WFAA Policies for Event and Registration Services for Campus-Sponsored Events

An event can be defined as an engagement, development, or stewardship activity intended for UW alumni, donors, and prospects. Events typically necessitate vendor contracting, logistical arrangements, procurement of facilities, food and beverage arrangements, ground transportation, technical support, etc. Events often require several months of significant advanced planning.

Examples of events include: Chancellor’s Lunch, a building dedication/groundbreaking, Bascom Hill Society Fall Event, Homecoming pregame tailgates, and major gift recognition celebrations.

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) only provides event and registration services for events that contribute to the shared advancement mission of the university and WFAA. The expectation is that supported events contribute to the overall advancement of the sponsoring school, college, or department.

If WFAA provides event services, it is required that all event planning, legal review, and financial disbursement functions become the sole responsibility of WFAA. WFAA is unable to provide event services for any event in which the primary responsibility of payments for expenditures is the responsibility of the university for which campus-held funds will be used for payment; or in which WFAA is unable to exert complete control over the event planning, legal review, and financial disbursement functions. WFAA is unable to provide event services for any event for which planning is already in progress, i.e., contracts have been executed or the event date does not allow for adequate support due to immediacy or capacity of WFAA’s events team.

The centralized WFAA events team generally does not support planning or logistics for campus Board of Visitors meetings or departmental-level events and activities; those should be managed at the campus unit or development unit level by our campus colleagues, or by a WFAA development staff member if the event is being organized by WFAA.

WFAA event services do not extend to activities that are primarily administrative in nature and do not require formal contracts, legal review, or comprehensive professional event services. Examples include: departmental meetings for faculty and staff, small group (1–20 people) meals, or occasions where the audience is primarily the campus community and/or students.

WFAA registration services can be provided for campus-driven events that meet the eligibility requirements listed below. These services are available even if WFAA event services are not being used.

WFAA’s events and registration teams welcome the opportunity to answer questions and provide clarification. Please route your inquiry to our Engaging Supporters page.

Eligibility

1. To be eligible to use WFAA event services:
   1. The INTENDED audience of the activities must be UW alumni, donors, and/or stakeholders.
   2. The PRIMARY purpose of the activity must be engagement, cultivation, or stewardship of UW alumni, donors, and stakeholders.
2. If the activity is eligible for WFAA event services, it is necessary that:
   1. The activity timeline allows for adequate planning and delivery of services.
   2. The scope of the activity aligns with available WFAA resources.
   3. There is identified WFAA staff leadership and leadership from the campus unit to provide guidance and make decisions about the activity.
   4. The event aligns with departmental, divisional, and university advancement priorities.
3. If there is a gift component to the event registration, it must meet the criteria stated in WFAA’s Gift and Fund Management policies.

Before Engaging WFAA

1. Attain campus unit leader (dean, director) approval for the activity.
2. Confirm with the campus unit business office:
   1. What event expenses can or will be paid by university funds
   2. How vendor contracts will be initiated and paid
   3. Which WFAA gift fund(s) will be used, if any
3. Obtain permission from the dean/director/fund manager to use WFAA gift funds for the activity or transfer

Process and Guidelines

Once the activity has been determined to be in scope for WFAA and necessary approvals have been obtained from the campus unit decision maker, the workflow process follows the following guidelines.

If university funds are being used to pay for the majority of the event/activity, generally the responsibility for making arrangements will fall to the campus unit, including initiating and signing vendor contracts. When vendor contracts are initiated and signed by a campus unit representative, then vendors need to be paid directly by the campus unit out of a university fund. WFAA gift funds may cover appropriate costs if a donor fund supporting the activity exists.

Campus colleagues should follow UW–Madison purchasing processes and guidelines, which can be found on the Division of Business Services webpage, under the “Planning a UW Event” tab for campus-organized events. Those guidelines highlight, in part:

• Campus units may utilize campus procurement processes and campus funds for fundraising and donor stewardship activities that advance the mission of the division and are compliant with UW–Madison and WFAA policies.
• Authorized campus colleagues must sign the event-related contracts when campus is making direct payment to third-party vendors, even when the source of payment is gift funds (i.e., via check request).
• The UW Division of Business Services and individual unit business offices can help campus staff determine who is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the unit.

WFAA may still be able to provide registration services; please see the WFAA registration services section below for additional information.

