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UAF Development recognizes the importance of coordinating and supporting fundraising strategies for UAF and its units. UAF is committed  to donor-centric fundraising practices, follows the UA Board of Regents policy on fundraising and adheres to the Donor Bill of Rights published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

• Start by reading the UAF Fundraising Coordination Policy.

Solicitation and fundraising coordination: Before initiating any solicitation or fundraising event, collaborate with the UAF Development Office. All efforts require approval. This toolkit will give you an overview of the resources available and the processes to use them.

The UA Foundation offers customizable fundraising tools, including online donation forms, crowdfunding, text-to-give and silent auction software. As part of planning a solicitation, please connect with Foundation Fund & Gift Services to review your fundraising plan and determine the most appropriate online giving to use. F&GS will work with you to make this decision, taking into account the fundraising plan and resources available from both your team and F&GS. Each platform has unique features and is better suited to certain types of efforts. That said, the strength of the outreach is the most important factor in a solicitation’s success, more so than the platform used to receive gifts.

For events (virtual or in person) that solicit donations, offer items for purchase or provide sponsorship opportunities, F&GS requires at least 30 days advance notice for approval and paperwork initiation.

The UAF Development Office, in partnership with the UAF’s chancellor deans and directors, creates and manages annual fundraising goals for UAF, as well as the activities, alumni engagement and donor relations that support those goals. The plan is based on UAF departmental funding priorities, as well as needs and initiatives set forth by the UAF chancellor.

• Current initiatives
• UAF chancellor’s 2027 strategic goals
• Troth Yeddha’
• Achieving R1 

Fundraising for university departments or programs involves building relationships, communicating impact and offering clear opportunities for donors to contribute. Below are some steps to take to learn about fundraising for your department.

START HERE: Is your dean/vice chancellor aware and supportive of this fundraising effort? Please ensure departmental consensus before proceeding.

NEXT STEP: Does your unit already have a Foundation fund to which supporters can donate?

• Establishing a Foundation fund
  • Please begin by
    • The keyword search is specific to the exact name of the fund, so if you are having trouble locating a fund you know to exist, or if one does not yet exist, please contact your unit’s development officer or the UAF Development Office at uaf-giving@alaska.edu.
    • To view all active funds accepting donations for your unit, the academic/administrative unit and department filters can help search for all funds at the Foundation for your unit (the keyword field is not required to use this search tool).
  • To copy your fund-specific link: Once you find your fund in the search, please right click on the name of the fund, and select “copy link address.” As well, you can click the “GIVE NOW” button under the fund name, which will take you to the fundraising page for that fund. You can then copy the URL address.
• to ensure it complies with University of Alaska and IRS requirements. Please send your mail pieces and other fundraising materials to the main UAF Development Office uaf-giving@alaska.edu and cc: Miranda Miller, development coordinator, at mdmiller20@alaska.edu. 

Effective fundraising basics

• Online giving
  • Dedicated donation page: Make sure your department has its specific preset donation page link so that when clicked on, the selected fund is already preset.
  • Find yours in the .
  • Example: .
• Make giving easy
  • Employ a passive donate button on your website that links to the preset donation page.
  • Use a QR code in any print or online materials that also links to your preset donation page.
• Use multiple channels
  • Mix of email, social media, events, newsletters and one-on-one outreach.
  • Collaborate with the central Development Office for donor data when necessary.
  • CORE: Create once, repurpose everywhere.
• Tell great stories
  • Highlight student and faculty success.
  • Use storytelling to put a face on impact.
  • Gather quotations, testimonials and photos throughout the year.
• Define clear priorities
  • Identify and rank top funding needs internally before communicating outwardly.
  • Be specific and outcome-focused.
  • Know your case for support: Articulate your “why.” Why does this program matter? Why should someone support it?
• Thank and steward donors
  • Always acknowledge gifts promptly and personally.
  • Send impact updates and keep donors informed.
  • Highlight donor stories in newsletters or social media (with permission).
  • See last section in this toolkit, “Current constituents: identify, cultivate and steward,” to learn about UAF’s centralized stewardship and gain additional ideas.

Crowdfunding can be a highly effective strategy for a university program when applied to specific, tangible and time-sensitive goals that resonate emotionally and intellectually with donors. As noted previously, please connect with Foundation Fund & Gift Services to determine the most effective type of campaign and platform to use.

Campaigns that work well with crowdfunding methods:

• One-time, special project: Not for annual giving.
• Specific and finite goals: Donors can see exactly where their money goes.
• Shareability: Easy to promote via email and social media.
• Visual storytelling: Photos and videos of students, projects, or milestones enhance connection.
• Urgency and timeline: Defined end date drives action.
• Community involvement: Encourages participation from alumni, parents, and friends beyond traditional major donors.

Examples of UAF crowdfunding campaigns:

•  

Use the above best practices to determine if a crowdfunding campaign is right for your fundraising endeavor. 

Process for initiating a crowdfunding campaign

• To discuss if crowdfunding is the most appropriate way to solicit donations, please reach out to ua-foundationfundgift@alaska.edu.
• There may be minimum fundraising amounts for certain platforms, which will be assessed during initial conversations.
• Unit fundraisers are responsible for all content and making updates to the campaign platform pages.
• If it is determined that the solicitation should be a crowdfunding project or a new donation form needs to be created, please allow a minimum of 30 days of additional lead time for review, discussion and approval.

A Giving Day campaign is a concentrated, 24-hour (or ) fundraising event designed to inspire donations and engagement through urgency, competition and community spirit.

