The District Foundation is responsible to the College president or his/her designee.

The Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) District Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization, the purpose of which is to foster friends and raise funds for the College. The Foundation receives, invests, administers and disburses restricted and unrestricted gifts. Foundation activities focus on creating opportunities for students, encouraging College-wide innovation and building partnerships with the community. The Foundation acts as a separate organization from the College, with bylaws set forth by the MHCC Foundation Board of Directors, which is made up of voluntary members.

The MHCC Foundation Board of Directors will:

1. Control and manage all gifts consistent with donor intent;
2. Oversee all aspects of its operations based on a comprehensive set of bylaws that clearly address the board’s fiduciary responsibilities;
3. Plan and execute comprehensive fund raising and donor acquisition programs in support of the institution’s mission. These programs include annual giving, major gifts, planned gifts, special events and campaigns as appropriate;
4. Establish, adhere to and periodically assess its gift-management and acceptance procedures. ;
5. Establish and enforce procedures to protect donor confidentiality and rights; and
6. Receive, hold, manage, invest and disburse contributions of cash, securities, patents, copyrights and other forms of property, including immediately vesting gifts and deferred gifts that are contributed in the form of planned and deferred-gift instruments.

The College president will serve as an ex-officio member of the foundation board and will assume a prominent role in fund raising activities.

Mt. Hood Community College recognizes that the foundation bears major responsibility for fund raising.

The MHCC Foundation will not accept grants from state or federal agencies, except in special circumstances that are approved by the Foundation Board of Directors and the governmental agency. Grant funds from agencies that require the recipient to possess 501(c)(3) status will be received through the foundation.

The foundation will engage an independent accounting firm annually to conduct an audit of the foundation’s financial and operational records and will provide MHCC with a copy of the annual financial report, including management letters.

The foundation will maintain, at its own expense, copies of the plans, budgets and donor and alumni records developed in connection with the performance of its obligations.

The foundation will provide access to data and records to MHCC on a need-to-know basis in accordance with applicable laws, foundation policies and guidelines. The foundation will provide copies of its annual report and other information that may be publicly released.