University of Rochester
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University Advancement Services

Guidelines and Requirements for All University Solicitations

The objective of the UAS office in establishing the following guidelines is to insure speedy and accurate gift processing as well as to provide appropriate documentation and backup that meets University audit standards.

The guidelines outlined below will help you get started but it is important to contact Nancy Griffith (275-0901) or Martha Osowski (275-4565) for consultation early in the planning phase to insure that your solicitation piece includes all of the critical elements. All solicitation pieces must receive UAS approval before being mailed!

General Guidelines:

  • Contact Nancy Griffith or Martha Osowski to set up any new codes (i.e.. fundcodes or solicitation methods) prior to sending your piece to print. Values for new codes must be assigned by UAS staff and these values must be added to the FIST validation tables before any gifts can be processed.
  • Insure that the following four (4) pieces of information are printed in both readable font and barcode on the piece that is to be returned to UAS.
    1. FIST ID number
    2. Fundcode
    3. Solicitation method (see FIST validation table: BVSOLC)
    4. Annual Type (see FIST validation table: BVSOLT)
    In addition, the Prospect Name must be printed (not barcoded) on the form and if the solicitation is being addressed to both husband and wife, both names and both FIST ID numbers must appear on the form.
  • Provide Perry Lenz with a sample solicitation piece printed by your vendor so the barcode can be tested for scannability. Allow a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your drop date if working with a local vendor and a minimum of 4 weeks if working with an out of town vendor.
  • Use a reader-friendly font for printing ID numbers and gift codes. For instance, sans sarif fonts such as Arial or Tahoma make it difficult to determine if I is the number one or a capital I or a small L.
  • Use the following return address on all pre-paid Business Reply Envelopes (BREs): University of Rochester - Gift Office, P.O. Box 23029, Rochester, NY 14692-9804.
  • Use the following return address on all reply envelopes that require the donor to apply postage: University of Rochester - Gift Office, Box 270032, Rochester, 14627.
  • When offering credit card payment as an option, be sure to include Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

Barcodes Specifications:

The barcode font used by UAS is commonly referred to as 3 by 9 (3X9) or 3 of 9. Nancy Griffith (UAS, 275-0901) can work with your print vendor to determine if this print option is available to them. Dave Zumchak (ACS, 273-5546) will work with you in setting up your data file with the correct information and format.

For optimal scannability, use a font size of at least 10.

The actual barcode must be embedded in asterisks (*) and include the following four (4) pieces of information in the order noted below. It is critical to allow for the appropriate number of spaces for each field in the code:

  1. FIST ID number (or 9 blank spaces if no FIST ID available)
  2. Fundcode (13 characters)
  3. Solicitation method (4 characters)
  4. Annual Type (5 characters)

Below is a sample of how the data would appear coded in readable form and in barcode form:

*A17856789RCAMP0001AJ10C3R RCAG *

*A17856789RCAMP0001AJ10C3R RCAG*

Print vendors with whom UAS has worked successfully to implement barcodes:

  • Vital Data Management
    12 Alfred Street Woburn, MA 01801
    Toll Free: (888) 624-5836
  • University Mail Services
    1510 Mt. Hope Ave.
    Contact: Lisa Kinnaird 275-3974

Some departments have successfully implemented barcoding by using desktop laser printers. You can get a free copy of the 3X9 barcode font by contacting Nancy Griffith (275-0901).
Last modified: Friday, 03-Mar-2006 10:06:23 EST