How are we to communicate the donation?
When drafting the deed of gift, we advise you to discuss with the donor how you want the donation to be communicated. Some donors avoid publicity, while others would like to see the donation communicated publicly.
Uppsala University strives to maintain a consistent naming policy for external parties. For example, naming premises or activities after a donor is possible in some cases based on a decision by the Vice-Chancellor. You can find more information about this in Uppsala University’s guidelines for naming (UFV 2021/75). Because it can be difficult to assess what is a reasonable “level” of visibility and what the donor might perceive to be positive feedback, we strongly recommended involving the Development Office in these conversations as early as possible.
If you and the donor agree to make the donation public, for example in the media, the Development Office and the University’s Communications Department will collaborate on the best way to do this. A press release from Uppsala University is not the only way.
Would the donor appreciate being thanked in future publications and other communications about the project? Although a donation cannot be conditional on the donor being publicly thanked, it is usually a highly appreciated gesture. Do not promise more than you can deliver but take advantage of the opportunities available to say “Thank you”. Please note that the agreement needs to conform with the Donation Ordinance and the Swedish National Financial Management Authority’s regulations.
There are, of course, a variety of ways to communicate a donation and thank a donor. In all cases, any communications are checked with the donor or the donor’s representative in advance, and preferably also with the Development Office.