Statement of Incorporation:  The Foundation of the State University of New York at Binghamton, Inc. (also referred to as the Binghamton University Foundation) was incorporated in the State of New York in June 1955 for the following purposes:

1.      Assist in advancing the welfare and development of the State University of New York at Binghamton by accepting and encouraging gifts to this Corporation, and by using such gifts to advance purposes in a manner consistent with the educational policies of the State University of New York.

2.      Make grants of financial assistance to the University, its faculty and students, including scholarship grants to students, the endowing of professorships, and other desirable purposes.

3.      Receive, hold, and administer such gifts with the primary objective of serving the purposes of the University; invest or reinvest funds as permitted by applicable law; receive gifts and bequests of personal property and real property, to hold, sell, and administer such gifts or the proceeds thereof for the purposes specified.

In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of this Corporation, whether voluntary, involuntary, or by operation of law, any disposition of the assets of this Corporation shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes for which this Corporation was formed.  None of the assets shall be transferred or conveyed to the private benefit of any of the members of the Corporation.

Mission Statement:  The Binghamton University Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation established to raise funds that further the purpose and mission of Binghamton University.  Volunteers and staff working on behalf of the Foundation foster and maintain partnerships with alumni, parents, friends, and members of the University community.

The Foundation also educates others about charitable giving, matches institutional fundraising priorities with donors' charitable intentions, and provides sound fiscal management and stewardship of all assets held in trust for the benefit of Binghamton University.

IRS Certification:  The Foundation received its 501(c)(3) exempt status in March 1958 from the United States Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service.  Copies of the IRS certification letter of the Foundation’s 501(c)(3) status can be obtained from the Foundation office.

Role of the Binghamton University Foundation:  The Binghamton University Foundation is the official fundraising organization of the institution and exists to encourage greater private support of Binghamton University, its sole beneficiary.  Contributions to it are tax deductible as allowed by law.  Gifts from individuals (alumni, faculty, staff, parents, community members), foundations, and corporations – defined as the University's constituents – are solicited and used to finance University programs.  Gifts may be made in the form of cash, check, credit card, securities, land, works of art, equipment, etc.  The Foundation manages and allocates gift funds, and is also a repository for other gifts to the University, such as works of art and books.

The Foundation accepts both unrestricted and restricted gifts.  Unrestricted gifts are used where the needs of the University are the greatest – for student aid, scholarships, academic awards, graduate fellowships, faculty recruitment, undergraduate research, admissions programs, and alumni and Foundation programs.  Restricted gifts are used as the donor stipulates; the only control the Foundation exercises over restricted gifts is whether they further the goals of the University and whether they can be administered in accordance with good business practices.  The Foundation recognizes individuals or corporations, as required by the donor(s), so long as requests for such recognition are considered reasonable.  Gifts "in memory of" or "in honor of" are also accepted, with appropriate recognition.

General Fundraising Policies and Procedures:  Any request to undertake a fundraising program or solicitation of contributions from University constituents as defined above must be fully endorsed by means of a Special Fundraising Campaign Approval Form.  An individual initiating a request from an academic department is responsible for securing the endorsement of the appropriate dean before submitting the request to the Foundation for review by the Executive Director of the Foundation.  Alumni clubs (as defined by the Alumni Association's criteria for an alumni club), student groups, and non-academic departments must secure the endorsement of the Associate Executive Director of the Foundation.  The Vice President for External Affairs, in consultation with the President, provides final approval for all fundraising requests.  It is the policy of this institution that no solicitation of funds (other than grants or contracts administered through the SUNY Research Foundation) or property shall be made by anyone for the benefit of the University, or any agency thereof, without the prior approval of the Associate Executive Director of the Binghamton University Foundation or the Vice President for External Affairs, acting for the University President.  All funds raised are to remain with the Foundation for the sole benefit of the University.  No outside organizations may use Foundation or University constituent lists for the purpose of fundraising.

Comprehensive fundraising policies and guidelines are available in the Binghamton University Foundation Policy Manual, which can be obtained from the Foundation office.

Role of the Binghamton University Research Foundation:  All applications for research and other sponsored programs are to be endorsed by the Associate Vice Provost for Research, using the approved University procedures.  Generally a sponsored program results from a sponsor solicitation, is directed at specific objectives in a stated area of scholarship for a given term and requires deliverables, including financial and technical reports.  When any project includes the need for hiring staff, specifies considerable reporting requirements (technical or financial) or where the sponsor retains the right to review how the effort is undertaken, it should be administered by the Research Foundation.

The Director of Development for each school or academic unit will be the first point of contact for faculty and staff interested in approaching corporations and foundations unless the proposed project is specifically geared toward individual faculty research or is in response to a broadly advertised request for proposals to individual faculty members.  If the project is one of a contractual nature involving faculty research and commitments of University facilities and personnel, it will be referred to the Associate Vice Provost for Research.  Applications that will go to public funding sources such as NEH and NEA which have a private fundraising component, such as the challenge grant programs at these agencies, should also be directed to the Director of Development.  If the project is for an unrestricted institutional grant or is of a “gift” nature not requiring a deliverable product, it will be referred to the Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni and Development/ Executive Director of the Binghamton University Foundation to coordinate with the school’s or unit’s Director of Development.