FundSvcs Community

If you are being asked to move gifts to reflect them as coming from the legal donor, then, by all means, you should honor that request. And that should be the policy and protocol going forward. 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 Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:43 AM Kimberly G Berry <k.berry@hvcc.edu> wrote: > Trying to get ahead of an unusual request that may be coming … I’ve been > told that a couple that has long been associated with the college (both are > graduates; one worked here for 40 years and retired and the other has > worked here sporadically and is currently employed by the college) now > wants their giving to be reflected differently. > > > > We received a check from the wife, her name and her name alone on the > check, signed by her, yet the gift processor posted to the husband’s record > with soft credit to the wife. When asked, I was told that the donor > requested it be done this way and that they may actually be asking us to go > back and change past gifts to show/reflect on the husband’s record with > soft credit to the wife. > > > > Is there a reason (other than a lot of unnecessary work; we can > acknowledge and recognize the couple for the their combined giving without > having to have it all on one record) why I should not honor this request if > and when it comes to me? > > > > Thanks, > > Kim > > > > Kimberly G. Berry bCRE > Director, Advancement Operations > > Hudson Valley Community College > > Office of Institutional Advancement > > 80 Vandenburgh Avenue > > Troy, New York 12180 > > Phone: (518) 629-8007 | Fax: (518) 629-7575 > > [image: FdnLogoSmall] > > > > >

That is what I am suggesting. Many organization will issue a receipt in both names and there is nothing wrong with that. But to avoid any confusion and ensure consistency, the hard credit still belongs on the record of the individual who legally made the gift. 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 Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 12:16 PM Hornbeck, Cynthia <CHornbeck1@twu.edu> wrote: > If I am reading the this correctly the last check came from the wife with > only her name on the check then she would be the legal donor, correct? > > > > So her name should be the one on the tax receipt, any letters you are > sending out could be addressed to just him if that is the way the wanted it. > > > > *From:* Advancement Services Discussion List < > FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG> *On Behalf Of *John Taylor > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 23, 2019 11:10 AM > *To:* FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG > *Subject:* Re: [FUNDSVCS] Couple Wants Us to Change Past Donations > > > > If you are being asked to move gifts to reflect them as coming from the > legal donor, then, by all means, you should honor that request. And that > should be the policy and protocol going forward. > > > > 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 Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:43 AM Kimberly G Berry <k.berry@hvcc.edu> > wrote: > > Trying to get ahead of an unusual request that may be coming … I’ve been > told that a couple that has long been associated with the college (both are > graduates; one worked here for 40 years and retired and the other has > worked here sporadically and is currently employed by the college) now > wants their giving to be reflected differently. > > > > We received a check from the wife, her name and her name alone on the > check, signed by her, yet the gift processor posted to the husband’s record > with soft credit to the wife. When asked, I was told that the donor > requested it be done this way and that they may actually be asking us to go > back and change past gifts to show/reflect on the husband’s record with > soft credit to the wife. > > > > Is there a reason (other than a lot of unnecessary work; we can > acknowledge and recognize the couple for the their combined giving without > having to have it all on one record) why I should not honor this request if > and when it comes to me? > > > > Thanks, > > Kim > > > > Kimberly G. Berry bCRE > Director, Advancement Operations > > Hudson Valley Community College > > Office of Institutional Advancement > > 80 Vandenburgh Avenue > > Troy, New York 12180 > > Phone: (518) 629-8007 | Fax: (518) 629-7575 > > [image: FdnLogoSmall] > > > > > >

Actually I think it's the opposite - I suspect we may be asked to move gifts to change from the legal donor (the wife) to someone else (the spouse/husband). The wife has been writing checks from an individual account with only her name on it. We've been processing to her record with soft credit to the husband. So we wouldn't be correcting the legal donor, we would be changing the legal donor to someone who was not understood/believed to be the legal donor at the time of the gift. The gifts were recorded and recognized correctly as they came in and we can certainly double check to be sure that all giving has been properly soft credited, but I know the donors in question well and sometimes they get an idea in their heads and they are certain that they are correct even when I know for a fact that they are wrong. I'm not sure of the motivation here but I think it boils down to an ego thing - she wants the husband to show as being more philanthropic than he actually has been, even though he has a longer donor history (20+ consecutive years of giving) than she does. It's just that over the past five years she has been writing larger checks. I think she wants the giving to go on his record so his lifetime giving is larger than someone else's. (I swear I'm not making this up!)

How will they know what your database says? --Bill
Original Message----- Actually I think it's the opposite - I suspect we may be asked to move gifts to change from the legal donor (the wife) to someone else (the spouse/husband). The wife has been writing checks from an individual account with only her name on it. We've been processing to her record with soft credit to the husband. So we wouldn't be correcting the legal donor, we would be changing the legal donor to someone who was not understood/believed to be the legal donor at the time of the gift. The gifts were recorded and recognized correctly as they came in and we can certainly double check to be sure that all giving has been properly soft credited, but I know the donors in question well and sometimes they get an idea in their heads and they are certain that they are correct even when I know for a fact that they are wrong. I'm not sure of the motivation here but I think it boils down to an ego thing - she wants the husband to show as being more philanthropic than he actually has been, even though he has a longer donor history (20+ consecutive years of giving) than she does. It's just that over the past five years she has been writing larger checks. I think she wants the giving to go on his record so his lifetime giving is larger than someone else's. (I swear I'm not making this up!)

