Communications Policy

This document provides guidelines for the permissible use of the Foundation’s name, logo, and other communications assets (e.g., images and video). Please review this entire document carefully, and when in doubt, please contact the Foundation for clarification by emailing mediarelations@reesjonesfoundation.org

Approval Requests

If you would like to list the Foundation’s name among other donors or in a list of supporters, you may do so long as the grant term is clearly stated (i.e. inclusion on a list labeled “2020 Supporters”), however, if your organization would like to use the Foundation’s name or logo, attribute a report or other document to the Foundation, or acknowledge the Foundation’s funding in any other means, please complete the Grantee Communications Request Form. Please allow five business days for us to process your request.

Overview

Public Disclosures Requiring Approval

Any use of the Foundation’s name, logo or communications assets – other than what is stated below in Section 1 Specific Guidelines for Use of Foundation Name – must be approved in writing by the Foundation prior to use. Requests for name, logo, and communication asset use must be made in writing.

All instances (other than Section 1 Specific Guidelines for Use of Foundation Name) require written permission by the Foundation.

Without prior written permission, grantees are not permitted to use the Foundation’s…

1. Name for any external purposes outside of your organization’s staff and board
   1. Note: These include but are not limited to website, social media posts, newsletters, press releases, public announcements, case studies, t-shirts or collateral, and paid digital media.
2. Logo for any purpose
   1. Note: Use of the Foundation’s logo on a grantee’s website is prohibited.
3. Communications assets (e.g. photography, video footage, infographics, quotes, etc.) for any purpose

Prohibited Public Disclosures

The following are prohibited in all instances:

1. Using the Foundation’s name, logo or communication assets for commercial or retail purposes.
2. Stating or implying that the Foundation endorses you, your products, or your services.
3. Sub-grantees, subcontractors, contingent workers, agents, or affiliates to state or imply that the Foundation directly funds or endorses their activities, products, or services.
   1. Note: Sub-grantees are organizations or groups of persons who receive funding or benefit from a grant made by the Foundation to another organization.

Specific Guidelines for Use

Foundation Name

• A grantee may use the Foundation’s name in a non-stylized, plain text form to refer to its relationship to the Foundation in an annual report or annual list of supporters without requesting prior approval.
  
  The Foundation’s name must be stated as: The Rees-Jones Foundation. Foundation logo use is not permitted. Additionally, the Foundation’s name should not be highlighted or written in a way to bring special attention or single it out.
  
  An acceptable name use would be a grantee listing the Foundation’s name alongside those of other funders in an annual report where the Foundation and the grantee relationship is not specifically singled out or highlighted. Use of the Foundation name in all instances should clearly state that the Foundation’s support is for the duration and purpose of the grant per the grant contract.
  
  An example of unacceptable name use would be using The Rees-Jones Foundation name as part of an award title, program or initiative name, or for any commercial or retail purpose. Authorship, ownership, and control of The Rees-Jones Foundation name may be falsely implied through such use.
  
  Notable exception: Sub-grantees are not permitted to use the Foundation’s name in a manner that creates the impression that they are direct recipients of Foundation funds. Such use could put the Foundation at risk under IRS regulations if it appears that a sub-grantee was actually the Foundation’s intended grantee.
  
  
• With the Foundation’s written prior approval, a grantee or vendor may credit the Foundation in publications, presentations, or reports commissioned or funded by the Foundation, but not written by the Foundation.
  
  If you wish to credit the Foundation in a Foundation-funded publication, please select the appropriate disclaimer from the following examples, tailor it (provide the details indicated in red below) and include it in the published materials. The Foundation logo should not appear in these instances. In all instances, the Foundation must provide written approval of the name use prior to distribution or publication.
  
  This [material/publication/presentation/report] is based on research funded by (or in part by) The Rees-Jones Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of The Rees-Jones Foundation.
  
  This [material/publication/book/report] was prepared for The Rees-Jones Foundation. The f indings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of The Rees-Jones Foundation.

Additional Guidelines for Use of Foundation Name

• The Foundation does not permit grantees to acknowledge the Foundation in materials or publicize the Foundation’s grant, either through the media or through other communications channels, without prior written permission (other than what is aforementioned in Section 1 Specific Guidelines for Use of Foundation Name).
  1. If you choose to publish a grant announcement or press release, it must be reviewed and approved by the Foundation in writing prior to distribution or publication. The grantee is responsible for developing the announcement strategy and documents.
     
