L&S Gift Management: How to pay a vendor using UW Foundation Funds

The following page explains the process in L&S for paying vendors from UW Foundation funding. Last updated September 2026.

Background: Pay a Vendor Directly from UW Foundation

Occasionally, a vendor must be paid directly by UW Foundation with UW Foundation funds. UW Foundation should only be used to pay expenses that cannot be paid by UW. A common example of this is paying an invoice for alcohol. If the expense can be paid by UW-Madison directly, it must be.

Process for L&S Departments/Programs

Complete a disbursement request, and upload it along with supporting documents to the L&S Gifts form.

1) Complete a Disbursement Request on the UW Foundation's website

UW Foundation - Gift & Fund Management

Instructions: Disbursement Request - Vendor Payment

Log into "Gift and Fund Management" on the UW Foundation's website: https://uwadvancement.org/
Navigate to "Fund Management" > "Disbursement Request"
Complete the prompts
1. Requester info
  - Add your name, phone number, and email address.
  - Select Letters and Science, and your Department name.
2. Expenditure & Payee Info
  - Purpose of Expenditure: Describe the purpose of the expenditure; this will be reviewed to make sure the request aligns with donor intent.
  - Payment type: Other
  - Vendor name: Vendor Name
  - Electronically Deliver Payment to: Contact info listed on invoice
  - Additional info: Copy data from the invoice:
    - Vendor Invoice Number
    - Vendor Invoice date
    - Vendor Email address
3. Fund number: Select the Foundation account(s) and the amount to be disbursed.
4. Review & Print: save the .pdf
Collect Signatures
- The form should be signed by someone with financial oversight at the department. This may be the Chair/Director, Associate Chair, or Department Administrator, depending on the units internal practices.
- The second line is for L&S divisional approval by one of the L&S Gift SMEs. CCMs do not need to sign.

2) Upload the signed Disbursement .pdf and supporting documents to the Gift form

L&S Gifts Form

Next Steps

Your Gift Manager will review and sign the Disbursement Request, and submit to UW Foundation for processing.

L&S Gift SME's

Jana Valeo, Financial Manager, jrvaleo@wisc.edu
Amanda Mahr, Budget Planner II, amanda.mahr@wisc.edu
Annie Powers, Budget Planner II, annie.powers@wisc.edu
Service email: budgetoffice-gifts@ls.wisc.edu