Advancement · Grants & Funding

Decide before the gift arrives,
not after.

The hard gift is the one nobody planned for: a house with an old fuel tank, shares in a family company, a car that does not run. A gift acceptance policy decides ahead of time who reviews unusual gifts and on what terms. Pick the gifts you accept and the clauses you include; the builder shows the gaps between them and prints a draft policy for the board.

Start a draftWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Grant writer’s desk, $49 for 55 items.

Policy drafts

The worked example is made up: a schools foundation that accepts real estate with no environmental review, a youth orchestra taking donated cars without an appraisal clause and a literacy council’s first short draft. Saved on this device only.

Loading the policy form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Grants & Funding$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per policy draft: organization, who reviews unusual gifts, the review threshold, the review schedule, gifts accepted and twelve clauses. Works out clauses included of those that apply and the gaps between gifts accepted and clauses; prints the draft policy from the included clauses; flags real estate with no environmental review, securities with no sale rule, gifts of goods, property or private stock with no appraisal clause, vehicles without Form 1098-C and a missing acknowledgment clause.
Who it is for
Development directors, executive directors, school foundation staff and nonprofit board members.
Format
Browser builder with a saved record per draft. Prints the draft policy, the clause checklist, every draft in a table or a blank checklist; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Grant writer’s desk ($49) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Grants & Funding space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. List the gifts you accept today.
  2. Name who reviews anything unusual.
  3. Include the clauses that apply.
  4. Close every gap the builder flags.
  5. Print the draft for the board and counsel.

Start a draft

IRS lines to match

IRS lines a policy should matchGiftThe ruleWho does itAny gift of $250 or moreWritten acknowledgmentThe organizationPayment over $75, partly for goodsDisclosure of the deductible partThe organizationNoncash over $5,000Qualified appraisal, Form 8283The donorVehicle over $500Form 1098-C to the donorThe organizationIRS lines a policy should matchAny gift of $250 or moreThe rule: Written acknowledgmentWho does it: The organizationPayment over $75, partly for goodsThe rule: Disclosure of the deductible partWho does it: The organizationNoncash over $5,000The rule: Qualified appraisal, Form 8283Who does it: The donorVehicle over $500The rule: Form 1098-C to the donorWho does it: The organization
These are federal tax rules for U.S. charities, stated in general terms; ask your accountant how they apply to your organization.

Why real estate needs its own clause

A donated property can come with environmental cleanup costs, back taxes or a mortgage, and the owner can be liable for them. Policies usually require a site visit, an environmental review and a title search before any real estate gift is accepted.

A draft, not a finished policy

The printed policy is built from the clauses you include, in plain wording. Have the board, and ideally an attorney or accountant, review it before adoption; your state and your gift types may call for more.

Sources

  1. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 1771: Charitable Contributions, Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements.
  2. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 561: Determining the Value of Donated Property; Form 8283 instructions.
  3. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 4302: A Charity’s Guide to Vehicle Donation (Form 1098-C).
  4. National Council of Nonprofits. Gift acceptance policies (councilofnonprofits.org).

The worked example and organizations in it are made up. This builder makes a draft; it is not legal or tax advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.