Information Sharing Policy

Effective Date: September 13, 2012; Revised June 2016

The Elgin Community College Foundation is committed to operating in an open and accountable manner to foster and maintain donor trust. As an organization committed to serving the fundraising needs of a public community college, the Foundation believes that information held by it should be open to public inspection while still respecting the privacy rights of donors, prospective donors, and employees. This policy sets out the practice of the Foundation regarding the extent and nature of materials that will be made available to the public and procedures for requesting information without compromising the Foundation’s status as a separate, private charitable organization and its ability to secure and manage donations in support of Elgin Community College.

Legally Required Information Available

1. Foundation’s annual informational return (IRS Form 990) – up to three years.
2. Foundation’s tax-exempt status determination letter.
3. Foundation’s articles of incorporation.

Information Voluntarily Disclosed

1. Foundation’s by-laws.
2. Memorandum of understanding between Elgin Community College and the Foundation.
3. Organizational chart.
4. Information regarding Foundation employment.
5. Financial information:
   1. Audited financial statements
   2. Foundation’s annual report information.
6. Policies and procedures, including:
   1. Gift Acceptance Policy
   2. Investment, Endowment, and Spending Policy
   3. Donor Bill of Rights
   4. Professional Standards – statement of ethics
   5. Conflict of Interest Policy
7. Payments between the Foundation and the college.
8. Gift clubs and recognition procedures.

Confidential Information

The confidential information which is not available for public inspections includes the following:

1. Information regarding donors and/or donor contributions without the express consent of the donor.
2. Records received from a donor or prospective donor regarding said donor’s prospective gift or pledge.
3. Portions of records that disclose a donor or prospective donor’s personal, financial estate planning, or gift planning matters.
4. Individual ECC Foundation employee information is other than the name, title, and salary.
5. Records containing information about a donor or prospective donor in regards to the appropriateness of solicitation and the dollar amount of the gift or pledge.
6. Portions of records that identify a prospective donor and provide information on the appropriateness of the solicitation, the form of the gift or dollar amount requested by the solicitor, and the name of the solicitor.
7. Information relating to fundraising plans and strategy.
8. Individual student information and/or any recipient benefiting from ECC Foundation support.
9. Information relating to trusts and annuities administered by the Foundation.
10. Other information – to the extent the Foundation receives requests for information not accounted for in this Policy, the Foundation will evaluate such requests within a reasonable time and determine whether the information is deemed confidential.

Information not deemed as confidential is available upon request by contacting the Elgin Community College Foundation at 847-214-7377 or by email at foundation@elgin.edu. If an information request requires the retrieval and reproduction of documents, a reasonable per page reproduction fee applies, not to exceed the actual cost to the Foundation of satisfying the request. All fees shall be paid by the requesting to the Foundation prior to receipt of the requested information.