University of Florida Community Campaign
Policy on Solicitation and Receipt of Gifts
The following policy governs the solicitation and receipt of gifts in support of the University of Florida Community Campaign (UFCC).
- Gifts used in support of the campaign that are made by the University of Florida or a direct support organization of the University of Florida must be made in accord with the policies and procedures of the unit or the direct support organization. Such gifts may be donated and given only in support of the UFCC.
- Under Section 112.3148, Fla. Stat., if the University of Florida or one of its direct support organizations gives a gift of a value in excess of $100 to a reporting individual or procurement employee as those terms are defined by law, the University or the direct support organization must give that individual a report of the gift by March 1 of the following year.
- All gifts made by the University or by a University direct support organization in excess of $100 in value in support of the UFCC will be reported to the Executive Director of the UFCC within 30 days of the close of the campaign. The Executive Director shall be responsible for making any reports necessary under Section 112.3148, Fla. Stat., on behalf of the University and furnishing the names and positions of the gift recipients to the respective direct support organizations.
- Gifts from persons and entities not the University or direct support organizations may be given to the University in support of the UFCC under the following guidelines:
- No reporting individuals or procurement employees may solicit gifts.
- All gifts of over $250 in value must be reported to the Executive Director of the UFCC within 30 days of the close of the campaign. The Executive Director is responsible for the IRS gift receipt requirements attendant to such gifts.
- Gifts from third parties may be used as gifts to University employees in support of the campaign only under the following conditions:
- If the gift from the third party is over $25 in value and is to be given to a University employee in support of the campaign, the gift must be made in such a way that it does not violate Section 112.3148, Fla. Stat., in that a lobbyist, as defined in the statute, may not use the UFCC to indirectly make a gift to a reporting individual or procurement employee. The distribution of any such gifts must be to a large pool of potential recipients, the majority of whom cannot be reporting individuals or procurement employees.
- The reporting requirements of section 1 above apply to such gifts.
- Gifts may be given as door prizes to UFCC events held for University employees as long as the conditions of 2(c)i are fulfilled. No contribution can be required as a precondition for receipt of any such prize.
- If a gift is auctioned, no fees of any kind may be paid to an auctioneer. Any auction must be reported to the Executive Director of the UFCC within 30 days of the auction. The Executive Director is responsible for furnishing all pertinent information concerning the auction to the Fiscal Agent who is responsible for giving the appropriate IRS receipt for the gift to the UFCC represented by the auction proceeds.
Terms Used Above
Reporting Individual - State employee who is required to disclose certain financial interests and gifts on a yearly basis under the provisions of Florida law. Specified employees include business managers, purchasing agents (persons with signature authority on contracts) having the power to make any purchases exceeding $1,000, finance and accounting directors, personnel officiers, grant coordinators, legal counsel, and the president of the university.
Procurement Employee - State employee "who participates through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation of any part of a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, or auditing or in any other advisory capacity in the procurement of contractual services or commodities...if the cost of such services or commodities exceeds $1,000 in any year."
Lobbyist - Person who "is employed and receives a payment or who contracts for economic consideration for the purpose of lobbying." "Lobbying" means "seeking on behalf of another person [a company or firm as well as a natural person], to influence" the University with respect to a decision of the University in the area of general policy or procurement (making purchases for the University) or "an attempt to obtain the goodwill" of a University employee. For the purposes of this discussion, "lobbyist" shall also mean the principal of the lobbyist.
