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Gift Management Procedures

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GIFT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

Parties and Effective Date

This Gift Management Procedures Agreement ("Procedures") is made between:

Effective Date:

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, receives charitable and philanthropic gifts and requires standardized procedures for the acceptance, processing, use, and stewardship of those gifts; and

WHEREAS, possesses the operational responsibility to manage gifts in accordance with applicable law, donor intent, and organizational policy; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth procedures governing acceptance, acknowledgement, valuation, recording, restricted gift handling, and reporting to ensure fiduciary integrity and donor confidence.

Scope of Work

The Scope of Work includes: establishing gift acceptance protocols; classifying gift types and restrictions; receiving and processing gifts of cash, securities, real property, tangible personal property, and planned gifts; coordinating appraisals and acknowledgments; maintaining accurate records; and providing periodic reports to authorized governance bodies.

Gift Acceptance and Review

Gifts shall be reviewed according to the following thresholds and criteria. Gifts exceeding the threshold shall be submitted to the Gift Acceptance Committee for approval.

Committee Review Required: (check if gifts above threshold require committee approval)

Gifts of: real property   securities   tangible personal property

Valuation, Appraisal, and Tax Documentation

Valuation of non-cash gifts shall follow generally accepted appraisal standards. Donors bear responsibility for securing independent appraisals where legally required. The Organization will provide timely written acknowledgements identifying the gift type and date but will not provide appraisals except as expressly authorized in writing.

Appraisal Required for gift types or amounts: (check if appraisal required)

Payment Terms (if applicable)

If the Gift Management Entity is compensated for services related to gift receipt and administration, compensation will be paid as follows.

Term and Termination

Term Start Date:    Term End Date:

Either party may terminate for material breach if the breaching party fails to cure within the notice period above. Termination shall not relieve obligations accrued prior to termination, including donor restrictions and outstanding fees for services rendered.

Confidentiality

Each party shall maintain as confidential all nonpublic information received from the other in connection with gifts, including donor identity, gift terms, valuation documents, and internal financial reports, except as disclosure is required by law, necessary for tax reporting, or expressly authorized by the donor in writing. Confidential information shall be used solely for the performance of the parties' obligations under these Procedures.

Records, Reporting, and Retention

The Gift Management Entity will maintain accurate and complete records of all gifts received, including donor name, gift type, date received, valuation, restrictions, and acknowledgements. Records shall be retained for a period of:

The Gift Management Entity shall provide quarterly reports to the Organization's authorized officer or committee and shall permit periodic audits by auditors designated by the Organization.

Conflicts of Interest and Compliance

Parties shall disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest related to gifts, donors, or associated transactions. All parties shall comply with applicable law governing charitable gifts, tax reporting, anti-money-laundering requirements, and the Organization's internal policies.

Governing Law

This Procedures Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of , without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

Entire Agreement

This Procedures Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreements, understandings, or communications. Any amendment must be in writing signed by both parties.

Signatory Acknowledgement

The undersigned represent and warrant that they are duly authorized to bind their respective parties and that the execution of this Procedures Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation.

Organization Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Gift Manager / Entity Printed Name:

By:

Date:

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What Gift Management Procedures Cover

Gift Management Procedures are the formal policies and step-by-step workflows that an organization uses to accept, document, acknowledge, restrict, value, and report incoming gifts of cash, securities, real property, or in-kind contributions. These procedures define roles and approval thresholds, recordkeeping requirements, donor acknowledgments for tax purposes, conflict-of-interest checks, and how restricted gifts are administered. Well-defined procedures reduce legal and reputational risk, ensure compliance with tax rules and donor intent, and create an auditable trail for internal controls and external review.

Why a Formal Gift Management Process Matters

A documented procedure ensures consistent acceptance decisions, preserves donor intent, supports tax compliance, and produces the contemporaneous acknowledgments donors need for deductions under federal tax law.

Why a Formal Gift Management Process Matters

Teams and Roles That Use These Procedures

Use the following role breakdown to assign responsibilities and routing for gift intake and review.

  • Development/Philanthropy: Prepares solicitation language, collects donor paperwork, and issues tax acknowledgments within the organization.
  • Compliance/Risk Management: Verifies donor identity, screens for sanctions, evaluates conflicts of interest, and approves restricted gifts.
  • Legal/Finance: Reviews gift instruments, handles valuations for noncash gifts, and ensures reporting and tax documentation are correct.

Clear role definitions speed processing, reduce errors, and improve transparency for auditors and donors.

Core Components of Professional Gift Management Procedures

A complete procedure combines intake, review, documentation, valuation, restriction handling, and reporting into a single operating framework for consistent decision-making and auditability.

Intake Checklist

Standard intake forms capture donor identity, contact, gift type, estimated value, proposed restrictions, and any related agreements to ensure consistent initial screening and record creation.

