Gift Acceptance Policy

Purpose of Guidelines

Acceptance of any contribution, gift or grant is at the discretion of the School. It is the policy of the School to accept gifts of cash, securities and property to be used for the greatest good of the School. Gifts of cash may be made directly to the School, and gifts of securities and property should be made in conjunction with the Business Office. With respect to anonymous gifts, all information about the donor will only be given to those staff members with a need to know. Please contact the Director of Development for specific instructions.

Gifts of Cash

All cash gifts can be made electronically, in person, or through a delivery service. All checks should be made payable to the School. The School will respect the intent of the donor relating to gifts for restricted purposes and those relating to the desire to remain anonymous.

Gifts of Securities

Stocks, bonds, notes or other instruments for which value can be determined in the financial market place should be made payable to the School. Donors are encouraged to have a conversation with the Director of Development to determine the most advantageous method of giving donations of securities. Internal Revenue Service guidelines are followed in establishing the value of donated securities. Gifts of Real Estate Gifts of real estate are welcomed by the School. It is the donor’s responsibility for obtaining appraisals, EPA studies, etc., for gifts of property except in such cases where the School will assume that responsibility. Gifts must be reviewed by the Director of Development and the President and other selected counsel for environmental and economic impact, and other issues before accepting gifts of real estate. The School Board has final approval for all gifts of real estate.

Gifts of Personal Property

Gifts of personal property (i.e. antiques, works of art, collections, etc.) are all welcomed by the School with approval from the Director of Development. The donor is responsible for securing appraisals on such property according to Internal Revenue Service guidelines. The School Board has final approval of all gifts.

Gifts of Equipment

Gifts of equipment are encouraged by the School. However, when such equipment requires additional and/or ongoing maintenance that is not budgeted, prior approval must be received from the Business Office and the receiving area. Challenge Gifts or Pledges Challenge gifts or pledges requiring matching funds by the School are welcome but the gifts must receive prior approval from the Director of Development.

Gifts In Kind

Gifts in kind (gifts of goods and services) are welcomed and will be accepted at the discretion of the School and the receiving area. Please contact the Director of Development for specific instructions.

The School reserves the right to treat each gift on an individual basis, and thereby reserves the right to accept, reject, or modify any agreement and/or gift. The School will refrain from providing advice about the tax or other treatment of gifts and will encourage donors to seek guidance from professional advisers. The School will provide acknowledgements to donors meeting IRS substantiation requirements for all gifts. However, except for gifts of cash and publicly traded securities, no value shall be ascribed to any receipt or other form of substantiation of a gift received by the School.