     
• Grantees are requested to forward to the Foundation copies of any news releases, published materials, or media articles mentioning the grant that come to Grantee’s notice or attention.

• Grantees should not schedule or conduct any event the principal purpose of which is to announce, highlight, emphasize or celebrate the grant without the express written approval of the Foundation.

• Information about the grant must remain confidential until the grant contract has been returned to the Foundation.

• The Foundation should be referred to as “The Rees-Jones Foundation” or in later references, “the Foundation”. The Foundation name should never be abbreviated to “RJF” or “Rees-Jones” or the similar.

• The Foundation’s boilerplate language should not appear in grantee announcements without the Foundation’s prior written approval.

• The Foundation’s logo should not be used in grantee announcements without the Foundation’s prior written approval.

• Quotes provided by the Foundation must be approved in writing prior to use.

• The Foundation’s name should not be used in the headline of the press release unless it is a joint release with the Foundation. However, the Foundation’s name may be used in a sub-headline, however, sentences should not lead with the Foundation’s name.
  • Incorrect: The Rees-Jones Foundation awards grant to [Organization] for water well development.
  • Correct: [Organization] receives water well development grant from The Rees-Jones Foundation.

Specific Guidelines for Use

In limited circumstances, grantees may receive written permission to use the Foundation logo in connection with materials or services not distributed directly by the Foundation, to indicate a funding relationship. Because use of the logo implies the Foundation’s affiliation, requests for such use will be considered carefully.

The aforementioned parameters stated in this document also apply to Foundation logo use in addition to the following:

• The Foundation’s logo may not be used on a grantee’s website.

• The Foundation’s logo may not be used, shared or distributed for any instance without prior written approval by the Foundation.

• The Foundation’s logo may not be used in association with any third-party trademarks (names or logos) in a manner that suggests co-branding or otherwise creates potential confusion about the source or sponsorship of the materials or ownership of the Foundation logo. All co-branded initiatives must be approved by the Foundation in writing.
  • Examples of unacceptable logo use include but are not limited to using the Foundation name or logo in a product advertisement or on a retail item (e.g., a book or t-shirt), or on a funder/partner/sponsor page of a website.

Logo Guidelines

The Foundation logo must remain intact, be placed properly in layout, be printed or published in an appropriate color from our palette or reversed to white, and be given adequate clear space around it.

Refer to the Logo Specification Guidelines for more detailed information.

• As a general rule, the Foundation logo should be equal in size and profile to those of other funders, partners, and clients, regardless of related grant making or contract differentials.

• Any use of the Foundation logo should be subtle, legible, and tasteful in appearance.

• Final logo presentation (i.e. a proof) must be approved by the Foundation in writing prior to publication, print or distribution.

Logo Specification Guidelines can be reached using the hyperlink above or by visiting: www.rees-jonesfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Logo-Guidelines-The-Rees-Jones-Foundation.pdf

Foundation Communication Assets: Videos and Images

With prior written permission from the Foundation, a grantee might be permitted to use Foundationowned images, graphics or video footage in its materials.

Additional Guidelines for Use of Communication Assets

• Foundation-owned video or images of the founders, board, president, and staff may not be used without prior written permission by the Foundation. Images of grantees and their constituents may not be used without permission by the grantee.

• Non-Foundation-owned imagery should only be used if permission or licenses have been purchased from the person who owns the copyright to the footage or image. Permission must be granted ONLY by the person or organization that owns the rights to the footage or image. If the owner is not the creator of the footage or image, you may need to obtain a copy of the license agreement to guarantee that the owner has the right to redistribute it. Stock photography can be used in accordance with the licenses under which it was purchased.

• Editorial integrity must be retained should a third-party use images and/or video owned by the Foundation, and must abide by the following guidelines:
  • Grantees, partners, and vendors may only use Foundation photography in its most natural authentic state: full-color or gray-scale, with little to no retouching. They may not apply artistic filters, colors, patterns, or textures to images.
  • Acceptable third-party retouching includes slight adjustment for overall technical quality or color/tonal consistency in or across a series of images.
  • Never retouch a person or his or her clothes, accessories, or personal items in the frame (e.g., mugs, water bottles, and food).
  • Never move, add, delete, combine, alter, flip, or stretch people or objects in an image. Cropping is acceptable as long as the photographer’s intent and subjects’ experiences are not substantially altered.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about these guidelines, please contact mediarelations@rees-jonesfoundation.org.