Policy on Solicitation and Acceptance of Donations
Name for policy: Policy on Solicitation and Acceptance of Donations
Date approved by College Council: 18 May 2022
College Committee: Development & Alumni Relations Committee
Policy owner: Director of Development
Reviewed by: Director of Development
Last reviewed: May 2024
Revision summary: n/a
Next review date: Lent 2025
This document sets out the principles that the College will follow when seeking and accepting philanthropic support from individuals, charitable trusts and corporate bodies. It is intended to provide assurance to the College community, prospective donors and their advisers, that:
- the College complies with the law;
- donations are accepted on a clear and ethical basis;
- all donors are treated equitably.
Legal and regulatory context
The College, as a chartered corporation, is governed by its statutes and public law and is regulated by the Charity Commission. The body responsible for administration of the College under the statutes is the College Council members of which are identified as trustees under the Charities Act. The College Council is therefore ultimately responsible for the acceptance of gifts.
Law and statute are supplemented by good practice. In the context of fund-raising the College is voluntarily registered with the Fundraising Regulator which sets out a Code of Practice for fundraising, including standards on accepting, refusing and returning donations. By registration the College agrees to adhere to those standards.
The key principles in soliciting donations ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ College was founded on benefaction and it continues to actively encourage philanthropic support to achieve its strategic and charitable objectives. Increasing support from alumni, friends, corporates, and charitable trusts and foundations is seen as a key element in being able to fulfil its aims.
There should be no presumption that any offer of a donation will automatically be accepted by the College. All discussions with potential or existing benefactors, and within the College are strictly without prejudice up to the date of a formal acceptance of the donation.
Donations are received by the College in good faith and in accordance with the principles and procedures set forth herein. Benefactors shall have no further influence on the College in relation to the performance of its functions or activities. The College will act, with regard to donations accepted, in good faith, impartially and with the proper exercise of trust placed in it.
The College is committed to high ethical standards and champions an inclusive, diverse, tolerant and open-minded community. It will normally avoid engaging with, developing relationships with or accepting donations from individuals or organisations that do not demonstrate responsible employment practices, adopt sustainable environmental practices, and demonstrate excellent corporate governance, or that have been proved to have acted in a way that may harm the College’s reputation.
Principal responsibility for solicitation rests with Director of Development, who will take all reasonable steps to ensure that solicitation proceeds along the key principles set out below.
The College collaborates closely with the Cambridge University Development and Alumni Relations Office (CUDAR), from time to time jointly soliciting Caius alumni considered to be able to make a donation exceeding £1m. The collaboration is guided by the Code of Practice agreed by the Collegiate Cambridge and contained in the University's Procedures for Handling Donations.
The key principles in accepting donations
The following will be considered by the Caius Development and Alumni Relations Office staff and the College Council in respect of donations proposed or received:
a. Does the proposed donation fit with the College’s charitable objects and its strategic direction?
b. What additional costs or burdens, if any, would acceptance of the donation create for the College?
c. Is there published evidence that the proposed donation arises in whole or in part from activity that:
- evaded taxation?
- violated international conventions that bear on human rights?
- limited freedom of inquiry and expression?
- suppressed or falsified academic research?
- otherwise conflicts with the aims and purposes of the College?
In applying the above, in the case of unproven allegations of wrong-doing against a potential donor, no account shall be taken of mere rumour, but care will be exercised in accepting any donations, or continuing negotiations towards a possible donation, where there is a risk of damage to the College's reputation.
d. Is there evidence that the proposed donation, or any of its terms, will:
- require action that is illegal?
- cause a limit on freedom of inquiry and expression?
- encourage suppression or falsification of academic research?
- create unacceptable conflicts of interest for the College?
e. Is there evidence that acceptance of the proposed donation or compliance with any of its terms will damage the College’s reputation, including deterring other benefactors?
Where a donation is proposed to be made jointly to the College and the University or where a donation makes the donor eligible for University recognition, the Director of Development will consult CUDAR on due diligence.
A gift agreement will be prepared by the College and signed by both the College and the benefactor for any major donation that incurs naming recognition or other obligations on the part of the College or the benefactor.
The College may remove or alter any name attached to the donation if the benefactor commits an illegal act or becomes involved in any public controversy that in the opinion of the College might be reasonably expected to damage the reputation of the College or of the University of Cambridge.
Relations with donors
The College undertakes that:
a. all communications made to potential benefactors concerning a project will be honest, truthful, and comply with the law and the principles set out by the Fundraising Regulator;
b. the benefactors’ right to privacy will be respected within the limits of the law;
c. the benefactions will be handled responsibly and to the greatest advantage of the beneficiaries.
The principles as they affect donors will be made clear on the College’s website and referred to in materials which are conveyed to the donor.
May 2024
