FundSvcs Community

 View Only

  • 1.  Cancel and Rewrite of Bequest

    Posted 01-06-2023 04:42 PM
    Hello!
    We have a donor who we booked a Bequest for in 2018. His circumstances have changed and he is canceling that Bequest but he is also doing a new Bequest which is for a significantly larger amount.

    My plan is to write off the bequest from 2018, knowing that it will lower our fundraising total for that year, and then add a new Bequest for this year. This new bequest would benefit our comprehensive campaign. Is there any problem counting the full amount of the new bequest in this year and towards our campaign? Should we lower our fundraising total by the previous bequest?

    I feel like we can count the whole thing.

    Your input is appreciated.

    Carol

    ------------------------------
    Carol Ruden
    Executive Director of Advancement Services
    Weber State University
    cruden@weber.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Cancel and Rewrite of Bequest

    Posted 01-06-2023 04:55 PM
    I would not feel comfortable essentially "recounting" a portion of the bequest. If the donor, however, stipulated that they were making the new bequest specifically in recognition of the campaign, I could be persuaded. Otherwise, I'd be inclined to count just the difference between the two amounts in the campaign.

    But I tend to be very conservative in these matters - concerned about transparency and appearances associated with inflated campaign totals. This is why your Gift Acceptance Committee needs to discuss this and note their decision in their minutes.

    John

    John H. Taylor
    Principal
    John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
    2604 Sevier St.
    Durham, NC   27705
    919.816.5903 (cell/text)

    Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Cancel and Rewrite of Bequest

    Posted 01-07-2023 08:36 PM
    Our practice is to just recognize the difference in the bequest as a new commitment so that the prior total isn't counted twice (in the last campaign and now). 

    We would make comments to indicate the circumstances you shared but we would only record the additional amount from the last one.

    For what it's worth, if a new amount of the bequest would be lower than the original, we would write off the difference between the two.  That result would show itself in fulfillment reports from the prior campaign and nothing new for this campaign.

    Good luck

    Tom

    --
    Thomas Chaves
    Associate VP for Advancement Operations
    Office of Advancement
    Saint Joseph's University
    5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131
    O: 610-660-1255 | M: 610-316-6541 | tchaves@sju.edu
    SJU.edu



    Original Message


Related Content