Gifts and Grants

The private gifts and grants the Foundation develops and accepts for the University through its Corporate and Foundation Relations team are different than dollars that flow through the University’s Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP).

The Foundation does not negotiate research contracts; it accepts gifts and grants that do not require detailed, lengthy reports or receivables. Preferably the checks should be made payable to the UW Foundation for deposit in your account.

In general, the gifts that flow through the foundation

• do not originate from a federal government agency;
• can be used for general or specific purposes, including capital projects, research, student and faculty support or other activities;
• require no detailed technical or fiscal reports as a condition of the gift, although the Foundation will supply brief narrative or financial reports as part of its normal stewardship process;
• give the donor no claim to patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights from the work;
• contain no restrictive provisions, such as delays or advance notice concerning publication or dissemination of the data and information from the work supported by the gift;and
• are irrevocable and have no specified period of performance.

The Foundation does not count as gifts any funds generated by University-sponsored, revenue-producing activities, including fees for services or for use of university facilities, revenues from ticket sales and registration fees or funds generated by the sale of research by-products. Those funds, in general, should be deposited in University accounts. If paid to the Foundation, they are considered special deposits.

Funds flowing into the Foundation should be for gifts, not for the payment of contracts or services provided by the faculty or staff in their roles as University employees.

What about membership fees to consortiums, such as the Food Research Institute?

Many industry groups have set up consortiums that focus on specific research. The pooled membership fees help fund that research. The University retains rights to any discoveries, and information will be publically published. Consortium members usually receive early notification of research results, but any information that flows through the consortium is shared, not proprietary. The fees are considered gifts to support research and can be deposited in the Foundation.