ESC Foundation Procedures

Sponsor:

 Office of Administration and ESC Foundation

Contact:

 Office of Administration

Category:

 Advancement

Number:

 300.002

Effective Date:

 2000/06/21

Review Date:

 2012/06/21

Implementation History:

 Updated 7/14/2010

Keywords:

 Foundation

Background Information:

Purpose

To establish procedures for ESC Foundation Programs

Definitions

Statements

The Empire State College Foundation is the independent entity that manages and supports gifts, donations and grants that support and enhance the Empire State College program. Although many of the processes mirror the procedures established for the state and Research Foundation funds, the finances are totally segregated and accounted for independently.

As a result, program guidelines, forms, and accounting are distinctive.

  1. Establishing a Program in the ESC Foundation

    Instructions for completing account guidelines forms:

    All submissions must have a detailed budget attached and be signed by the prospective account administrator.

    Note: Personnel expenses must be cleared through the assistant vice president for budget and finance. ESC faculty and staff or other state employees may not be paid for personal services through the Foundation.

    1. Please give your account an appropriate name.
    2. Source of funding should indicate grant, participant fees, contract or other revenue source. The budget statement should detail the calculation of the revenue projection.
    3. Purpose should be a clear and concise description of the project, including its objectives and relationship to the college program.
    4. Please indicate approximate time frame for project, i.e., contract period, academic year, etc.
    5. Please provide specific instructions that will assist the Foundation in determination of appropriate disbursements. Any limitations on the use of these funds should be described in detail.
    6. Please indicate if any payroll expenditures are anticipated. The ESC Foundation does not operate a payroll and in the event that
      you have need for one, an IFR mechanism may need to be developed.
    7. The account guidelines form may be ordered from the ESC Supply Catalog (06181) Detailed instructions for completion of the forms are printed on the back of the form.

     Note:

    1. Processing a new Empire State College Foundation program account will require at least one week.
    2. There is an administrative overhead charge (currently 10 percent of revenue) for all ESC Foundation accounts.
    3. In the case of external funding, expenditures will not be allowed prior to funds being received by the Foundation.
    4. Faculty and staff requests for an account require a signed approval from the appropriate center director or college officer.
    5. An account number will be assigned to you. Please retain a copy of this form for your files.
    6. Inactive accounts will be reviewed quarterly. If an account has had no activity for one year it will be terminated; remaining funds will be transferred to the appropriate college endowment fund unless other restrictions apply, such as a return of unexpended funds to the grantor.

      Please forward the completed guideline form and appropriate backup to:
      ESC Foundation
      Alumni House
      28 Union Avenue
      Saratoga Springs NY 12866

  2. PAYMENT PROCESSING

    Although the purchasing process for the ESC Foundation mirrors the State process described earlier (utilizing the same requisition forms for purchases and central services except indicating the ESC Foundation account to be charged) the payment process requires the account administrator to submit a completed "Check/Transfer Request" form to the ESC Foundation with all supporting documentation.

    INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING CHECK/TRANSFER FORMS

    1. All orders through the ESC Foundation must follow the standard purchase order system of the College.
    2. Use one form per transaction.
    3. Be certain to include appropriate original documentation to support payment/transfer request. Note: If a copy of order or payment form must accompany check, please include the necessary copy to be sent.
    4. Please make certain that the documentation and the dollar amount requested are the same. NOTE: YOU CANNOT BE REIMBURSED FOR TAX. If tax charges appear on your receipts, please deduct them from the total. To avoid incurring tax charges, please provide the vendor with a tax-exempt form available from the ESC Foundation Office.
    5. Please verify remittance address and payee name. It can often be different from the ordering address.
    6. Checks will be forwarded to the payee unless otherwise noted. If check is to be sent to someone other than the payee, please indicate that in the top left corner of the form.
    7. For Personal Service payments to individuals, you must include the permanent address (P.O. Boxes not allowed for IRS 1099 filing, if necessary)and social security number of the payee regardless of where the check is being mailed. In accordance with IRS guidelines, personal service payments to individuals of $600 or more during a tax year will result in a 1099 being filed with the IRS.
    8. Make sure that you enter invoice/order # on the form.
    9. In the event that forms are incomplete or inaccurate they will be returned to the account administrator for correction and verification. The form must be signed by the appropriate account administrator or designee.
    10. Forward the original and yellow copy (along with all back-up documentation) to the Foundation Office. Retain the pink copy for your pending file.
    11. Check/transfer request forms are available from the Distribution Center at no charge. Request stock #S06162.

     

    INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR FORMS

    1. This form is to be used when entering into an agreement with an independent contractor
    2. Please use one form per project.
    3. Contractors should be paid in multiple installments based upon completion of projects.
    4. Forms must be completed and signed by the contractor and the account administrator. One copy of this form should be given to the contractor, one sent to the Foundation and one retained by the account administrator for use when submitting for payment.
    5. A copy of the signed agreement must be attached to a Check/transfer request each time for payment to be made.In this section, provide clear, concise statements of the steps required to fulfill the expected behaviors, practices or standards listed in the parent policy. Do not include policy statements; however, the parent policy can be referred to where needed. Remember the policy indicates “what,” whereas the procedures indicate “how.”

    Specific delegations of responsibility or authority for particular decisions may be included:

    1. Students, faculty and staff should be regarded as the ultimate users of procedures, and procedures should be written with these users in mind. Try to avoid the use of technical language unless clear definitions are provided. Remember that procedures are public documents and will be published in association with their parent policy.
    2. If an action is mandatory, "must” or “will" is used. If the action is recommended, then "should" is used. If the action is permissive, "may" is used. In most cases, the present tense is preferred.
    3. Internal consistency in the use of language is important. In particular, different words and expressions should not be used for the same thing. Ambiguity will cause difficulty for those using the procedures.
    4. Use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Make it clear who is responsible for the action, rather than leaving it ambiguous.
    5. Avoid the use of double negatives.
    6. Before using acronyms detail the full term or title.

Applicable Legislation and Regulations

Related References, Policies, Procedures, Forms and Appendices