Gifts

How to manage a gift donated to UW Foundation or directly to UW–Madison.


Gifts tend to come in two forms:

  • Monetary donations
  • Gifts in Kind (non-cash donations)

As a best practice, monetary gifts are made through the University of Wisconsin Foundation, but can also be made directly to UW-Madison.

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Grants or sponsored projects

If your funds are for a sponsored project, consult with your Dean/Director/Divisional Business Office. Or contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), if applicable.

Some companies or private entities will refer to their donation as a “grant” even though there are no restrictions, requirements, or scope of work involved.

This “grant” language does not prevent us from recording the donation as gift revenue. See Gift vs. Sponsored Project for more information, or contact Gift Management with questions.

Requesting e-Reimbursement from UW Foundation

This is managed through UW–Madison’s e-Reimbursement system.

Tax information

Frequently asked questions

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What is the WFAA?

WFAA stands for Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association. It is a legal merger of the two organizations – UW Foundation and Wisconsin Alumni Association. When referring to gift funds, you will see the terms WFAA, UW Foundation, and UWF used interchangeably, as in this capacity, they are all referring to UW Foundation.

Can I use sales credits account codes 9050 & 9051 on 233 projects?

As a best practice, accounts 9050 and 9051 are not used on Fund 233 to the extent possible. There are certain circumstances where the use of account codes 9050 and 9051 are permitted. Always review the transaction to determine whether a cost transfer should be performed, or if crediting an expense account code is appropriate, such as a vendor refund. All transactions coded to 9050 and 9051 on Fund 233 are reviewed on a monthly basis and will be questioned for appropriateness. Budget amounts are not recorded for amounts coded to 9050 and 9051 on Fund 233 projects.

My department held a fundraiser and we sold merchandise to raise money. Why can’t we record these sales to a 233 project?

The sale of goods or services, regardless of what fund related expenses are incurred on, is a revenue producing activity that is not allowable on Fund 233.

If you advertise you are selling a t-shirt for $20 to raise funds for a particular program and purchasers pay $20 for that t-shirt, those funds raised belong on a revenue producing funding string, regardless of how much profit was made. However, if you advertise that you are selling a t-shirt for $20 to raise funds for a particular program and a purchaser chooses to pay $50 for that t-shirt in order to make a $30 donation, you can now record $20 to an RPA funding string and $30 to a 233 project as gift revenue. This $30 is a donation that needs to be acknowledged in writing to the donor.

Can I deposit an honorarium receipt to a 233 project?

See the UW–Madison guidelines for how to handle the receipt of honoraria while representing UW-Madison.

Who do I contact if a donor wishes to have an agreement signed regarding a donation?

Contact Gift Management with a copy of the agreement. Gift Management will coordinate any further reviews as needed, and is authorized to sign agreements.

When do I route Gift in Kind donations through the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association for processing vs Gift Management in Accounting Services?

See Gift in Kind Policy 130 for more details. Typically GIKs are routed through the WFAA in the following situations: WFAA is the ultimate beneficiary of the item (will physically be using it); real property; items that will be liquidated and proceeds placed into a WFAA Fund; other similar situations where the campus department is not ultimately taking possession of the item or service. However, exceptions do arise based on the donor’s circumstances. If unsure where to route a noncash donation for processing, contact Gift Management.

If I become aware of a Gift in Kind donation after it has been received on campus, should I still complete and submit the Gift in Kind Routing Form?

Yes, a Gift in Kind Routing Form and applicable attachments should be submitted even if the item has already been received on campus.  The Gift in Kind Routing Form ensures donated items are properly reported to the Board of Regents.

Contact

Accounting Services Location

Accounting Services – Gifts
21 N. Park Street, Suite 5301
Madison, WI 53715

Accounting Services- Gift Management email

Gift Management Accountant
Oscar Garcia Romero
giftmgt@bussvc.wisc.edu
or via MS Teams

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)
help@uwadvancement.org