Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why do donations need to go through the Foundation?
The Foundation provides resources in the form of cash and non-cash gifts to various programs, clubs, and committees at CPTC. As a state institution, Clover Park Technical College forbids employees from accepting donations. In addition, the Foundation ensures that gifts are used in strict accordance with donors’ wishes. The CPTC Foundation is held to a fiduciary responsibility to represent the donors’ interest and is accountable to the IRS and various other regulatory agencies. As a result, gifts intended to benefit a program, club or committee, must come through the CPTC Foundation. Institutionally related foundations are not subject to regulations governing the sale or purchase of property by the state and can perform these and other business transactions in a more competitive and expeditious manner. In addition, our foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. Donations made directly to the CPTC Foundation may be tax-deductible.
What is a Foundation sponsored event?
Any event that involves the solicitation of cash or non-cash gifts that is designed to benefit an existing program, club, or committee fund through the Foundation, is considered a Foundation sponsored event. If a fundraiser is being created to benefit your program, club or committee, then you must work with the Foundation to obtain approval for the fundraiser and an official request letter on foundation letterhead asking for donations.
I want to do a fundraiser what should I do?
Contact the Foundation first, so that we can ensure your event is approved and that planned fundraising activities don’t violate state ethics rules or gambling laws. Annual fundraisers must be approved by the Foundation and added to the Foundation’s fundraising calendar by September 1st for the current academic year. You will need to set up a fund for your program, club or committee through the Foundation if you do not already have one. Funds are subject to our Fees Policy, and will require a contract between the group and the Foundation. No fundraising can be done without an account set up for the funds to be received.
Am I allowed to ask people in the community to donate to my event?
That depends. If you have no business connection (via CPTC) to the person, and you are using an official foundation request letter provided by the Foundation, you may distribute the letter by mail, email or in person. Please note, if you mail the letter, contact the Foundation for assistance. You cannot mail these in CPTC envelopes, as that is a misuse of state resources. The Foundation can provide you with envelopes, but we are required to track how many you are sending on behalf of the Foundation. If you are reaching out by email, you will need to include the official request letter attached to your email, or forwarded from the Foundation. All events must be approved through the Foundation. If you plan to ask for donations from your personal, non-CPTC business-related contacts, you do not need a letter from the Foundation, as long as you state that you are requesting on behalf of the Foundation.
Can my students ask for donations?
CPTC students are allowed to ask for donations (cash and non-cash) for fundraiser events, but funds must still be deposited through the Foundation. We strongly encourage staff and faculty to advise students on proper conduct when interacting with the public, as they are a representative of your program/group/committee, our College and our Foundation when they are asking for donations.
I received a donation for my program/club/committee, what should I do with it?
If you have received cash or non-cash item donations for your program, committee, or club, you are required by college policy to turn these in to the Foundation. Please contact the Foundation for a non-cash gift form if needed. There may be times when you are conducting an event where you will handle cash. CPTC employees are not allowed to hold on to cash donations, they must turn these funds over to the Foundation as soon as reasonably possible. We encourage all CPTC staff members to refer people to the Foundation to make a donation whenever possible. The Foundation can receive donations in the form of cash, check, money orders, credit/debit cards, stock transfers, wire transfers, ACH transfers, and non-cash gifts.
Do I need to bring my gifts for Holiday House to the Foundation?
If your gift is cash in nature (cash, check, money order, gift card, marketable securities, etc.), it must be given to the Foundation. State employees who receive cash for Holiday House must turn it in to the Foundation. If your gift is an item intended to raise funds for Holiday House (such as a basket or item for the raffle, or item for silent auction which will benefit Holiday House) then it must also go through the Foundation. Please contact the Foundation to obtain a non-cash gift form. These forms are very easy to fill out and take less than 2 minutes to complete. If your gift is purchased by you, to be directly given to a student (adopt a student), this does not need to come through the Foundation. Gifts given directly to students through adoption are not tax-deductible. Cash, or non-cash gifts, given directly to the Foundation to benefit Holiday House are considered tax-deductible.
Where do I find the non-cash gift form and how do I fill it out?
If you have been contacted by a donor who wants to give equipment or items to your program, you must fill out a non-cash gift form. The form can be found in the drop-down menu under Staff & Faculty on our website (above) or on the CPTC Intranet’s Foundation page. A video tutorial for how to fill out the noncash gift form can be found online here. The donation is not legally the property of the program until this process has been completed.