Restricted Funds

Restricted Funds Policies

Policy Highlights

• Distributions from restricted endowments must be used for purposes consistent with donor intentions and should be the first source of funding to support programs and activities meeting the restriction.
  
  
• Unrestricted resources may be applied to such programs after distributions restricted to those purposes have been fully exhausted.
  
  
• If restrictions cannot be met, distributions must be held in reserve and the donor shall be contacted in the aim of securing a revised agreement for broader purposes. If the donor is no longer living, the College shall seek advice from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office (the agent for enforcement of such gifts).

Read the full Restricted Funds Management Policy.

Restricted Funds Management Categories

To aid in the transacting and reporting of restricted funds, a classification system has been created to categorize specific endowment funds based on their degree of restriction from the donors. The ranking system has four levels, with Category 1 being least restrictive and Category 4 being most restrictive.

Category 1

• Unrestricted to Dartmouth College or to one of the professional schools and used to support general purposes.

Category 2

• Broadly restricted to a division, department or general needs of a large program.

Category 3

• Restricted to items, programs or activities within a division, department or general large program.

Category 4

• Restricted to very specific items, programs or activities.

Additional information on these categories and the management of these funds can be found in the Restricted Funds Management Tutorial.