The ongoing burden of open records policies at the ISU Foundation will now be shouldered by a new president and CEO of the foundation.

Dan Saftig, who took over as president and CEO on July 1, plans to continue with the landmark work in openness of records.

“The Foundation has had its public information policy requested by numerous other foundations and charitable organizations,” said Ann Wilson, director of communications of the ISU Foundation.

There are three categories under which the Foundation classifies their information, according to the ISU Foundation Web site, www.foundation.iastate.edu. The first is disclosure of the Foundation’s tax information, which is required by law. The second category the Foundation voluntarily discloses includes annual audit information and fundraising priorities. The final category under which the Foundation classifies their information is “trade and proprietary secret information.”

“This is a fair and balanced policy for all parties concerned,” Saftig said.

The goal of the Foundation is to maximize the amount of private support, Saftig said.

“Private support doesn’t pay the bills,” Saftig said. “Private support defines the difference between a good university and a great university.”

The Foundation has been under scrutiny from open records advocates to disclose their donor information.

Barbara Mack, associate professor of journalism and communication, said she believes the policy is within the law because the Foundation is a private corporation rather than a government agency.

However, she said the Foundation will find itself under continuing pressure to open up on how the money is spent because donors want to know that their money is being spent thoughtfully.

“It is almost impossible to give money to ISU without having the money washed through the Foundation,” she said.

Mack said she thinks Saftig has his work cut out for him.

“Mr. Saftig will have to earn the confidence of the donors,” Mack said, “[because] donor confidence is essential, and once lost, is tough to regain.”

The Foundation also came under scrutiny for the sale of the Marie Powers estate. The estate was sold against the donor’s wishes.

The Iowa district court authorized the Agricultural Foundation to sell the Powers estate a number of years ago, said Steve Zumbach, a lawyer who worked on the case. Zumbach was admonished due to a conflict of interest.

He said a donor cannot force the recipient to spend money on a gift, so the Agricultural Foundation was within its full rights to sell the estate.

The Foundation takes its lead on where to channel money to from the ISU deans and unit leaders, the provost, the vice-president, and the president’s suggestions, according to the foundation’s Web site.

The Foundation then does feasibility research and completes fundraising plans for the next fiscal year.

“No fundraiser’s mother understands what they do,” Saftig said. “[But] fundraising is a noble profession.”

After receiving his degrees in mass communication and political science from University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse, Saftig started his career as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

Saftig said he spent the next seven years working in the San Francisco Bay area. Saftig then moved to Pennsylvania State and worked with ISU President Gregory Geoffroy.

Following his seven-year tenure at Pennsylvania State, Saftig moved to the University of Minnesota and spent another seven years there before moving to the Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, he said.

Saftig said he has always heard good things about Iowa State as well as the state of Iowa and wanted to have a chance to work for Geoffroy again.

Saftig said he believes all friends of Iowa State and alumni have something that “will tug at their heartstrings.”

For the 2003—2004 fiscal year, the Foundation has a goal of about $54.4 million for the eight colleges, the alumni association, athletics, 4-H and Extension, the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, Plant Sciences Institute, the department of student affairs, the University Library and University Museums.

There is a separate fund for building capital projects, which is not complete, but totals $65.5 million dollars thus far.