Primary uses of giving day campaigns for departments/programs

• Raising unrestricted support (support funds)
  • Used for day-to-day needs, special projects, or areas of greatest need within the department.
  • Offers flexibility for leadership to respond to emerging opportunities or student needs.
• Funding scholarships or student support
  • Popular for targeted campaigns like “$5,000 for First-Gen Scholarships” or “Support 10 Students with Emergency Aid.”
  • Aligns with donor interests in direct student impact.
• Celebrating departmental milestones
  • Ties Giving Day to an anniversary or significant achievement.
  • Enhances emotional connection and reason to give.
• Boosting alumni engagement
  • Departments encourage friendly competition between graduation years, degree tracks or faculty labs.
  • Gamification and leaderboards increase excitement.
• Building a donor base
  • Giving Day is an opportunity to engage young alumni or first-time donors.
  • Small gifts ($10–$100) are welcomed and celebrated.

If you have not been involved in UAF Giving Day in the past, or if you have specific questions for the upcoming year and timeline, please contact your unit’s development officer or the main UAF Development Office at uaf-giving@alaska.edu and cc: Miranda Miller, development coordinator, at mdmiller20@alaska.edu.

For any fundraising event, please contact the UAF Development Office at uaf-giving@alaska.edu or 907-474-2619 to start the process of coordination. 

• Review the UA Foundation’s .
• A UAF event form (Liv25) must be completed.
• UA Foundation may require a .
  • For events (virtual or in-person), F&GS requires at least 30 days advance notice for requesting any donations, purchases, or sponsorships for approval and paperwork initiation.
• Concerning event invitations: .

Private giving from foundations provides UAF with essential funds that supplement other funding sources and contribute to academic programs, research and student support. If you are thinking about partnering with a private foundation, please reach out to the UAF Development Office at uaf-giving@alaska.edu or 907-474-2619 to coordinate. There can be different channels through which private grants are routed other than through your Foundation fund.

How to reach out and build a relationship with a foundation:

• Research the foundation’s priorities
  First things first — it’s important to understand the foundation’s mission and priorities and the types of organizations it tends to support. Take a look at its past grantees, how much it typically funds and any geographic or thematic areas it focuses on. 
• Build relationships or seek referrals
  Foundations that are invitation-only tend to work with people or organizations they already know, or those who have been referred by a trusted contact or source. If you can, try reaching out to past grantees to learn about their experiences and see if any connections can be made. Is there any organization that you recognize or have a connection with? Also, if you have any colleagues, even other donors or other influential people in your field or program, who might have connections to the foundation, don’t hesitate to ask for an introduction. A referral from someone the foundation trusts could help! 
• Engage with their events or initiatives
  Many foundations hold events, webinars or other initiatives that allow them to connect with potential grantees. If possible, you can try to attend those events, participate in discussions and try to build connections. Showing genuine interest and being involved in their community could help you get invited in the future.
• Show alignment and impact
  When the time comes to engage, clearly demonstrate how your mission, goals, and work align with the foundation’s priorities. You'll want to be ready to showcase the potential impact of your program and explain why it's a good fit for their funding.
• Be patient
  It may take some time to get an invitation. In the meantime, continue to stay visible and see how you might be able to show the foundation of your work.
• Reach out for informational meetings
  Some foundations offer informational meetings or open office hours. These are great opportunities to introduce yourself, ask questions about their funding priorities and get on their radar. Even if you don’t get an immediate invitation, it’s a step in the right direction for future opportunities.
• UAF alumni connections
  There may be a way to query through our Nanook Network if any UAF alums work within a foundation, which could provide a door opener.

According to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education reporting standards and management guidelines, gifts in kind are “non-cash donations of materials or long-lived assets other than real or personal property (real estate).” Please review the following links with guidelines to determine if your unit should accept a gift in kind. 

• : to be filled out after the university has possession of the gift-in-kind.

A raffle can be an excellent way to raise funds for your club, organization or department. It does take some planning and coordination, so please read the following prior to starting a raffle.

• Contact the Wood Center; review procedures
• The UA Foundation Fund & Gift Services team needs to be consulted before raffles are used to fundraise to a Foundation fund to ensure the proceeds can be accepted and so F&GS can guide proper language and post-raffle processing.
• Raffles happen outside of the UA Foundation, but proceeds can be deposited into your Foundation account.

• Request funding through the UAF Planning and Budget Committee.
• Submit a request to the People's Endowment through the Provost's Office.
• Submit a proposal to the UAF Alumni Association .

Also, check with UAF’s Office of Grants and Contracts Administration about the difference between gifts and grants.

It is important to know your audience and what you’re currently doing to cultivate them in order to inform your fundraising activities. Cultivation (before the gift) and stewardship (after the gift) are utilized to maintain strong relationships with prospects/donors. Solicitation (the ask) is not nearly as successful without a strong cultivation and stewardship plan. UAF centrally produces cultivation and stewardship alongside fundraising plans. Please coordinate with the UAF Development Office.

Identify

• Who is your existing donor audience?
  • What compels them to give? 
  • When do they give? 
• Who are your prospects/constituents who have not yet donated?
  • Event attendees? 
  • Newsletter recipients?
  • What might convert them to becoming donors?
• Are your alumni engaged with the university? UAFAA?
• Does your unit have business partners?
• How are you currently communicating with your audiences?

Cultivate and steward

• The UAF Development and Alumni Relations offices broadly cultivate and steward all of our donors and prospects. We are here to support you.
• Insight into UAF practices: