/06; 2/07; 4/24/25)

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 "Recognition 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 sponsored 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. (See VI-5 Central Mail Services.)
  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 Annual enrollment period web page of University Human Resources and in Employee Self Service and on the reminder postcard to be delivered by campus mail to all employees working 50 percent time or more.
    2. Solicitations may be conducted only once a year at a time during the enrollment period designated by the university.
    3. At the beginning of the solicitation enrollment period, the university will post the current year's enrollment charitable giving information at University Human Resources on the enrollment period web page and in Employee Self Service. and The university will distribute by one campus email, at University expense, one reminder postcard to all employees working 50 percent time or more (V-9.2 a(3)). Individual organizations granted permission to solicit pursuant to paragraphs a and b above may, during the specified enrollment period and at their own expense, deliver a second reminder postcard to campus mail for distribution to that same group of employees 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 Annual 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 local United Fund and/or other qualifying charitable organization(s) (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.
    5. In addition to the means of solicitation specified in paragraphs (1)–(4) above, the Central Mail Services (see VI-5) may be made available on a cost basis, and not more often than once per annum, to any organization whose application is approved by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations according to the procedures specified in paragraph b above. In such cases University staff may respond to such an on-campus solicitation only by sending their contributions or pledges directly to the soliciting organizations.

      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. The provisions of c(2) and c(4) will apply to any solicitation conducted pursuant to this section. On-campus personal solicitations by charitable organizations sanctioned under this paragraph will occur under the following protocol:
      1. Timing. The university will designate a two-month 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 two-month 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. The Subject to V-35, information meetings may be scheduled in conference, seminar, or faculty/staff lounges 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 solicitation enrollment period. The request should be made to the departmental executive officer, dean/vice president, or administrator of the affected unit. In addition, the charitable organization shall submit a schedule of planned informational meetings to the Chief Human Resources Officer. 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.

9.2 Mass Email Solicitation

(Amended 10/05; 4/25/25)

This policy applies only to the on-campus electronic solicitation of money by organizations either within or external to the university when the number of email recipients is 1,000 or more employees. This policy strives to balance the primary use of employee email, which is to conduct university business efficiently, with the desire that university employees have ample opportunity to be engaged citizens of the broader community through donating to worthy charitable causes. In cases where external organizations do not abide by this policy, the university reserves the right to take whatever actions are necessary to block outside email and/or sever the university's relationship with the organization in order to preserve the integrity and efficiency of our systems.

  1. External organizations.
    1. Charitable organizations may solicit money on campus only if they obtain prior permission from the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations or their designee. Permission will be granted based on V-9.1 b.
    2. Permission will be granted an organization by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations provided that: 1) the organization is a bona fide charitable organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and 2) the solicitation is sponsored by a University department, college, division, or other major administrative unit.
    3. Charitable organizational solicitations may occur once per year within the designated enrollment period.
    4. The email will include organizations as outlined by V-9.1 b and will be distributed by the university once per year to all employees working 50 percent time or more (V-9.1 c(3)). The email soliciting contributions must include directions for university employees to contribute directly to the charitable organization.
    5. The university will permit the charitable organization to provide a link on the employee self-service web page for 12 months following the email solicitation. The university also will permit a link on the employee self-service web page for 12 months if the original solicitation was through campus mail as allowed by V-9.1.
    6. Pursuant to V-9.1 b and Iowa Code 70A.14 and 70A.15, the university will permit the charitable organization to provide written copy describing the organization on the annual enrollment period web page and in Employee Self-Service. 
  2. University colleges, divisions, departments, units, programs, services, and affiliated organizations.
    1. University administrative areas and affiliated organizations may solicit money on campus only if they obtain prior permission from the appropriate dean/director and Provost or vice president. Affiliated organizations must obtain permission from the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations or their designee.
    2. University administrative areas and affiliated organizational solicitations may occur once per year. The Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations is authorized to make exceptions.
    3. The email soliciting contributions must include directions for University employees to contribute directly to the charitable organization.
    4. The University will permit the charitable organization to provide a link at Employee Self Service for 12 months following the email solicitation. The University also will permit a link at Employee Self Service for 12 months if the original solicitation was through campus mail. 

9.3 Charitable Donations to Outside Organizations

(President 1/18)

University resources are to be used to further the university’s mission, which includes outreach and engagement. Accordingly, all expenditures made from university accounts must be for official university business. Article III, section 31, of the Iowa Constitution has been interpreted as strictly forbidding the donation of university resources to any person or entity. Donations of university funds to charitable organizations are prohibited. However, advertising and marketing expenses are allowed, as well as event sponsorships where the university participates in the event or where its contribution is otherwise publicly recognized or acknowledged. (Note: Any agreement or contract relating to sponsorship needs to be signed by a person who has signature authority under university policy, such as the Director of Purchasing or University Business Manager.)