Frequently Asked Questions

General

4. What is a Research Gift?

Research gifts are those directed to a specific research topic or project led and/or managed by a specific principal investigator (PI). While some fundraisers do certainly work on and solicit research gifts, many are brought in directly by faculty. A research gift may come about as the result of a faculty member being invited to submit a proposal to a funder, or even as a result of a faculty member giving a talk. Here is the link to the Research Gift Intake Form.

3. How do I distinguish between a gift and a grant?

Gifts may be given for specific purposes, including research projects, but funding is given with the intent that the campus has broad flexibility to utilize it for said purpose. Grants, on the other hand, may be given for specific research or operating support, and are often outlined by a very detailed scope of work and time frame. Like gifts, grants benefit Berkeley by supporting activities that relate to the University’s mission of teaching, research and public service.

Visit the Gifts vs. Grants Eureka page here or the Research Office guidelines here

UCOP has more detailed guidelines here

Grants are managed by the campus Sponsored Projects Office(non-profit and federal/state awards) and the Industry Alliances Office (corporate sponsored research). 

Only SPO and IAO may accept and sign grant agreements on behalf of Berkeley.

2. What is a Grant?

  • Both gifts and grants may be given for specific research or operating support. However, grants often mandate a very detailed scope of work and time frame, and have expected outcomes.

  • Grants often also include a line-item budget that the campus must adhere to when spending funding, as well as detailed financial reporting back to the funder.

  • A funder may require that monies not expended during the timeline of the project, be returned to them.

  • Finally, a grant may specify that the funder will receive specific material, training, a report, or product in return that might be intellectual property, patent rights, copyright, or technical reports.

  • Grants are given by federal and state entities, as well as non-profit institutions. Grants are not given by corporations. Grants are negotiated by the Sponsored Projects Office.

1. What is a Gift?

In general, gifts are given with no expectation of anything tangible or intangible in return. Gifts are motivated by philanthropic intent, i.e., the donor intends to make the donation. UDAR is the only unit on campus who can accept and sign gifts on behalf of Berkeley. Read more about who can accept gifts.

Gifts

What is a gift?

UDAR is the only unit on campus who can accept and sign gifts on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley.

  • In general, gifts are given with no expectation of anything tangible or intangible in return.

  • Gifts are motivated by philanthropic intent, i.e., the donor intends to make the donation.

  • While a donor can give to a specific purpose, including a research project, gifts to research should not include a line item budget and/or the requirement for detailed financial accountability back to the donor.

  • Research gifts are assessed a 10.5% research administrative fee (Cal ID & passphrase required). See below for more detail on research gifts. 

  • Research gifts agreements are reviewed and approved by Fund Management in UDAR. Fund Management reserves the right to edit externally generated agreements, as needed, to ensure all language is acceptable to the University of California.

Learn more about who can accept gifts.

Research Gift

What will I need to complete the Research Gift Intake Form?

The Research Gift Intake Form is used by the UDAR Fund Management and Gift Services teams to review research gift documents and accept the gifts for processing. The form requests the information needed to ensure that a transaction  can be accepted by UC Berkeley as a gift and will comply with relevant University policies and guidelines, as well as IRS rules.

  • Name of funder and amount

  • Check or wire number (if a gift has already arrived)

  • The fund number to which the gift should be placed

    • ​​If a new fund needs to be set up for this gift, please provide the appropriate Department ID and Chartfield 1 or 2.

  • Gift/Award Letter - This could be an externally generated letter, email notification of award, or other email or document stating that a gift is being made.

    • If a letter is not provided by the donor, a research gift agreement can be requested via the Research Gift Intake Form.

  • Completed proposal or application for funding - This could be a completed application form requesting funding, a formal or informal proposal that was submitted to the funder, or communication with the funder discussing the nature of the gift. This is not necessarily a proposal you would upload to Phoebe (the proposal approval portal for projects going through the Sponsored Projects Office or the Industry Alliances Office). Rather, it is the communications between the PI and funder about the research and gift.

  • Call for applications - This is the funder's call for nominations or call for proposals. Please include the funder's submission guidelines.

To submit for research gift processing:

  • Signed 700-U Form (Statement of Economic Interests for Principal Investigators) - Required for gift processing. 

