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Rice University Development Office Fund Council records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 0086
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

The Rice University Fund Council records consist of minutes from the committee and general meetings, meeting manuals, notices to members, membership reports and financial records, rosters and directories, new member nominations, constitutions and procedure guidelines, mailing lists and correspondence, photographs of special events and Rice campus buildings, and digital files of documents from the collection on floppy disc. There is also an index card catalogue of member names. The collection is divided into are divided in to 10 series as identified below.

Dates

  • 1971 - 2002

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Rice University Fund Council Records must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Historical Sketch

The Rice University Fund Council was organized in May 1971 "to promote the establishment and maintenance of a fund raising organization to raise funds for the benefit of Rice University." There were approximately 30 members in the first year. The original committee structure consisted of the Annual Fund Drive and the Deferred Giving Program. There were two giving clubs, the Founders Club with approximately 50 members who contributed $2,000 each, and the Presidents Club with approximately 200 members, who in their first year contributed $76,000.

In 1987 Task Force of Fund Council members was organized. It was prompted by the need for a more focused fundraising effort to continue to fulfill its founding purpose of promoting "the establishment and maintenance of a fundraising organization to raise funds for the benefit of Rice University." Their work resulted in revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws, increasing the voting membership from 30 to 70, the term of office from one to two years, and setting up additional standing committees. These included: the Membership Committee, the Planned Giving and Major Individual Gift Committee, the Annual Fund Committee, Corporate and Foundation Giving Committee, the Special Projects Committee and the Designated Giving Committee.

The membership and scope of the Fund Council continued to evolve. In 1992, amendments to the Constitution again expanded the organization and role of the Fund Council "... to assist and support the University's fund raising effort to achieve substantial and continuing growth in private gift revenues to the University from individuals, corporations and foundations." Modifications in the committee structure have strengthened the committees as actual working committees and modeled them to more consistently mirror the development organization. They included the following committees: Annual Gifts, Donor Relations, Major Gifts and the Support Groups. During this period, there were approximately 145 members including the Student Association President, the Alumni Board Representative, the Faculty/Staff Representatives, Deans, and Vice Presidents.

The Mission Statement became consistent with the original purpose of the Fund Council, "The Rice University Fund Council is the organization of individuals that support the University in achieving its fund raising objectives by providing volunteer effort and by advising and supporting the University's Office of Development." The key change has been in expanding the Fund Council's responsibilities "in advising and supporting the University's Office of Development. "

Extent

14 Linear Feet (26 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

The records reflect the daily business of the Rice University Fund Council. The collection spans more than thirty years and consists of materials associated with the Council's annual meetings, committees, special events, fund raising activities, groundbreakings, dedications, and copies of correspondence from the President's office.

Arrangement

Missing Title

  1. Series I: Constitution, Bylaws, and Histories, 1971 - 1996
  2. Series II: General Meetings, 1971-2000
  3. Series III: Committees, 1971-1999
  4. Series IV: Campaigns and Events, 1990, 1994
  5. Series V: Membership (Correspondence, Lists of members), 1994-1997
  6. Series VI: Friends Groups Records, 1990-2000
  7. Series VII: Presidents Letters 5/15/1990 - 11/02/2002
  8. Series VIII: Photographs of Special Events
  9. Series IX: Digital materials, ca. 1990s
  10. Series X: Index Catalog of RUFC Members, 1971-1997

Acquisition Information

These records have been placed with the Woodson Research Center by various members of the Rice Development Office Helen Toombs and Michele Arnold. The materials were received in October 2004.

General note

Parts excerpted from the Rice University Fund Council handout "Rice University Fund Council: A Brief History"

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Rice University Development Office Fund Council records, 1971-2002
Status
Completed
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892