If you do your recognition based on soft-credit then both will show as equally philanthropic regardless of whose record the gift is entered. 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 Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 1:26 PM Kimberly G. Berry <k.berry@hvcc.edu> wrote: > Actually I think it's the opposite - I suspect we may be asked to move > gifts to change from the legal donor (the wife) to someone else (the > spouse/husband). The wife has been writing checks from an individual > account with only her name on it. We've been processing to her record with > soft credit to the husband. So we wouldn't be correcting the legal donor, > we would be changing the legal donor to someone who was not > understood/believed to be the legal donor at the time of the gift. > > The gifts were recorded and recognized correctly as they came in and we > can certainly double check to be sure that all giving has been properly > soft credited, but I know the donors in question well and sometimes they > get an idea in their heads and they are certain that they are correct even > when I know for a fact that they are wrong. > > I'm not sure of the motivation here but I think it boils down to an ego > thing - she wants the husband to show as being more philanthropic than he > actually has been, even though he has a longer donor history (20+ > consecutive years of giving) than she does. It's just that over the past > five years she has been writing larger checks. I think she wants the giving > to go on his record so his lifetime giving is larger than someone else's. > (I swear I'm not making this up!) >

Trying to get ahead of an unusual request that may be coming ... I've been told that a couple that has long been associated with the college (both are graduates; one worked here for 40 years and retired and the other has worked here sporadically and is currently employed by the college) now wants their giving to be reflected differently. We received a check from the wife, her name and her name alone on the check, signed by her, yet the gift processor posted to the husband's record with soft credit to the wife. When asked, I was told that the donor requested it be done this way and that they may actually be asking us to go back and change past gifts to show/reflect on the husband's record with soft credit to the wife. Is there a reason (other than a lot of unnecessary work; we can acknowledge and recognize the couple for the their combined giving without having to have it all on one record) why I should not honor this request if and when it comes to me? Thanks, Kim Kimberly G. Berry bCRE Director, Advancement Operations Hudson Valley Community College Office of Institutional Advancement 80 Vandenburgh Avenue Troy, New York 12180 Phone: (518) 629-8007 | Fax: (518) 629-7575 [FdnLogoSmall]

I don't know if I would change the record for this situation, but I would make sure I am soft-crediting both spouses. I'd also think about just changing the addressee on the main record to associate the spouse on each other's record. I don't know how they would know the difference if both records have the same addressee and salutation format. Like John stated, both should have the same amount of recognition credit if both as being soft credited for each other's gifts.

If I am reading the this correctly the last check came from the wife with only her name on the check then she would be the legal donor, correct? So her name should be the one on the tax receipt, any letters you are sending out could be addressed to just him if that is the way the wanted it. From: Advancement Services Discussion List <FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG> On Behalf Of John Taylor Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 11:10 AM To: FUNDSVCS@LISTSERV.FUNDSVCS.ORG Subject: Re: [FUNDSVCS] Couple Wants Us to Change Past Donations If you are being asked to move gifts to reflect them as coming from the legal donor, then, by all means, you should honor that request. And that should be the policy and protocol going forward. John John H. Taylor Principal, John H. Taylor Consulting 2604 Sevier St. Durham, NC 27705 johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com<mailto:johntaylorconsulting@gmail.com> 919.816.5903 (cell/text) Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987 On Tue, Jul 23, 2019 at 11:43 AM Kimberly G Berry <k.berry@hvcc.edu<mailto:k.berry@hvcc.edu>> wrote: Trying to get ahead of an unusual request that may be coming … I’ve been told that a couple that has long been associated with the college (both are graduates; one worked here for 40 years and retired and the other has worked here sporadically and is currently employed by the college) now wants their giving to be reflected differently. We received a check from the wife, her name and her name alone on the check, signed by her, yet the gift processor posted to the husband’s record with soft credit to the wife. When asked, I was told that the donor requested it be done this way and that they may actually be asking us to go back and change past gifts to show/reflect on the husband’s record with soft credit to the wife. Is there a reason (other than a lot of unnecessary work; we can acknowledge and recognize the couple for the their combined giving without having to have it all on one record) why I should not honor this request if and when it comes to me? Thanks, Kim Kimberly G. Berry bCRE Director, Advancement Operations Hudson Valley Community College Office of Institutional Advancement 80 Vandenburgh Avenue Troy, New York 12180 Phone: (518) 629-8007 | Fax: (518) 629-7575 [FdnLogoSmall]

Donor stewardship issues aside, this seems like a bad idea for a few reasons: 1 - The question of who is the legal donor is not a matter that is determined by donor intent, but by which account the check comes from. Going backwards to change how the gifts have been recorded could be construed as falsifying records! 2 - By policy, you should have some manner of dealing with donations from married alumni - CASE recommends crediting the check-signer and soft-crediting the other partner - and that policy should apply across all your donors. 3 - What happens if they divorce? This could become a bone of contention once again, and you'll have no policy cover to rely on. 4 - Reassigning years of donations without any tangible benefit to the college doesn't seem like good use of charitable resources. On Tue, 23 Jul 2019 13:26:48 -0400, Kimberly G. Berry <k.berry@HVCC.EDU> wrote: >Actually I think it's the opposite - I suspect we may be asked to move gifts to change from the legal donor (the wife) to someone else (the spouse/husband). The wife has been writing checks from an individual account with only her name on it. We've been processing to her record with soft credit to the husband. So we wouldn't be correcting the legal donor, we would be changing the legal donor to someone who was not understood/believed to be the legal donor at the time of the gift. > >The gifts were recorded and recognized correctly as they came in and we can certainly double check to be sure that all giving has been properly soft credited, but I know the donors in question well and sometimes they get an idea in their heads and they are certain that they are correct even when I know for a fact that they are wrong. > >I'm not sure of the motivation here but I think it boils down to an ego thing - she wants the husband to show as being more philanthropic than he actually has been, even though he has a longer donor history (20+ consecutive years of giving) than she does. It's just that over the past five years she has been writing larger checks. I think she wants the giving to go on his record so his lifetime giving is larger than someone else's. (I swear I'm not making this up!)