1. Responsibilities

1.1 The Fundraising Ethics Committee

The purpose of the Fundraising Ethics Committee is to make decisions on the solicitation and acceptance of gifts where questions are raised in relation to whether they meet the Policy on the Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts, and also to assist with decision making on associated fundraising ethics topics referred to it by the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement.

1.2 The Development & Alumni Engagement office

The Development & Alumni Engagement office, led by the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement, will have day to day responsibility for implementing the Policy on the Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts and any decisions of the Fundraising Ethics Committee in the Office’s dealings with donors and potential donors. The Director of Development & Alumni Engagement will refer potential gifts to the Fundraising Ethics Committee if there is reason to believe that there is a high risk a gift may impinge upon any of the six areas of concern outlined in the Policy on the Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts, or in appropriate circumstances as determined by the due diligence process. In general, gifts below £100,000 will not be referred to the Committee, but remain subject to the same criteria of acceptance. Due diligence will be conducted on all gifts above £1,000. In exceptional circumstances, the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement may consult with the Chair of the Fundraising Ethics Committee about whether a gift below £100,000 should be referred for the consideration of the full Committee.

In cases where donor recruitment on behalf of the Development & Alumni Engagement office is contracted to third parties, the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement will ensure that this policy is incorporated into the terms of the contract.

1.3 The Chair of Council

The Chair of Council will receive details of any instances where a gift has been refused, or where it is proposed to refuse a gift.

In cases requiring an urgent decision the Chair of the Fundraising Ethics Committee will have the authority to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Committee.

The Fundraising Ethics Committee is responsible for reporting to the Chair of Council on any important decisions and for recommending any changes to this policy.

2. The Fundraising Ethics Committee Membership

Membership of the Fundraising Ethics Committee will include:

• Two independent members of Council
• The Provost
• Four members of academic staff (one of whom should be a Head of Department and one of whom should have medical training, with GMC registration desirable), nominated by the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the Senate
• The President of the Students’ Union
• A Chaplain from Warwick Chaplaincy, nominated by the Chaplaincy
• The Director of Development & Alumni Engagement (non-voting member)
• A Deputy Finance Director (non-voting member)

The Chair will be nominated by the University Council. The term for the Chair, as for the general membership of the committee, will follow the length of terms of office for all committees of the Council.

The Fundraising Ethics Committee will meet twice per year (or by correspondence as required) to adjudicate on cases referred to it by the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement. The Secretary to Council will act as the Secretary and the Prospect Research Manager of the Development & Alumni Engagement office will act as the Assistant Secretary to the Committee and, in liaison with the Governance Team, will be responsible for arranging meetings, preparing materials for the consideration of the committee, and recording actions that need to be implemented.

Five of the nine voting members of the Fundraising Ethics Committee will constitute a quorum.

In the event of reduced attendance, four voting members must be in agreement for a decision to be approved.

The Chair of the Fundraising Ethics Committee may, on occasion, provide advice or approve solicitations or gifts outside of the ordinary Fundraising Ethics Committee meeting schedule, if deemed appropriate by the Director of Development & Alumni Engagement. Appropriate donations will normally be lower value or those considered to be consistent with previous Committee decisions and intentions. Outcomes of all referrals to and decisions made by the Chair in between the ordinary Fundraising Ethics Committee meeting schedule will be reported to the Committee at the next meeting.

Members of the Development & Alumni Engagement office may occasionally be invited to present evidence for the Committee’s consideration. The Fundraising Ethics Committee will have the right to invite experts to attend to provide background detail on complicated matters on an as-needed basis.

A decision to reject a donation made by the Fundraising Ethics Committee will be final and should be based on a full and balanced consideration of the available information. The Committee can also make recommendations for changes to this policy and report any general principles or thematic discussions.

The Fundraising Ethics Committee will provide an annual, or by exception, report to the Council.

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