CROWDFUNDING POLICY
Impact UC is a crowdfunding program managed by the University of Cincinnati Foundation Alumni and Annual Giving department. The program utilizes a digital platform to generate support for philanthropic priorities of the University of Cincinnati and UC Health. Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or initiative by securing small, cash gifts from many people, through personal and professional networks, typically via digital platforms and tactics like email and social media outreach.
Goals of Crowdfunding at UC and UC Health
• Enable members of the UC community to leverage their personal network to support the UC or UC Health cause of their choice.
• Activate new annual giving donors and reactivate lapsed annual giving donors to the university. Annual giving donors are defined as those who make a gift of up to $25,000. The median gift of an annual giving donor is $83.
• Offer a turnkey tool for payment processing through a dedicated digital site, while providing training and coaching to ambassadors.
All Impact UC projects must adhere to the following Crowdfunding Policy and will be reviewed and approved by Alumni and Annual Giving department leadership Once approved and all relevant materials are received, projects require a minimum of two weeks to launch.
Individuals interested in pursuing a crowdfunding project should review these guidelines before submitting a request.
Requests must meet the following set of criteria prior to receiving approval to initiate an Impact UC crowdfunding project.
• Each crowdfunding project must further the University of Cincinnati or UC Health’s institutional mission by supporting their programs and initiatives. Funds must be placed into an existing UC Foundation gift account and cannot be redirected to a third-party entity such as an external charity or non-profit.
• Projects will be reviewed by Alumni and Annual Giving leadership according to the criteria outlined in this document. Once active, the UC Foundation reserves the right to discontinue an active project at any time.
• Crowdfunding projects may not launch from March 1 - April 30 or Oct.15 - Dec. 3. Requestors seeking to initiate a campaign during those periods may be offered the opportunity to participate in UC’s Giving Tuesday or Day of Giving campaigns.
• All projects must adhere to the following criteria:
▪ A fundraising goal with a minimum of $5,000.
• Exceptions may be considered for student organizations and student-led fundraising initiatives with support from Student Activities and Leadership Development.
▪ Any goal greater than $10,000 must have 50% of the total goal amount raised in advance of the launch. Those lead gifts will be loaded onto the Impact UC page to drive gifts and demonstrate collective support. Revenue IDs must be provided for lead gifts.
▪ Campaigns with a goal of $25,000 or more require the approval of the most senior level development officer for the unit and/or the Assistant Vice President of development responsible for the unit. Approval should be submitted in writing via email for consideration.
• The campaign will then be created by Alumni and Annual Giving staff with approval by Alumni and Annual Giving department leadership,
▪ Campaigns will be active for a minimum of one week to a maximum of three months.
▪ A project description and case for support including the intended audience and the requestor’s plan to secure gifts and market the campaign.
▪ For campaigns proposed by UC staff, the Alumni and Annual Giving staff may seek approval from the dean/vice president for their unit and will inform the lead development officer assigned to the unit of an approved campaign.
• Each project must name an individual who will serve as the lead point of contact and will serve as the primary liaison with the UC Foundation and Alumni Association.
• All funds collected for a project must be used for the stated purpose(s) of the crowdfunding project.
• If a project is not fully funded within the allotted timeframe, any monies raised will be transferred to the assigned gift fund and must be used for the initial intent of the
project.
• All crowdfunding platform content will be reviewed by the UC Foundation Alumni and Annual Giving department staff, which has the authority to edit or require revisions to content at any time.
• The crowdfunding project requestor must develop and/or provide project content for the webpage and marketing materials UC Foundation Alumni and Annual Giving department staff will consult with teams to generate ideas, provide feedback, and review content but are not required to create or distribute content such as email or social media posts.
• Crowdfunding project requestors must utilize their own networks and personal contact lists to promote the initiative. The UC Foundation will not provide contact data from its database.
• The UC Foundation Alumni and Annual Giving department staff will review the fair market value for any benefits received Any return benefits containing a UC logo or mark must be approved and sourced through UC’s Office of Trademark Licensing and Brand Engagement.
• Crowdfunding projects must not violate any law, regulation, or University of Cincinnati policy.
• There is a $5 minimum donation through the crowdfunding platform.