    • A copy of the completed 700-U should also be submitted to the Conflict of Interest Office

    • Positive disclosures should come with the Conflict of Interest (COI) determination notification and related backup.

Questions?

fundhelp@berkeley.edu

Additional Resources:

When do I need to complete the Research Gift Intake Form?

  • A research gift agreement needs to be drafted

    • A UC Berkeley research gift agreement can be drafted by the UDAR Fund Management team when requested by the donor, to establish new gift terms, and/or to confirm gift intent.

  • Award Letter- A funder sends an award letter regarding a PI's research gift

    • Some of these letters may require an award agreement to be signed by UC Berkeley in order to issue gift payment. Complete the Research Gift Intake Form to collect campus signatures.

  • Research Gift Money- A funder sends money ($500+ for corporations, and $5,000+ for individuals)

    • A new check or wire for a research gift has been received and should be processed and deposited into an existing or new fund.

    • If a gift arrives after you have already submitted an award letter via the form, simply email fundhelp@berkeley.edu to let them know. They will send you updated request fields to connect the new gift with the award letter.

The Research Gift Intake Form​ is used by the UDAR Fund Management and Gift Services teams to review research gift documents and accept the gifts for processing. The form requests the information needed to ensure that a transaction  can be accepted by UC Berkeley as a gift and will comply with relevant University policies and guidelines, as well as IRS rules. 

What is a research gift?

Research gifts are those directed to a specific research topic or project led and/or managed by a specific principal investigator (PI). While some fundraisers do certainly work on and solicit research gifts, many are brought in directly by faculty. A research gift may come about as the result of a faculty member being invited to submit a proposal to a funder, or even as a result of a faculty member giving a talk. Most, but not all, research gift donors are corporations or foundations. Research gifts differ from other gifts in a few ways:

  • Back-up for all research gifts of $500+ for corporations and $5,000+ for individuals must be submitted for review and acceptance through the Research Gift Intake Form. Review of research gift proposals and back-up is required by the campus gift acceptance policy

  • Research gifts are subject to the 10.5% research administrative fee

  • Research gifts require additional scrutiny in order to maintain and protect UC Berkeley’s academic freedom, intellectual property rights, and 501(c)3 status. 

  • New research gifts for specific projects often require a new fund. Read more about when new funds are required.​

  • It can be difficult to distinguish a gift for research from a grant or other type of sponsored project. Please visit the Gifts vs. Grants Eureka page here and the Research Office Grant Life Cycle page here to learn more.

  • Research gifts do differ from sponsorship gifts. Gift sponsorship programs allow industry sponsors to receive non-tangible benefits in return for unrestricted support for the lab. Gift sponsorship programs are vetted through the intake process detailed here.

Grants

What is a grant?

Only the Sponsored Projects Office (non-profit and federal/state awards) and Industry Alliances Office (corporate sponsored research) may accept and sign grant agreements on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley.

  • Both gifts and grants may be given for specific research or operating support. However, grants often mandate a very detailed scope of work and time frame, and have expected outcomes.

  • Grants often also include a line-item budget that the campus must adhere to when spending funding, as well as detailed financial reporting back to the funder.

  • A funder may require that monies not expended during the timeline of the project, be returned to them.

  • Finally, a grant may specify that the funder will receive specific material, training, a report, or product in return that might be intellectual property, patent rights, copyright, or technical reports.

  • Grants are given by federal and state entities, as well as non-profit institutions. Grants are not given by corporations. Grants are negotiated by the Sponsored Projects Office.

How do I distinguish between a gift or a grant?

Stewardship

Should I send a chancellor letter?

How do I steward a major gift from a foundation or corporation? Is it the same as stewarding a major gift from an individual donor? When should I send a chancellor letter?

Stewarding corporate and foundation gifts rarely calls for a chancellor letter. It is nearly always at the discretion of the individual fundraiser and/or program director, when one or more of the following criteria is met:

  • The gift amount is $1M+
  • The chancellor and the president of the foundation having met
  • It is meaningful for the chancellor to personally author the letter
If the unit feels it necessary to send a stewardship letter, it is always recommended that it is sent by the director or program lead. The chancellor letter is held to strict standards the require at least one of the above criteria be met. We encourage you to speak with the fundraiser who supports your unit if you are considering this level of stewardship.