Wheaton College Fundraising Policy For Intercollegiate Athletics

Introduction

Wheaton College Athletics competes in the NCAA Division III and in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Athletics is a Wheaton College Department within the Division of Student Development that contributes significantly to the mission of the College, in part because of the amount of time invested in training and competing, and in part because of the Christ-centered relationships fostered. In response, many alumni athletes and their parents desire to financially contribute to Wheaton College Athletics to enhance the experience for future student athletes. Fundraising for Wheaton College Athletic teams and for the Department is allowed under the conditions outlined in this fundraising policy.

Criteria for Establishing Fundraising Goals

Wheaton College fundraising priorities are ultimately approved by the President and Board of Trustees through the Advancement and Finance Committees. Fundraising efforts may be utilized to supply and enhance athletics budgets through the channels outlined in this policy. Wheaton College athletics budgets operate under the authority of the College. Expenditures are reported through regular institutional channels and are reviewed to ensure compliance with College policies, NCAA rules and Title IX objectives. Coaches and Regional Directors are permitted to solicit funds designated for approved fundraising priorities related to each individual athletics team after the fund raising goals are approved by the Director of Athletics, the Vice President for Student Development and the Senior Administrative Cabinet (SAC), in accordance with the criteria listed below.

1. Fundraising goals should help individual teams and/or the Athletics Department contribute to the Wheaton College mission through the Athletics mission, vision and learning objectives.
2. Fundraising goals should be generated by the Athletics Director and each Head Coach to address a gap between college-budgeted funds and unbudgeted financial priorities deemed necessary to be competitive either in the CCIW, regionally, and/or nationally (Note: A Wheaton team could compete regionally and/or nationally without winning the CCIW conference).
3. Financial priorities are established by the Athletics Director and Vice President for Student Development, in consultation with the mission, vision, and learning objectives of Athletics, and if necessary, through an examination of the total per athlete spending per sport within the Athletics Department, through consultation with publically available data of total spending per sport within the CCIW, and through a comparison of CCIW staffing structures and facilities.
4. Fundraising goals for individual teams should also take into account the need to enhance women’s and men’s teams proportionally within the Athletics Department, and goals should not distort the College’s commitment to gender equity.
5. Fundraising goals must be categorized as unbudgeted operations (including equipment), endowment (to fund specific positions and/or operations in perpetuity), or capital facility improvement.
6. More than one fundraising goal per team will need to be carefully considered as it will be difficult to fundraise for an endowment and for a facility improvement at the same time.

Approved Fundraising Strategies

1. Promotion of fundraising goals/progress via the Wheaton College Athletics website.
2. Personal visits/contacts of Advancement-approved names by Coaches, Regional Directors, select alumni, and/or parents. All Wheaton College employees and non-employees participating in fundraising efforts must first participate in a training session with Advancement.
3. Direct mailing (including e-newsletters) by Coaches and/or Regional Directors in coordination with and as approved by Advancement. (See points 2–5 under Mission Trip Fundraising on page 5.
4. Campus presentations by Coaches and/or Regional Directors during Homecoming, Family Weekend, and/or Graduation Weekend.
5. Corporate sponsorships in exchange for advertising at games and/or on the Athletics website as approved by the Athletics Director.
6. Incorporation of select athletics-related goals in a current Wheaton College capital campaign.
7. Department-wide golf outing sponsored by the Athletics Department.

Note: In alignment with this fundraising policy, individual sport booster clubs are not viewed as major sources of athletics department fundraising, but work to build community and provide support through arranging occasional team meals, and facilitating team communication.

Fundraising Protocols for Unbudgeted Operations, Endowments and Capital Improvement

Protocols for Unbudgeted Operations

1. Before the beginning of each fiscal year and in conjunction with the campus wide budget planning process, fundraising goals for each athletics team and for the Thunder Fund will be established between Coaches and Athletics administrators for unbudgeted operations, which may ultimately require approval in the May Board Meeting (for larger goals).
2. All donor contacts/solicitations must be coordinated in advance by the Coach and the Director of Athletics with the Director of Development or his/her representative.
3. For each of the contributions received, 80% of individual donations will be directed to the approved team specific goal(s) of choice for the unbudgeted operations.
4. Contributions will be directed to one of the established account numbers for each team in coordination with a donor. Account numbers for each team may include: mission trip account, spring trip account, tournament sponsorship account, and unbudgeted operations account (for recruiting, travel, equipment, meals, etc.).
5. For each of the contributions received, 20% of individual donations will be directed to the Thunder Fund. The Thunder Fund is an unrestricted fund that supports and may enhance the intercollegiate athletics departmental operations budget and/or team specific fundraising priorities.
6. The Thunder Fund is managed by the Athletics Director. Thunder Fund allocations are made in collaboration with Coaches. The AD will report allocations to the coaching staff, to the Vice President for Student Development and to Advancement at the end of each semester.
7. Thunder Fund dollars are not intended to support compensation for new positions or to enhance compensation for current positions.
8. Funds exceeding the approved goals either for a team or for the Thunder Fund will not be expended in the current year unless the Athletics Director approves, but will be applied to the following year’s goals, be transferred to an endowment fund and/or be transferred into a capital improvement fund at the donor’s discretion.
9. Donors will be asked to continue giving to or make a new gift to Wheaton College’s Wheaton Fund—support that benefits all students by lowering the overall cost of a Wheaton education, and by providing financial aid through Wheaton Grant funds. Limited financial aid is one of the primary reasons student-athlete recruits do not attend Wheaton College.