If WFAA gift funds are being used for the majority of the activity, it is likely that the activity is eligible for event services by WFAA. To request event support from WFAA, please submit a Project Request available here on the Advancement Hub. Requests will be reviewed and approved based on resource availability and priority. When the WFAA events team is making the arrangements for an event or activity, then WFAA must initiate and sign vendor contracts, and will pay vendors directly. Reimbursement for expenses will be sought from the campus unit’s WFAA gift fund.

An authorized WFAA staff member must sign event-related contracts when WFAA is organizing the event and making direct payment to third-party vendors from WFAA-held funds.

• Only a limited number of senior WFAA leaders are authorized to sign or otherwise enter into contracts or agreements on behalf of the organization, including contracts with vendors for events and activities. No other WFAA staff members are allowed to sign or otherwise approve contracts or agreements on behalf of the organization.
• If WFAA is signing an event contract, a WFAA staff member must be directly involved in the planning and/or oversight of the events and activities for that contract.

There are three possible scenarios for WFAA contract signing:

1. The WFAA events team will manage contracts for advancement-related events and activities which are submitted and approved through the Project Request process and are receiving centralized WFAA event support.
2. Contracts for advancement-related events and activities using other centralized WFAA services (such as marketing and/or registration) but not centralized event team support will flow directly from the WFAA staff member overseeing the event to WFAA legal and then Sarah Schutt or Alisa Robertson for signature.
3. Contracts for advancement-related events and activities originating from campus and not being supported in any way by WFAA centralized services should be reviewed by the organizing WFAA staff member to ensure that these guidelines and the UW’s purchasing guidelines are being followed appropriately, and to document the reason why WFAA would be signing the contract instead of campus. If approved, the contract will flow directly from the WFAA staff member overseeing the event to WFAA legal and then to Sarah Schutt or Alisa Robertson.

WFAA registration services are generally available to support campus unit–sponsored engagement, cultivation, and stewardship activity for alumni, donors, and stakeholders if WFAA’s tools are capable of meeting the needs of the activity. A nominal administrative fee will apply, and all registration revenue collected is required to be deposited into a UW Foundation fund.

WFAA fund reporting services are generally available to support campus unit–sponsored engagement, cultivation, and stewardship activity for alumni, donors, and stakeholders.

WFAA gift services are generally available to support campus unit–sponsored engagement, cultivation, and stewardship activity for alumni, donors, and stakeholders when the event includes payments with a gift component. Gifts must be eligible for tax deductibility under IRS rules. See our Gift and Fund Management policies for more information.

UW faculty/staff travel will be reimbursed by WFAA when the faculty/staff member is traveling at the request of WFAA to be part of the program at an alumni/donor event. Faculty/staff travel will be reimbursed through the university when traveling to alumni/donor events for other purposes.

Campus Events: WFAA Support Decision Process

Is the purpose of the event development, stewardship, cultivation, or engagement, and is the intended audience UW alumni and donors?

Yes	No
WFAA could initiate and sign contracts.	Campus unit signs contracts and pays vendors.
WFAA could directly pay vendors.	Seek other event planning services.
WFAA could support the event planning.	Seek other registration services.
WFAA could support registration needs.* Determine funding source WFAA could support gift processing.	Confirm with WFAA Gift Services whether the revenue for this event meets the WFAA Gift Services Policies.

Is the WFAA events team and/or registration team able to provide services for the event (timeline, capacity, scope)?

Yes	No
WFAA events team supports the planning.	Seek other event planning services.
WFAA initiates and signs contracts: WFAA pays vendors and confirms funding source(s). WFAA pays expenses from a gift fund. Gift fund permission given in project request.	Campus unit initiates and signs contracts.
WFAA registration team supports the event.*	Campus unit pays vendors directly. Campus unit seeks other registration services.

Will WFAA gift funds be used for the event or activity that the campus unit is managing?

Yes	No
Campus unit initiates and signs contracts.	Campus unit initiates and signs contracts.
Campus unit pays vendors directly. Request WFAA do a fund transfer from the gift fund.	Campus unit pays vendors directly. Request WFAA do a fund transfer from the gift fund.

Can university funds pay for the activity or portions of the activity?

Yes	No
Work with WFAA in advance to clarify fund.	Consider possible use of WFAA gift funds. Request WFAA do a fund transfer from a gift fund.
Work with WFAA in advance on workflow.

*Administrative fees may apply to registration support for campus-sponsored events/activities.

If your event qualifies for services, please submit a Marketing Project Request on our Engaging Supporters page.

See our Advancement Definitions page for explanations of some of the terminology used in this policy.