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Charitable Organization Deduction : P-140

Policy/Guideline Area

Personnel Guidelines

Applicable Divisions

TCATs, Community Colleges, System Office

Purpose

The purpose of this guideline is to establish the operational Guideline for Charitable Organization Deductions by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Policy/Guideline

  1. Introduction
    1. The following guidelines establish a unified charitable giving campaign with a specific solicitation policy, calendar of events, enrollment procedures, contribution methods, requirements and limitations, approval process for addition of new agencies, and reporting procedures. 
      1. All federations, independent agencies and institutions are expected to comply with the provisions of this guideline.
  2. Types of charitable organizations that will be considered
    1. Only organizations which are supported by voluntary contributions and which provide direct and substantial health and human services to Tennessee Board of Regents employees, their families, and other Tennesseans and/or provide substantial financial support to health, human services, and environmental agencies that provide significant services to Tennesseans and have a substantial presence in the State.
  3. Calendar of Events
    1. The Tennessee Board of Regents Charitable Giving Campaign shall be held annually during the period September 1 – November 15. However, the institution/system office has the flexibility to designate campaign dates at any time within this period. Each February, the System Office shall develop a calendar establishing dates on which:
      1. Currently approved federations and independent agencies shall be required to verify their continued eligibility to participate in the TBR Charitable Giving Campaign;
      2. New federations or independent agencies shall be required to submit applications for inclusion in the current campaign year;
      3. Federations, independent agencies, and institutions shall be notified of newly approved agencies and their corresponding deduction code numbers;
      4. Institution/System Office shall appoint current year campaign coordinators;
      5. The System Office shall notify federations and independent agencies of the theme selected for the current year campaign;
      6. Federations and independent agencies shall submit current year campaign materials to the System Office for preliminary review;
      7. Federations and independent agencies will begin contacting institutions regarding campaign dates;
      8. System Office shall provide final approval of campaign materials;
      9. Institution/System Office shall receive campaign materials for distribution.
      10. Institutions shall submit an annual report of contributions to the System Office, federations, and independent agencies.
  4. Responsibilities of the Institution/ System Office
    1. The System Office shall develop and administer a charitable giving solicitation policy governing participating federations, independent agencies, and institutions.
    2. A copy of this policy will be made available to all participating federations, independent agencies, and TBR Campaign Coordinators at each institution at least 30 days prior to the campaign start date.
    3. The System Office shall develop and maintain a master list of eligible participating federations and agencies on its web site.
    4. The System Office shall develop a uniform enrollment pledge form and brochure that lists approved federations, their member agencies, and independent agencies, along with designated TBR code numbers.
    5. Institution/System Office shall distribute campaign materials and provide instructions for employees regarding payroll deduction options and completion of forms.
  5. Responsibilities of Federations and Independent Agencies
    1. Participating federations and independent agencies shall share the costs of providing pledge forms, brochures, shipping, and other incidentals associated with the campaign.
    2. Responsibility for production of annual campaign materials will be rotated among the federations.
    3. Each federation shall pay ¼ of the total cost; independent agencies listed in the current campaign brochure shall pay the final ¼ of cost.
    4. Federations shall provide regional training sessions for campus coordinators and shall appoint a liaison for the institution/System Office.
  6. Requirements and Limitations
    1. Organizations with current payroll deductions are "grandfathered" and will not require additional approval from the System Office. (Exhibit 1) However, such approval does not eliminate annual verification of continued eligibility and current contact information. Employees will be limited to three charitable organization deductions. 
  7. Process to Obtain Approval as a Qualified Agency and Establish Payroll Deductions
    1. New organizations shall contact the System Office to obtain an application form and shall be required to submit all required documentation in accordance with the date specified in the Calendar of Events. The System Office shall notify agencies of its approval/disapproval within 30 days of receipt of the application.
    2. Newly approved organizations and code numbers will be added to the master list on the date specified in the Calendar of Events.
    3. The System Office will establish a block of deduction codes for charitable organizations. A specific range will be assigned for agencies that are approved for System-wide deductions. The remainder of the codes may be assigned at the discretion of the institution/System Office.
  8. Enrollment
    1. Current employees may designate pledges only during the annual campaign period.
    2. New employees shall be offered the opportunity to authorize charitable organization deductions during the first full calendar month of service. Such employees shall use TBR’s current campaign form and brochure to make designations.
    3. Names and addresses of donors shall not be supplied to federations or independent agencies unless specified by the donor on the acknowledgement section of the pledge form.
  9. Methods of Payroll Deduction
    1. Employees may select a one-time lump sum deduction, which will be taken out of the paycheck designated by the institution/System Office,or
    2. Employees may select a monthly deduction, with the date of the first deduction being designated by the institution/System Office.
  10. Reporting Procedures
    1. Final reports containing the total gross pledged designations for each federation and independent agency shall be submitted to the System Office in accordance with the Calendar of Events. (Exhibit 2.)
    2. In addition, final reports and accompanying pledge forms shall be provided to each federation and independent agency by the date established on the Calendar of Events in order for each federation to provide necessary data to its participating agencies regarding distribution of designated funds. 

Exhibits

Sources

Authority

T.C.A. § 49-8-203

History

Source: May 8, 1995 presidents meeting; May 20, 2003 presidents meeting; November 11, 2014 presidents meeting.