Protocols for Endowment

1. Before the beginning of each fiscal year and in conjunction with the campus wide budget planning process, fundraising goals for each athletics team will be established between Coaches and Athletics administrators for Endowments that will ultimately require approval in the May Board Meeting.
2. All donor requests must be coordinated in advance by the Coach and the Director of Athletics with the Director of Development or his/her representative.
3. For each endowment contribution received, 80% of individual donations will be directed to the specific team's approved endowment.
4. For each endowment contribution received, 20% of individual donations will be directed to the Thunder Fund Endowment. The Thunder Fund Endowment is an unrestricted fund that supports and may enhance the intercollegiate athletics departmental budgeted operations and/or team specific fundraising priorities.
5. The Thunder Fund Endowment appropriations are managed by the Athletics Director. Thunder Fund Endowment appropriations are made in collaboration with Coaches. The AD will report allocations to the coaching staff, to the Vice President for Student Development and to Advancement at the end of each semester.
6. Donors will be asked to continue giving to or make a new gift to Wheaton College’s Wheaton Fund—support that benefits all students by lowering the overall cost of a Wheaton education, and by providing financial aid through Wheaton Grant funds. Limited financial aid is one of the primary reasons student-athlete recruits do not attend Wheaton College.

Protocols for Capital Improvements

1. Capital improvement needs for each athletics team will be discussed, as necessary, between Coaches and Athletics administrators for facility enhancements.
2. Capital improvement needs are discussed and prioritized among the Athletics Department and then with the Vice President for Student Development.
3. The Vice President for Student Development presents the highest priority improvement(s) to the Senior Administrative Cabinet (SAC) and requests permission to proceed with preliminary planning in conjunction with the Facility Planning Team. Permission to continue is considered and prioritized alongside other campus facility needs.
4. If further planning is permitted, the Facility Planning Team meets with appropriate members of the Athletics staff to understand the needs.
5. The options are presented to SAC and to the Athletics Department with preliminary cost estimates.
6. The President determines if/when a capital improvement idea is presented to the Advancement Board of Trustee Committee and the Building and Facilities Board of Trustee Committee for approval to proceed with planning and fundraising.
7. Funds may be raised for approved capital improvement projects.
8. All donor requests must be coordinated in advance by the Coach and the Director of Athletics with the Director of Development or his/her representative.
9. For each capital improvement contribution received, 80% of individual donations will be directed to the specific team's capital improvement(s).
10. For each contribution received, 20% of individual donations will be directed to an endowment to support the capital improvement.
11. Donors will be asked to continue giving to or make a new gift to Wheaton College’s Wheaton Fund—support that benefits all students by lowering the overall cost of a Wheaton education, and by providing financial aid through Wheaton Grant funds. Limited financial aid is one of the primary reasons student-athlete recruits do not attend Wheaton College.

Mission Trip Fundraising

Athletics teams are encouraged to consider organizing mission trips. Guidance should first be sought from the Athletics Director regarding the NCAA’s regulations. Next, Coaches must apply for and obtain permission from the Global and Experiential Learning Program (GEL) for international trips. Once the necessary approvals have been obtained, the protocols below are to be followed before sending out support letters:
1. Complete the fundraising application for approval by the Advancement and Alumni Relations Division and submit to the Alumni Relations Office.
2. Included with the application must be the appeal letter and sample reply mechanism to accompany the letter.
3. Upon receipt, the Alumni Relations Office will send the request to the Director of Current Gifts with a courtesy copy to the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations, and the Directors of Advancement Services, Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Development, Gift Planning, as well as to the Associate Director of Alumni Relations.
4. After the request is reviewed, approval is transmitted to the Alumni Office who communicates to the point of origin.
5. List of donor names is provided by Advancement Services.
6. 100% of money raised for mission trips will be applied to the mission trip expenses.

Note: All alumni lists must be obtained and maintained by Advancement Services.