RESOURCES
Planned Giving in a Box
Acceptance Policy Sample
Over time, legacy giving plans can get complicated and established programs for that reason have comprehensive gift acceptance policies. It keeps them out of trouble.
You gift acceptance policy can also add to and detract from your brand equity. Be true to your policies and mission statement.
But for now, keep your policies simple — we recommend starting with Beneficiary Designations. Later, you can consider expanding. Will you accept Gifts of Real Estate? Life Income Gifts? If you’re an environmental organization, will you accept a piece of property with a condemned gas station on it? How about “tainted” gifts? How do you view or define them?
Again, over time, the gift plans you accept, and your policies around them, should all be spelled out. For now, start slow and just be cognizant of it. If you really need to formalize it now, Module II (Back Office Operations) of Planned Giving in a Box covers all of this step by step.
Here’s an example (PDF, free download) of a gift acceptance policy from one of our clients, Smith College.
Gift Acceptance Policies should serve as a guide only. You may need to offer a customized plan for a particular donor. And exceptions do always come up:
For example: You may not want to accept gifts of real estate at this time, but if a $4 million opportunity lands in your lap, you can always work with a professional facilitator to help. They will certainly receive a handsome cut — but then, so will your nonprofit. Or, another example, let’s say your “strict” age minimum for a Charitable Gift Annuity is 65. But Mrs. Johnson, 87, who is a yearly million-dollar giver, wants to give a birthday gift — a gift annuity in the amount of $500,000 — in the name of her daughter, 64. Would you say no? This is why we, as a planned giving vendor, use terms like “suggested” in our marketing language.
These types of experiences (sometimes gut-wrenching) will push your limits. But rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done will hastily enhance your career.