Administration of Gifts
Donor Relations serves as the official office for accepting, recording, and receipting all private gifts to UC Santa Cruz.
A gift is anything of assignable value that is voluntarily and legally transferred to the universityís ownership and possession.
Charitable in intent and bestowed without expectation of tangible compensation, a gift is awarded irrevocably.
The administration of gift entails the following procedures:
- Recording all gifts and supporting the data integrity of all donor records on the Alumni, Donors, and Friends System (ADFS);
- Fulfilling the campusís official private gift report obligation;
- Serving as a liaison to all campus units regarding appropriate designation of gifts funds and processing of gift checks;
- Ensuring that gifts are accepted according to IRS and University of California standards. To this end Gift Administration must approve all solicitation materials, such as membership brochures and direct mail solicitation materials. For additional information, please see the solicitation materials review policy (PDF, 32K).
The following criteria generally identify a gift:
- Gift is motivated by charitable intent;
- Gifts are irrevocable transfers of assets. The university is not obliged to return unexpended funds;
- Gifts may not have contractual agreements imposed;
- A period of performance is not specified;
- Formal financial accounting is not required;
- Generally, funds received from individuals, closely held corporations, and family foundations will be classified as gifts. Funds received from corporations, corporate foundations, and major foundations may be classified as gifts, depending on the circumstances of the transaction;
- Finally, the gift process is not complete until the gift is accepted by UCSC's University Relations Division.
To make a charitable contribution to UC Santa Cruz, please visit the Giving to UCSC web site.
If you have any additional questions about the criteria for charitable contributions, please contact us. For information on the gift fee, see the policy on the administrative fee on gifts.
If you are seeking information about a grant, please contact the Office of Sponsored Projects. Please see the University of California Office of the President guidelines on gift and grant classification criteria for additional guidance.
If you would like to request copies of specific Gift Administration forms or form instructions, please email thanks@ucsc.edu.