About

Stewardship Commitment

The University of Illinois Foundation acknowledges and accepts responsibility for the fiduciary commitment to be good stewards of all donor gifts.

In regards to this duty, the Foundation pledges the following commitments, developed to reflect the highest standards of integrity and accountability.

The Foundation assures Donors that their gifts will be used for purposes for which they were given, by:

  • Assisting donors in conveying gift intent in advance or in connection with making a gift;
  • Processing gifts promptly in accordance with guidelines specified by the donor;
  • Communicating donor wishes to University administrators, faculty and staff responsible for spending; and
  • Collaborating with the University to insure that expenditures from gift funds are in accordance with donor intent.

The Foundation assures Donors that their donation information is handled with respect and confidentiality, by:

  • Ensuring all staff, volunteers and partners of the Foundation subscribe to confidentiality of donor records and gift information;
  • Ensuring personally identifiable data will not be sold, rented or marketed to non-affiliate third parties;
  • Respecting the wishes of donors who prefer their gift to remain confidential; and
  • Releasing only the names (but no monetary amounts) of donors of honorary or memorial gifts to the honoree, next of kin, or other appropriate family member, unless otherwise instructed by the donors.

The Foundation Board of Directors, in support of this commitment, has designated the Stewardship Committee of the Board of Directors as a permanent committee which shall provide oversight involving the stewardship of donor funds. The Committee serves in a donor advocacy role in reviewing and/or addressing matters of donor intent and shall monitor practices that protect donor intent and confidentiality of donor information.

The Foundation also has adopted the national standard Donor Bill of Rights developed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits.

YOUR CONNECTION TO THE FOUNDATION

The Foundation’s stewardship philosophy is focused on responsibly managing the gifts from our generous donors. We also do our best to show our supporters the real-world impact of their gifts.

To accomplish these goals, we:

  • Provide prompt, accurate acknowledgment and reporting
  • Provide donor recognition
  • Accurately follow donors’ wishes
  • Offer smart gift investments
  • Use funds effectively and efficiently 
  • Coordinate major donor pledges
  • Coordinate donor matching gift program(s)
  • Prepare gift receipts for tax purposes
  • Provide honorary memorial notification as needed or requested
  • Provide information on investment funds, capital value and performance summaries and activity details


Questions? Email us or call 217-333-0675.