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Hi all, all of our receipts go out with "gift processed" date rather than any language specifying what date the gift was actually made however we have 2 situations that have recently came up. 1. A donor sent two checks at the end of December and the receipt shows a date processed in January. They have reached out and said they want receipts reflecting their 2018 checks. I do not have the ability to push back or have anyone communicate with the donor and I have to reissue a receipt. I think the "safest" way is to leave the gift processed date alone and throw in a line about, "...which reflects checks dated 12/26/18". This way it shows a date that the donor wants but we're not indicating any actual date of a gift. 2. We have a foundation that issued us a check in September that we never received. They indicated that they are reissuing it with the same check date and want a receipt for a 2018 donation. I know that like above there is no ability to push back or educate the donor/foundation. I think the safest approach is the same as above; processed date and throw in a sentence about the, "check dated September 2018". What does everyone think? as an aside, I'm not even sure our bank will cash a check dated September...

Thank you! I forgot that we do have the envelopes and it was postmarked December so I can easily do that. Love the language for number 2 too. Thank you so much Aaron! On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 10:23 AM Forrest, Aaron <aaron.forrest@rochester.edu> wrote: > 1) Did you save the envelope with postmark? I would add, "Postmarked > 12/26/18 ..." if I were painted into a corner. The IRS cares about > postmark, not the date written on the check. If the postmark is in January, > the donor is out of luck. If you don't have the postmark, your procedures > need an update. > 2) For this one, I would say, "reissued check originally sent in September > but lost in mail" or something like that. Foundations have different tax > treatment than individuals (I'm not an expert!) so I don’t' believe they'd > be itemizing deductions in the same way. They likely just want backup for > their treating as an expense on their books in 2018. > > You can do whatever you need to in order to make fussy donors happy - > we've all been there! - as long as it is not providing fraudulent tax > documentation to the IRS. If they push for that, you must say no. My > thoughts. > > Aaron > > Aaron Forrest CPA > Senior Director Gift and Donor Services > University of Rochester Office of Advancement > Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center > 300 East River Road > Rochester NY 14627 > Office 585.275.2799 / Fax 585-273-4558 > Email aaron.forrest@rochester.edu > > >  Please consider the environment before printing this email. > Confidentiality Notice: This message, including attachments may contain > confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or distribution > is prohibited. > >
Original Message----- > From: Advancement Services Discussion List <FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG> > On Behalf Of Derrick Shearer > Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 9:56 AM > To: FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG > Subject: [FUNDSVCS] Donor wants receipt saying gift is for 2018 > > Hi all, all of our receipts go out with "gift processed" date rather than > any language specifying what date the gift was actually made however we > have 2 situations that have recently came up. > > 1. A donor sent two checks at the end of December and the receipt shows a > date processed in January. They have reached out and said they want > receipts reflecting their 2018 checks. I do not have the ability to push > back or have anyone communicate with the donor and I have to reissue a > receipt. I think the "safest" way is to leave the gift processed date > alone and throw in a line about, "...which reflects checks dated > 12/26/18". This way it shows a date that the donor wants but we're not > indicating any actual date of a gift. > > 2. We have a foundation that issued us a check in September that we never > received. They indicated that they are reissuing it with the same check > date and want a receipt for a 2018 donation. I know that like above there > is no ability to push back or educate the donor/foundation. I think the > safest approach is the same as above; processed date and throw in a > sentence about the, "check dated September 2018". > > What does everyone think? > > as an aside, I'm not even sure our bank will cash a check dated > September... > -- *Derrick Shearer* *Director of Advancement Services* The Pingry School 131 Martinsville Rd. Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 dshearer@pingry.org 908-647-5555 ext. 1265

