FundSvcs Community

A group of alumni collected household items that they gave to a thrift store that resells the items. The thrift store then sent the alumni a statement that included the weight of the items received, a description of the items, the payment per pound rate, and the total payment amount.  They then sent a check in this amount to the alumni who sent it to Institutional Advancement to be processed as a gift. 

Is this a gift that should receive a regular tax receipt with no reference to goods received?  While the thrift store received goods, those goods did not come from the university. On the other hand, they would not have sent a check to the university if the alumni had not provided the goods.  Or do we say that the alumni made a gift in kind that was then sold to the thrift store?  The alumni comprise a sort of affinity group, but it's not clear that they were acting for the university in an official capacity. 

A group of alumni collected household items that they gave to a thrift store that resells the items. The thrift store then sent the alumni a statement that included the weight of the items received, a description of the items, the payment per pound rate, and the total payment amount.  They then sent a check in this amount to the alumni who sent it to Institutional Advancement to be processed as a gift. 

Is this a gift that should receive a regular tax receipt with no reference to goods received?  While the thrift store received goods, those goods did not come from the university. On the other hand, they would not have sent a check to the university if the alumni had not provided the goods.  Or do we say that the alumni made a gift in kind that was then sold to the thrift store?  The alumni comprise a sort of affinity group, but it's not clear that they were acting for the university in an official capacity.