Accepting cash donations at area offices

Patty Neumeier · June 2015

We are a hospice with 8 area offices. Sometime they receive donations in cash from families. By the time the money gets to us, it is often unclear who the donor is, why they gave, etc. Keep in mind that the ones that are taking cash are nurses, often very busy with patients and don't have time to take much information; they are trained in clinical care, not stewardship etc. Personally, I'd like to make a policy that we don't accept cash, and just politely give the would-be donor a BRE. Thoughts?

Carolyn Moatz · June 2015

If you're going to have nurses carry BREs, can they have a little card in them to collect donor information? People could still give cash right then, but you'd have an easy way to know who gave it. The card could be in the BREs, so nurses can just hand it all over together.

John Heizer · June 2015

We have a "wallet envelope" that we use for such purposes. It lets the donor enter their information and lets them seal it so that cash doesn't "wander off." It can also collect tribute information. I'm going to try to attach a PDF of ours. The little green handprint stamp is one of several that we use to code where the envelope was placed for the donor to use.

Nicole S · June 2015

I agree with the "wallet envelope" and have used these before myself for the same reason. Cash or anything else can go in the envelopes and that envelope can be used to record info and stored securely until it can make it to dev for processing. I would keep it at the front desk or something so people can see it when they come and go with a drop box.

But something else to think about is training. Nurses or any other staff at these offices should be trained on why donations and donor information is important. I'm not saying to make a it into a big annoying meeting. But a brief memo/email wouldn't hurt and it should also be included with any paperwork and in-person training that new staff get. I'd also include instructions in any "staff manual" that you have.

Personally, I'm of the belief that whether it is $2 or $2000 every gift is important to that donor. I've been fortunate enough to work with program staff that have treated gifts that way as well. Culturally, I want everyone to be gracious and stop a minute and just get a name and address when someone hands them money. This literally takes less than a convo about the weather, just a couple of minutes.

Jennifer Reager · June 2015

We encounter the same issue every now and then with Clinic patients or Wellness members donating a few extra dollars during their visits. Occasionally it's someone that's done it before, and if a name is scribbled on an envelope, we can maybe connect it to an existing record. If not, we'll just put it in our "Anonymous Cash" RE account and call it a day.

We have envelopes like John's as well, but usually in these cases, people don't have/take the time to fill it out, or it's just a couple of dollars (although we have had some pleasant exceptions!).

Either way, I say continue to accept cash and acknowledge when possible!

Barbara Krause · June 2015

I would suggest a customized BRE envelope that can either be filled out at the time of contact or mailed into your finance department. This would also provide any prospective donor with brief information regarding the impact of their contribution.

Good Luck!

John Heizer · June 2015

To encourage non-development staff to collect the information you could include who collected the donation along with the donor information and have a way of thanking these staff members for their time and energy above the call of duty to recognize their efforts. It could be tracked as a Gift Attribute or even as a Solicitor. Some level of acknowledgement for any $ collected, special recognition when they also get the needed donor information.

John Heizer · June 2015

Another thought on this subject, if this happens fairly regularly where the donor doesn't want to take time to provide their information, have a locked "donation box" readily available at strategic locations for the donor to securely drop off cash then collect the cash once a month. If a staff member is given cash without donor information they can just drop the cash into the box and not have to worry about it (and you don't have cash running around unsecured). The physical presence of the donation box may also inspire giving that might not otherwise occur.

Nicole S · June 2015

@ JOhn -- exactly.

Another thing I've done is code gifts collected at XYZ office or department to funds for that location. And often these gifts are in honor of service by a staff person -- and we send a tribute letter and CC their supervisor.

Patty Neumeier · June 2015

Thanks everyone for your answers! We do have a "wallet envelope" and really that's what I meant by handing the donor a BRE. We've tried training, etc. Unfortunately, whenever turnover happens, it seems like this issue is not top priority during training. I'll take some of your ideas to our policy making group to see what they say.

Roseanne Shannon · June 2015

John Heizer:

Another thought on this subject, if this happens fairly regularly where the donor doesn't want to take time to provide their information, have a locked "donation box" readily available at strategic locations for the donor to securely drop off cash then collect the cash once a month. If a staff member is given cash without donor information they can just drop the cash into the box and not have to worry about it (and you don't have cash running around unsecured). The physical presence of the donation box may also inspire giving that might not otherwise occur.

John, I like your answers. I worked in a large hospital at my last job, and even though many staff understood the importance of donations, it was low priority for them with all the medical tasks they had to accomplish. We found that even those who saved the gifts for us sometimes sent them to us weeks if not months after the fact. Sometimes too late for us to even deposit the checks. Placing both donor envelopes and locked boxes in strategic locations in a hospital or clinc location would be a good idea. And, as you said, have the added benefit of inspiring others who might not otherwise give.

Patty Neumeier · June 2015

Thanks again for all the ideas and suggestions. I know that part of my problem with accepting cash is from my accounting background. It's been drummed into me to have good internal controls, especially when dealing with cash, which can be easily manipulated. Good internal control would really require more than one person to document cash transactions, which I know will never happen out there in the field. It's not that I don't trust our employees, but you never know. It amazes me how trusting the donors are to give cash.

Nicole S · June 2015

It's not about not trusting your employees, it's just about having a controlled system. If someone slips a nurse $20 and she puts it in her pocket, or a chart, or a desk drawer, or a wherever until she can deal with it and forgets about it... I've seen it happen. A bill floats around and finally makes it to me and everyone has forgotten the details. Or they know they were handed $5 but can't remember where it went.

Accepting cash donations at area offices

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