Memorial Gifts

Rose Replogle

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

Joanne Felci 2

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

Hi Rose!


Can you give a little more info as I'm confused


Since your subject line says memorial gifts I'm wondering if you are asking if Mr. & Mrs. Smith give a gift in honor of Ms. Jones


Or is it a gift that they are all giving together in honor of someone else?


I'm confused as how the gift would come in and you would know it was from both party at different addresses, but being one gift


Joanne

Cathleen Mai

Who wrote the check?

JoAnn Strommen

Ditto, who wrote the check?


If it's cash with a note containing the two addresses, I guess I'd contact them to find out who gave what amount.

Rose Replogle

Joanne Felci:

 

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

Hi Rose!


Can you give a little more info as I'm confused


Since your subject line says memorial gifts I'm wondering if you are asking if Mr. & Mrs. Smith give a gift in honor of Ms. Jones


Or is it a gift that they are all giving together in honor of someone else?


I'm confused as how the gift would come in and you would know it was from both party at different addresses, but being one gift


Joanne

 

 

Rose Replogle

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

We received a check from a donor, Ms. Mary Jones in the amount of $100.  A note was included stating the gift was from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones.  How is this gift receipted and acknowledged?

 

Rose Replogle

Rose Replogle:

 

Joanne Felci:

 

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

Hi Rose!


Can you give a little more info as I'm confused


Since your subject line says memorial gifts I'm wondering if you are asking if Mr. & Mrs. Smith give a gift in honor of Ms. Jones


Or is it a gift that they are all giving together in honor of someone else?


I'm confused as how the gift would come in and you would know it was from both party at different addresses, but being one gift


Joanne


We received a check from a donor, Ms. Mary Jones in the amount of $100.  A note was included stating the gift was from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones.  How is this gift receipted and acknowledged?

 

 

 

 

Ryan Hyde

Okay, so the check came from a specific party. That party gets the tax receipt. As for any notification you might send on behalf of that party, you can put whatever names they indicate. But for tax purposes, the person who wrote the check is the person who gets the acknowledgement / tax receipt. 

Rose Replogle

Ryan Hyde:

Okay, so the check came from a specific party. That party gets the tax receipt. As for any notification you might send on behalf of that party, you can put whatever names they indicate. But for tax purposes, the person who wrote the check is the person who gets the acknowledgement / tax receipt. 

That has been our rule of thumb. It's nice to know other users are using this method.  Thank you so much!

Michelle Tribe

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

In these cases, I phone the donors to see how they would like the tax receipt distributed. I've had issues in the past where the donors' intentions are to receive two tax receipts, and come tax season they will call demanding an adjustment and reprint. The donors are happier with a phone call (which can include a THANK YOU for their kind donation) and it saves extra work in the long run. 

JoAnn Strommen

While we want to take donor's wishes into consideration we also need to follow rules and pertinent laws. If I received a check with the note asking to receipt multiple donors, I probably should contact the donor immediately and explain the legal donor is the person who wrote the check. If gift is from multiple people, it needs to come in a different manner. It's a matter of donor education.


We're run into this with our child care swim-a-thon. Parent will take all the cash gifts and write one check. They are not our legal agent and on the forms we explain/request them not to do this. Have had to call a couple over the years and explain that we can't receipt the list of names they turned in with the check.


My 2 cents...

Susan Chomsky

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

Generally I hard credit the donor who sent the check and include the additional donor name in the letter with tax info: Thank you for the $xx donation from you and Mary Jones.

To Mary Jones I send a letter without tax info: Thank you for your donation sent through Mr. and Mrs. Smith in memory of. . . 

Dan Junkins

I agree the tax receipt should go the name on the check.  We would also probably soft credit the other party so you could acknowledge them and/or make sure they are listed as making a tribute gift.

Tonya Higgins

Rose Replogle:

Hey everyone,


What is best practice when you receive one donation from Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Ms. Mary Jones at different addresses.  Who's record is the gift receipted to?  Who gets the acknowledgement for this gift?


Thank you!


Rose

"Who gets credit?" can get really complicated! We review these situations on a case by case basis. When in doubt, we call for clarification.


Our basic rule is that gifts go on the record of the person we wish to thank (thank you Bill Connors). Then we decide regarding receipting/acknowledging/soft crediting.


In your instance, I am going on the premise we don't know who donated what amount. I would

• hard credit the check signer,
• soft credit the other party(s),
• not receipt either* or list all parties names and addresses on the receipt and send to both 
• acknowledge all* without listing a specific amount

We use RE Tribute, and there can be multiple Acknowledgees for one gift which makes it much easier.


*Our other basic rule is that donors are ultimately responsible for their taxes. They have the legal right to use a cancelled check as a donation receipt and its up to the parties donating to decide who is deducting what. In my experience, donors who are able to deduct for charitable giving will contact you (or their accountant will) if there are any issues.


I'm interested in reading more about what others are doing, and/or opinions on our method.


Tonya