unrestricted Giving
"The Most Powerful Kind of Gift"
That's how unrestricted giving is often described.
Unrestricted giving has no limitations on how the money can be used. This means the university can use the funds based on current and critical needs or 
on unexpected opportunities.
Some gifts like the Wepners' gift, which you can read about using the link at right, are completely unrestricted.
Other gifts made to funds designated for a certain department are still considered unrestricted because there are no limitations on how the money can be used within that college, department, or program.
So, you can give to a certain fund--the Visual Arts fund, the Social Work Fund, or the Student Life fund perhaps--and still be making an unrestricted gift.
Why do we appreciate these gifts so much?
Every budget needs some flexibility because we cannot always predict what expenses will occur. No amount of forecasting and preparation can anticipate every need or opportunity. That is what makes unrestricted giving so powerful.
- An special instrument unexpectedly becomes available at a great price.
- A faculty member gets an extraordinary opportunity to meet with other experts at a national conference.
- A student has an emergency need that can't be met any other way.
- A costly--but ultimately cost-saving--technological upgrade becomes available.
Your unrestricted giving makes it possible for us to meet these needs.
Who Decides How Unrestricted Funds Are Spent?
Always, the university provides close oversight to how gifts are spent. We use these funds wisely and economically, with close administrative review. Your gifts have been hard earned and carefully given, and we exercise the same care in spending them.
Under that careful oversight--
- Within colleges, the deans have control of certain funds.
- Within departments, committees often make decisions.
- Within programs, directors do, but of course they consult with their staff.
Do you have other questions?
If you have a question about unrestricted funds, please feel free to contact us using the link at left, by phone at 217.206.6058, or by email at giftinfo@uis.edu.
And if you have given unrestricted gifts to UIS colleges, departments, or programs, thank you. Your support is crucial to the everyday operation of UIS.