Acceptance Criteria

Clear approval thresholds identify which gifts require committee review, legal sign-off, or board authorization, reducing ad hoc decisions and aligning acceptance with mission and policy.

Valuation & Appraisal

Procedures specify when appraisals are required, who obtains them, and how Form 8283 and IRS appraisal rules apply for noncash gifts to protect donor tax benefits.

Restriction Management

Defined processes record donor-imposed restrictions, create internal tracking codes, and route restricted-use funds to appropriate program or accounting owners.

Acknowledgment & Receipting

Templates and timing rules for written acknowledgments ensure compliance with 26 U.S.C. §170(f)(8) and provide donors with documentation needed for tax deductions.

Reporting & Audit Trail

Record retention, periodic reconciliation, and an immutable audit trail capture timestamps, approvers, and any transfers or expenditure of gifted assets.

Essential Data Fields to Capture

Donor Name: Full legal name
Donor Tax ID: SSN or EIN required
Gift Description: Type and specifics
Estimated Value: Monetary amount
Restrictions: Purpose or conditions
Acceptance Date: MM/DD/YYYY

Step-by-Step: Processing a New Gift

Follow these sequential steps from intake to recording to ensure consistent handling and compliance with tax and internal control requirements.

  • 01
    1. Intake: Record donor and gift details immediately.
  • 02
    2. Screen: Run conflict and sanctions checks.
  • 03
    3. Approve: Route per approval thresholds.
  • 04
    4. Acknowledge: Issue written donor receipt promptly.

Configuring an Online Gift Intake Workflow

Design digital workflows that mirror internal approvals: assign fields, conditional routing, retention, and notifications to reduce manual handoffs.

Field Configuration
Intake Form Map donor fields and required attachments
Approval Routing Set thresholds to route to compliance or board
Conditional Fields Show appraisal/upload when noncash selected
Audit & Retention Enable immutable audit log and retention policy

Where to File and Send Gift Records

Define destinations for each record type so stakeholders and systems have clear ownership and a discoverable archive.

  • Accounting System: Record monetary value and fund code
  • Compliance Folder: Store screening and approval records
  • Donor File: Attach agreement and acknowledgment
  • Archive: Retain signed record per policy

Distribution, File Types, and Integrations

Integrations with systems like CRMs and cloud storage reduce duplicate entry and preserve an end-to-end audit trail.

  • File Formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
  • Integrations: CRM, ERP, cloud storage links
  • Authentication: Email, SMS, or advanced MFA

Key Timelines and Reporting Deadlines

Timely actions maintain donor tax eligibility and regulatory compliance. Observe these common federal and internal timing rules.

Acknowledgment Timing:

Issue contemporaneous written acknowledgment for $250+ gifts per 26 U.S.C. §170(f)(8)

Form 8283 Trigger:

Noncash gifts often require Form 8283 when valuation thresholds are met

Appraisal Requirement:

Qualified appraisal required for certain noncash gifts exceeding $5,000 under IRS rules

Annual Donor Reports:

Provide donors year-end summaries and assistance for tax reporting

Internal Deadlines:

Complete valuation and approvals before fiscal close or grant disbursement

Consequences of Improper Gift Handling

Tax Deduction Risk: Donor deduction denied
Regulatory Penalty: IRS reporting penalties
Contract Breach: Violation of donor restrictions
Reputational Harm: Loss of donor trust
Financial Loss: Unrecoverable costs or liabilities
Data Exposure: Sensitive donor data breach

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Failing to document donor restrictions precisely, which can lead to disputes and misuse of funds.
  • Delaying written acknowledgments for $250+ contributions and jeopardizing donor tax deductions.
  • Omitting appraisals or Form 8283 when required by IRS rules for noncash gifts.
  • Storing signed records without an auditable trail or proper retention schedule.

eSignature Pricing and Feature Snapshot

Compare starting prices and core capabilities for common eSignature vendors when implementing online gift intake and donor acknowledgments.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Varies by region Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Envelope Cap No cap 100 envelopes/user/year Varies Varies Varies

Practical Examples of Gift Procedure Use

These short examples show how procedures apply to common scenarios in nonprofit and institutional contexts.

Case Study 1

A university receives a donated parcel of land and follows a multi-step acceptance process including appraisal and board approval.

  • Gift valuation and title review took 60 days.
  • The recorded procedure ensured donor restrictions were incorporated into the property deed and accounting, avoiding later disputes and preserving the donor's tax benefit.

Case Study 2

A healthcare foundation accepts securities via broker transfer and uses electronic acknowledgments for donors.

  • Broker transfer plus audit logs completed within 2 business days.
  • The workflow captured donor information, broker confirmation, and an e-signed receipt, enabling timely donor tax substantiation and HIPAA-compliant record storage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gift Management Procedures

Answers to common questions about signatures, tax acknowledgments, restricted gifts, valuation, and recordkeeping to help staff resolve typical issues.


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