(1) There is established a University Major Gifts Program. The purpose of the program is to enable each university to provide donors with an incentive in the form of matching grants for donations for the establishment of permanent endowments and sales tax exemption matching funds received pursuant to s. 212.08(5)(j), which must be invested, with the proceeds of the investment used to support libraries and instruction and research programs, as defined by the Board of Governors. (2) The Board of Governors shall specify the process for submission, documentation, and approval of requests for matching funds, accountability for endowments and proceeds of endowments, allocations to universities, restrictions on the use of the proceeds from endowments, and criteria used in determining the value of donations.
(3)(a) The Board of Governors shall allocate the amount appropriated to each university based on the amount of the donation and the restrictions applied to the donation.
(b) Donations for a specific purpose must be matched in the following manner:1. Each university that raises at least $100,000 but no more than $599,999 from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 50 percent of the private contribution.
2. Each university that raises a contribution of at least $600,000 but no more than $1 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 70 percent of the private contribution.
3. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $1 million but no more than $1.5 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 75 percent of the private contribution.
4. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $1.5 million but no more than $2 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 80 percent of the private contribution.
5. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $2 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 100 percent of the private contribution.
(c) The Board of Governors shall encumber state matching funds for any pledged contributions, pro rata, based on the requirements for state matching funds as specified for the particular challenge grant and the amount of the private donations actually received by the university for the respective challenge grant.
(4) Matching funds may be provided for contributions encumbered or pledged under the Eminent Scholars Act prior to July 1, 1994, and for donations or pledges of any amount equal to or in excess of the prescribed minimums which are pledged for the purpose of this section.
(5)(a) Each university foundation shall establish a challenge grant account for each challenge grant as a depository for private contributions and state matching funds to be administered on behalf of the Board of Governors or the university. State matching funds must be transferred to a university foundation upon notification that the university has received and deposited the amount specified in this section in a foundation challenge grant account.
(b) The foundation serving a university has the responsibility for the maintenance and investment of its challenge grant account and for the administration of the program on behalf of the university, pursuant to procedures specified by the Board of Governors. Each foundation shall include in its annual report to the Board of Governors information concerning collection and investment of matching gifts and donations and investment of the account.
(c) A donation of at least $600,000 and associated state matching funds may be used to designate an Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair pursuant to procedures specified by the Board of Governors.
(6) The donations, state matching funds, or proceeds from endowments established under this section may not be expended for the construction, renovation, or maintenance of facilities or for the support of intercollegiate athletics.
(7) Each university shall notify all donors of private funds of a substantial delay in the availability of state matching funds for this program.
(8) Effective July 1, 2011, state matching funds are temporarily suspended for donations received for this program on or after June 30, 2011. Existing eligible donations remain eligible for future matching funds. The program may be restarted after $200 million of the backlog for programs under this section and ss. 1011.32, 1011.85, and 1013.79 have been matched. 