Good Morning, in the past few years, this is something that my organiztions has been "tightneing" up on. We find that for reporting, best practice in this case is to enter a second bequest as realized equal to the overage and apply the payment to both recorded expectancies.
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Karry Morton
Chidren's Hospital Colorado Foundation
kmorton@childrenscoloradofoundation.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 05-03-2023 09:27 AM
From: Eric Valdescaro
Subject: What is best practice when realized bequest exceeds bequest expectancy?
We just received a check on a bequest expectancy which ends up exceeding the total bequest expectancy. I'm contemplating the following options, but before doing so would like to hear thoughts on each approach. Essentially, I'm looking at ways so that the overage of the realization is not lost in our fundraising totals. We count the bequest expectancy in our fundraising totals when committed, but we don't count the realized payment(s) when they arrive. But with an overage, that could be a considerable amount that was never counted when the BE was made and could be lost depending upon how we enter it.
Option 1) Enter the amount in a single transaction as a realized bequest (CRM pledge payment type) and allow amount paid to exceed the bequest expectancy amount.
Option 2) Split the amount so the first entry is entered as a realized bequest (payment) and completes the bequest expectancy (pledge) and the second entry is entered as an outright bequest (straight gift) so that the overage appears in fundraising totals.
Option 3) Increase the amount of the bequest expectancy (pledge) to account for the overage and enter one transaction for the realized bequest (payment).
Option 4) Enter a second bequest expectancy (pledge) equal to the overage with today's date and apply the overage as a realized bequest payment to that expectancy?
Thanks,
Eric
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Eric Valdescaro
University of Memphis
eric.valdescaro@memphis.edu
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