FundSvcs Community

 View Only

  • 1.  Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-19-2023 06:56 PM
    Hi everyone,

    I am not sure why I am drawing a blank, however, I believe that matching gifts cannot fulfill a personal benefit (for example athletic ticket seat back requirements). I am wondering if there is anything writtten to show support for this that I can share with our constituents?

    Thanks for your help!
    Margie

    ------------------------------
    Margie Hirose
    Gift Accounting Director
    Washington State University Foundation
    margieh@wsu.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-19-2023 08:27 PM
    You need to look only at the matching company rules. They will all indicate that they will only match the charitable portion of a gift (you must subtract the QPQ before submitting a claim) and that the match itself can realize no benefit.

    Remember, matching gift programs are a company's way of making charitable contributions. In that way, they are similar to DAFs, which must also be entirely charitable.

    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: Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-20-2023 09:17 AM
    Thank you, John for always responding so quickly! That totally makes sense. Follow up question - this would then also be the same for fulfilling pledges as well? Or do pledges fall into another category? Seems like it would be the same since it's still a personal commitment, but I just wanted to make sure before I put it in our protocol.

    Margie

    ------------------------------
    Margie Hirose
    Gift Accounting Director
    Washington State University Foundation
    margieh@wsu.edu
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-20-2023 09:24 AM
      |   view attached
    An individual cannot make a binding pledge that anticipates it being satisfied by a third party. So no pledge to be paid on should exist.

    I am attaching a paper I wrote several years ago - but updated periodically - that goes into greater detail. Its focus was on DAFs and such, but matching gifts are mentioned.

    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





    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    2022 Who Can Make a Pledge.pdf   161 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-20-2023 09:44 AM
    Makes sense. I believe our legal counsel is looking into the language we put on our pledge forms by removing the "binding" and updating with promise to make. Not sure what the difference is or if that is a good decision. Both our CFO and I have recommended against it, however, for some reason they are wanting that updated.

    Thanks again, John!
    Margie

    ------------------------------
    Margie Hirose
    Gift Accounting Director
    Washington State University Foundation
    margieh@wsu.edu
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Matching Gifts Fulfilling Personal Benefits

    Posted 01-20-2023 02:12 PM
    Good afternoon, Margie!

    This question just came up again for me to address during a new employee onboarding orientation. The "we did it this way at my other place" approach to incorporating matching gifts associated with pledges was the foray into that discussion...  :-)

    While I am going to be meeting directly with those fundraisers again in the next week or so to go more in depth, I reminded them that a donor simply cannot commit another entity's assets. The matching funds always follow the original donor intent unless prohibited by the matching program, of course, so matching revenue could - for example - enable a donor to achieve an endowment threshold over time. But however the agreement is worded, even if there is some indication that the donor intends to apply for matching funds, we can only reasonably book a pledge based on the individual donor's committed assets. 

    Best regards - Amy

    Amy J. Phillips
    Director of Advancement Services, Gift Acceptance
    Division of University Advancement
    The Catholic University of America
    620 Michigan Avenue, B016 O'Connell Hall
    Washington, DC 20064
    Phone: 202-319-6919





    Original Message


Related Content