Utilization Review Indicator Definitions

Indicator Purpose

To identify the reason funds are not currently being used, assign a Project Grant Review Indicator as an attribute in DART (Donor and Alumni Relationship Tool).  Choose from the following list:

Indicator Definitions

Implementing Strategic Utilization Plan

• A specific plan is in place to reduce or eliminate the balance within a defined time frame
• Examples:
  • Unit received an expendable only gift upfront from a donor that is intended to be spent down over many years, which results in the unit carrying a significant balance over multiple years.
  • P/G has a balance reserve that can be expended over a year or two

Accumulating Funds in PG for Future Utilization

• Build or maintain the expendable P/G balance in order to accomplish a specific funding goal for future use. A specific time period and target dollar amount should be established and followed.
• Examples:
  • The distributions from an endowment are currently insufficient to support the intent and the unit must let the funds accumulate in the P/G until there are enough funds to make an expenditure.
  • Some donor funds are provided to allow units to use funds periodically for the intended purpose, such as a fund to support a project that only happens every 3-5 years, and the funds need to accumulate in between projects.
  • Some donor funds are provided to allow units to maintain funds that allow for flexibility with regard to timing of expenditures, such as funds to help bridge funding gaps between research grants.

Investing in Quasi or True Endowment for Future Utilization

• Excess balances and/or future distributions are invested in an effort to strengthen distributions for future priorities consistent with donor intent and as part of an overall spending plan.
• Reinvestments in a true endowment are allowed only when identified in the gift agreement.
• NOTE: Investing/reinvesting in a quasi is not a solution for determining the use of funds at a later date or for a situation where a unit is unable to spend the distributions because the purpose is too restrictive or no longer relevant. Instead units should pursue a modification (see below).
• Examples:
  • While the distributions are being regularly used on whatever frequency is possible but there are unused excess distributions beyond current needs and we want to build the future base distributions
  • In a situation where the funds are not able to be used in a short-term period (e.g. professorship is vacant, no students that meet criteria for a student support fund in a given academic year, etc.), invest the distributions to build future distributions for base expenditures. This can help the unit to keep pace with inflation and salary or tuition increases.

Consolidating within the S/C/U

• Consolidate one or more gifts and/or distributions with like purposes to allow for ease of usage to reduce administrative burden
• Examples:
  • Low distributions for like purpose funds are directed to a single P/G for expenditure.
  • Combine small balances of multiple P/Gs with like donor intent into one P/G.

Transferring from One S/C/U to Another

• If the S/C/U administering the gift fund can no longer honor the original donor intent, but another S/C/U is able to honor original donor intent, the administering unit should work with the Office of General Counsel to initiate the appropriate steps to modify the administration terms of the fund.
• Examples:
  • Transfer a gift or endowment fund to another unit that can use the funds for the exact purpose of the fund.
  • Funds in LSA for student support in a geographic range; OFA administered the funds; intent was SMTD or LSA. Split the funds with two new PGs and reassign them to LSA & SMTD.
  • Transfer a gift or endowment fund to better align gift purpose and mission
• These should not require a modification by OGC; if it does, select the ‘Pursuing modification’ PGRI.

Pursuing Amendment or Modification

• If the purpose of the fund is no longer possible or the administration is overly burdensome, the benefiting unit should work with the Office of General Counsel to initiate the appropriate steps to amend or modify the terms of the fund using the OGC Modification Procedure
• If the function changes, new chartfield in GL and new designation/shortcode in DART.
• {Link to the Big Process on Mod Proc}

Adding PG Review Indicators via a Batch Upload

• Using a batch upload to add PG Review Indicators and/or Related Fund attributes is the preferred process to follow.
• There are two templates:
  • Adding the PG Review Indicator attribute - Template_FundraisingPurpose_Attributes_ADD_PG_ReviewIndicator
    • Data needed to complete the template: Purpose Lookup ID, Category, Value, Start date, End date, and Comment
  • Adding a Related Fund attribute - Template_FundraisingPurpose_Attributes_ADD_RelatedFund
    • Data needed to complete the template: Purpose Lookup ID, Category, Value, Start date, End date, and Comment
• Templates can be found in the Fundraising Purpose section of the Updating Information / Batch Templates page. 
• Instructions for completing the templates are found within the spreadsheet.

DART Steps - used for corrections or deletions