In the current economy, many not-for-profit organizations are
looking for new and different ways to engage donors and solicit
contributions. Some people believe that anything is better than
nothing when it comes to gifts, but that is not always true. Not
all gifts should be accepted, and saying no is okay. Navigating
what an organization should accept can be significantly easier if
the development team, the board of directors and management have a
gift acceptance policy in place.
BENEFITS OF A GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY
A formal written gift acceptance policy identifies what types of
gifts the organization is ready and able to accept without creating
an unintended administrative burden. For example, cash, marketable
securities or specific goods that the organization can readily use
in fulfilling its mission are commonly accepted gifts. However,
what may be a good gift for Organization A might not be a good gift
for Organization B. For example, the donation of a farm.
