Student-Athletes by Sport

IV. Do you have an active booster club? If yes, provide a copy of the bylaws and any pertinent information regarding this organization.

The Owls Fund Club was formed and approved by the Mississippi University for Women Foundation Board in November 2016 to assist with the budgetary needs per sport and for the overall development of athletics needs. The Foundation is a nonprofit Mississippi corporation organized to foster, encourage, and promote the educational purposes of the University. In providing important services through pursuit of endowments and other gifts, the Foundation enriches the academic quality and reputation of Mississippi University for Women.

Under the leadership of its independent Board of Directors, the MUW Foundation receives gifts on behalf of the University, solicits donations, manages assets, and distributes monies in accordance with prescribed procedures. The Foundation exists solely for the educational support of MUW but operates independently from the University, the Board of Trustees, and the State of Mississippi. The Foundation Board includes alumni and business and community leaders who are committed to furthering the mission of Mississippi University for Women. The Board elects a chair, a vice chair, a secretary, and a treasurer. In addition, there are several important Foundation committees that offer Board members an opportunity to become more involved with the Foundation and its mission.

The MUW Foundation receives contributions in many forms including cash, securities, bequests, real estate, and personal property. These gifts may be restricted by the donor for a specific purpose, yet unrestricted gifts provide flexible means for the University to respond to the most pressing needs. Gifts to the Foundation may be designated to establish or augment endowments which are essential vehicles for supported professorships, chairs, scholarship funds, and the general program support funds. Gifts also may be designated to support the general operating needs of the University and supporting programs.

The Foundation Board has adopted and is committed to operating under the Donor Bill of Rights as developed by leading professional fundraising organizations.

To date, the Owls Fund Club has received over $150,000 in donations to support the program. The Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation has developed working budgets for each sport on the timeline, including expectations for travel, recruiting, fund raising, professional development, uniforms, equipment, and facilities.

The Office of Development and Alumni must have a coordinated approach to private fundraising. Phone calls, letters, visits, proposals, and reports must be directed to and recorded in the Office of Development and Alumni.

All athletic fundraising is directed through the Office of Development and Alumni. 40

In the event a staff member of the Athletics Department identifies a prospective donor, the athletics director or athletics staff member will contact the executive director of the Office of Development and Alumni to discuss the prospective donor. A development staff member will be assigned to work with the athletic staff member to steward and solicit the prospective donor.

In the event a staff member of the Office of Development and Alumni identifies a prospective donor for athletics, the Office of Development and Alumni staff member will contact the athletics director to discuss the prospective donor. Based on the area of interest, the athletics director will assign a staff/coach to work jointly with the Office of Development and Alumni staff member to steward and solicit the prospective donor.

1. Fundraising activities are recorded as contact reports and/or actions in Blackbaud’s Raiser’s

Edge software system in the Office of Development and Alumni. All substantive contact with donors and prospects is required to be recorded in the donor/prospect record. When an Office of Development and Alumni staff member identifies an appropriate solicitation opportunity with a prospective donor, he or she will record the giving proposal in the donor/prospect’s Raiser’s

Edge record indicating the planned solicitation amount, date, and purpose.

The executive director of development and alumni reviews all contact reports and actions in Raiser’s Edge. The fundraising staff member will update the donor/prospect’s moves through the fundraising process.

The Office of Development and Alumni adheres to the Donor Bill of Rights as adopted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

2. Athletic Department Receipt Procedures: • The Athletics Office receives funds and should date stamp check stub and/or envelopes. • If cash and/or multiple checks are received, a list of all items with donor names should accompany the funds with a total. • Funds then should be hand delivered to the Office of Development and Alumni for deposit with the MUW Foundation. • The administrative assistant will record information in the receipt book. • The white copy of the receipt will be given to person bringing funds. • The yellow copy of the receipt will be attached to the deposit. • The pink copy of the receipt will remain in the receipt book.

Funds are then deposited and recorded into the designated athletic fund in the MUW Foundation’s accounting system. 41

Athletics funds held by the MUW Foundation:

• Owls Fund Club • Owls Baseball • Owls Cross Country • Owls Softball • Owls Men’s Soccer • Owls Volleyball • Owls Men’s Basketball • Owls Women’s Basketball • Owls Women’s Soccer • Owls Men’s Golf • Owls Tennis • Owls Track & Field

Official tax receipts and acknowledgment letters are mailed to each donor from the MUW Foundation.

Online Receipts:

Online transactions are processed daily. An online tax receipt is emailed to the donor at the time of the gift. At the end a quarter, a list of donors is provided to the Athletics Office.

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