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  • 1.  Navigating donors' requests to modify their gift agreements

    Posted 05-11-2026 10:51 PM

    I am curious whether others are experiencing donors requesting changes to their gift agreements over time (after the initial gift agreement has been executed and the funds have been established). We have been seeing an increase in donors reaching out to request changes; for example, to modify the fund name, purpose, criteria, etc. from what they originally established. We have been documenting these fund modifications with a GA amendment. I'm wondering if other shops experience this and how you are navigating these requests. Have you developed any internal policies or guidelines to address donor requests for fund modifications? Have you generally accepted their requests or developed practices to guide them away from making changes? Would appreciate any insights, examples, or lessons learned. Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!



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    Patty Laemoa
    University of Hawaii Foundation
    patty.laemoa@uhfoundation.org
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  • 2.  RE: Navigating donors' requests to modify their gift agreements

    Posted 05-12-2026 05:35 AM
    Requests of this nature are not unusual, but they aren't all that common, either. When I was at NC State and Duke, such requests were rare - perhaps a dozen or so in a year (out of several thousand donor-established funds).

    You might start by looking for commonalities. I recall visiting one client where a major gift officer was "poaching" previous donors and getting them to move the gift designation to an area the officer was responsible for fundraising. Thankfully, leadership figured this out, and the MGO was shown the door.

    It is also possible that your threshold for creating new funds is too low, creating more opportunities for individuals to create funds and subsequently change their minds. No doubt you have a minimum for named endowments (perhaps around $50,000). You should probably have an even higher minimum for non-endowed funds since they "go away" within a few years.

    So, I'd see if there is an underlying theme to these requests that, if addressed, could reduce their frequency.

    Other than that, I'd suggest implementing the same approval process that is required to create the fund to begin with. An amendment to the gift agreement is fine, but the same signatories should be required. As leadership begins to see the frequency of these requests, they might be encouraged to chat with the donor to dissuade them from making the request.

    John

    John H. Taylor, Principal
    John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC
    2604 Sevier Street
    Durham, NC     27705

    919.816.5903 (cell/text)

    Serving the Advancement Community Since 1987






  • 3.  RE: Navigating donors' requests to modify their gift agreements

    Posted 05-12-2026 08:03 AM

    I second John's statement that finding commonalities oftentimes reveals an underlying reason for these requests. We receive maybe a handful of requests to modify gift agreements (GAs) each fiscal year.

    When a change in a GA is requested, it is approved by our leadership team in Advancement. We have the same donors who signed the original GA sign an amended gift agreement stating all of the changes. The President of the University also signs the Amended GA. Our practice is to follow the donor's intent for the GA. We want to make sure their wishes are fulfilled.

    However, there have been instances where the donor wants their Gift Agreement to support a specific program or initiative that is no longer active. So, our team will work with the donors and deans of the colleges to find a similar program or initiative that can be supported by the amended GA.

    Hope this helps! :)



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    Jessica Fitman
    Valparaiso University
    jessica.fitman@valpo.edu
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