Saving envelopes is not a legal requirement - and postmarks no longer represent a legal date of gift as you can obtain a postmark at non-post office locations. I do not want my staff going to a ton of extra work. For those 2-3 (that is all I ever had) donors who do not like the receipt date I offer a receipt with no date and suggest the donor retain their "official bank record" (canceled check) in the event the IRS audits them. John John H. Taylor Principal, John H. Taylor Consulting 2604 Sevier St. Durham, NC 27705 johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com 919.816.5903 (cell/text) Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987 On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 10:33 AM Shearer, Derrick <dshearer@pingry.org> wrote: > Thank you! I forgot that we do have the envelopes and it was postmarked > December so I can easily do that. > > Love the language for number 2 too. > > Thank you so much Aaron! > > On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 10:23 AM Forrest, Aaron < > aaron.forrest@rochester.edu> wrote: > >> 1) Did you save the envelope with postmark? I would add, "Postmarked >> 12/26/18 ..." if I were painted into a corner. The IRS cares about >> postmark, not the date written on the check. If the postmark is in January, >> the donor is out of luck. If you don't have the postmark, your procedures >> need an update. >> 2) For this one, I would say, "reissued check originally sent in >> September but lost in mail" or something like that. Foundations have >> different tax treatment than individuals (I'm not an expert!) so I don’t' >> believe they'd be itemizing deductions in the same way. They likely just >> want backup for their treating as an expense on their books in 2018. >> >> You can do whatever you need to in order to make fussy donors happy - >> we've all been there! - as long as it is not providing fraudulent tax >> documentation to the IRS. If they push for that, you must say no. My >> thoughts. >> >> Aaron >> >> Aaron Forrest CPA >> Senior Director Gift and Donor Services >> University of Rochester Office of Advancement >> Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center >> 300 East River Road >> Rochester NY 14627 >> Office 585.275.2799 / Fax 585-273-4558 >> Email aaron.forrest@rochester.edu >> >> >>  Please consider the environment before printing this email. >> Confidentiality Notice: This message, including attachments may contain >> confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or distribution >> is prohibited. >> >>
Original Message----- >> From: Advancement Services Discussion List < >> FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG> On Behalf Of Derrick Shearer >> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 9:56 AM >> To: FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG >> Subject: [FUNDSVCS] Donor wants receipt saying gift is for 2018 >> >> Hi all, all of our receipts go out with "gift processed" date rather than >> any language specifying what date the gift was actually made however we >> have 2 situations that have recently came up. >> >> 1. A donor sent two checks at the end of December and the receipt shows >> a date processed in January. They have reached out and said they want >> receipts reflecting their 2018 checks. I do not have the ability to push >> back or have anyone communicate with the donor and I have to reissue a >> receipt. I think the "safest" way is to leave the gift processed date >> alone and throw in a line about, "...which reflects checks dated >> 12/26/18". This way it shows a date that the donor wants but we're not >> indicating any actual date of a gift. >> >> 2. We have a foundation that issued us a check in September that we >> never received. They indicated that they are reissuing it with the same >> check date and want a receipt for a 2018 donation. I know that like above >> there is no ability to push back or educate the donor/foundation. I think >> the safest approach is the same as above; processed date and throw in a >> sentence about the, "check dated September 2018". >> >> What does everyone think? >> >> as an aside, I'm not even sure our bank will cash a check dated >> September... >> > > > -- > *Derrick Shearer* > *Director of Advancement Services* > The Pingry School > 131 Martinsville Rd. > Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 > dshearer@pingry.org > 908-647-5555 ext. 1265 > > >

1) Did you save the envelope with postmark? I would add, "Postmarked 12/26/18 ..." if I were painted into a corner. The IRS cares about postmark, not the date written on the check. If the postmark is in January, the donor is out of luck. If you don't have the postmark, your procedures need an update. 2) For this one, I would say, "reissued check originally sent in September but lost in mail" or something like that. Foundations have different tax treatment than individuals (I'm not an expert!) so I don’t' believe they'd be itemizing deductions in the same way. They likely just want backup for their treating as an expense on their books in 2018. You can do whatever you need to in order to make fussy donors happy - we've all been there! - as long as it is not providing fraudulent tax documentation to the IRS. If they push for that, you must say no. My thoughts. Aaron Aaron Forrest CPA Senior Director Gift and Donor Services University of Rochester Office of Advancement Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center 300 East River Road Rochester NY 14627 Office 585.275.2799 / Fax 585-273-4558 Email aaron.forrest@rochester.edu           Please consider the environment before printing this email. Confidentiality Notice:  This message, including attachments may contain confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.
Original Message----- From: Advancement Services Discussion List <FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG> On Behalf Of Derrick Shearer Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 9:56 AM To: FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG Subject: [FUNDSVCS] Donor wants receipt saying gift is for 2018 Hi all, all of our receipts go out with "gift processed" date rather than any language specifying what date the gift was actually made however we have 2 situations that have recently came up. 1. A donor sent two checks at the end of December and the receipt shows a date processed in January. They have reached out and said they want receipts reflecting their 2018 checks. I do not have the ability to push back or have anyone communicate with the donor and I have to reissue a receipt. I think the "safest" way is to leave the gift processed date alone and throw in a line about, "...which reflects checks dated 12/26/18". This way it shows a date that the donor wants but we're not indicating any actual date of a gift. 2. We have a foundation that issued us a check in September that we never received. They indicated that they are reissuing it with the same check date and want a receipt for a 2018 donation. I know that like above there is no ability to push back or educate the donor/foundation. I think the safest approach is the same as above; processed date and throw in a sentence about the, "check dated September 2018". What does everyone think? as an aside, I'm not even sure our bank will cash a check dated September...