AUNBT POLICY ON DONATIONS

In order to promote solidarity and to assist various groups and organizations in need of attaining social, humanitarian and financial objectives compatible with the interests of AUNBT, it is agreed that AUNBT may make donations consistent with this policy.

  1. The list of objects from Article 6 of the AUNBT Constitution, set out in Note 1 below, shall be used as a guideline for making decisions regarding donations and no donation shall be made which is inconsistent with these objects.
  2. Further, the following criteria shall be taken into consideration in determining the suitability of a donation and its amount:
    • a) The relevance of the donation to AUNBT’s interests and values
    • b) The number of donations made during the current fiscal year and the funds remaining in the budget allocation for donations
    • c) Donations made to the same soliciting party during the current year and in any previous years
  3. Each request for a donation from AUNBT shall be presented to the Donations Committee (see note 3 below), and its decision shall be final and binding.
  4. Past decisions may be relied upon to guide the Donations Committee in its deliberations on a request for a donation but there shall be no binding precedent.
  5. Each year the annual budget shall include an amount for donations, which may vary from year to year, but shall not exceed $5000 in any fiscal year.
  6. No individual donation shall exceed 10% of the budgeted amount for a given year.
  7. This policy is not applicable to contributions which AUNBT makes to any academic staff association of a Canadian university which is a member of CAUT at the time of a strike or a lock-out.
  8. The Executive Committee of AUNBT may make decisions about supporting initiatives of exceptional importance, such as the CAUT Academic Freedom fund, independently of this policy.
  9. This Policy has been adopted by the Executive Committee on this 260th day of 2016 and shall be reviewed every three (3) years thereafter.
Note 1  The objects of the Association shall be:
  • (a) To stimulate and improve research, instruction and discussion and to encourage co-operative relations among members of the university.
  • (b) To promote the professional interests and welfare of the University and its Employees.
  • (c) To protect freedom of expression, thought, teaching and research within the University.
  • (d) To co-operate with other associations with similar interests, in particular with provincial, regional, national and international associations of university instructors, lecturers, librarians, professors and research workers.
  • (e) To act as a bargaining agent within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act and in that connection to regulate employment relations through collective bargaining between the employer and all employees.
  • (f) To seek the fullest representation of all employees in the academic operation of the University.
  • (g) To deal with other matters considered to be congruent with the interest of the Association or its members.

Note 2     Membership dues payable by AUNBT to any organization or group to which it belongs shall not be considered donations under this policy.

Note 3     No later than at its first meeting in the fall of each year, the Executive Committee shall constitute a Donations Committee, consisting of the Treasurer and two other members chosen from the Executive, plus the President (non-voting).  This Donations Committee shall be tasked with and empowered to make decisions about donations as set out above.  The committee will determine its own procedures, except that a majority will be required for approval or non-approval of any donation.

Approved Sept. 2016. Reviewed Sept. 2019.