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  • 1.  Hard and Soft Credit

    Posted 06-28-2022 09:35 AM
    Could someone please direct me on hard and soft crediting rules?  We receive many checks in different ways and I have seen in the past hard and soft credit is applied differently for the same kinds of checks.  For example:
    Fidelity Charitable  check for John Smith: may mention "Grant" and/or "donor advised fund"
    Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC c/o John Smith
    Otis Thompson Foundation - mentions "grant" but not donor advised fund
    Angora Ridge Foundation- Mr. X is the alum and this is his foundation 
    Morgan Stanley GIFT - may mention "Grant" and/or "donor advised fund"
    Morgan Stanley GIFT- This mentioned "Grant" made from the The Windswept Foundation fund but not the donor name. 
    TIAA checks

     How do you know who gets hard and soft when there is a check that is not directly from a donor.

    ------------------------------
    Gift Department
    Hartwick College
    gifts@hartwick.edu
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Hard and Soft Credit

    Posted 06-28-2022 09:42 AM
    There are no standard rules as the various providers may operate differently.  When you cannot identify the legal donor you must contact the check issuer.

    In general:
    • A brokerage service is liquidating an asset for their client and is acting as the agent for that client.  The individual is the donor.
    • Foundations almost always are the legal donor - DAFs or otherwise
    • For Morgan Stanley if it states DAF or foundation, then the DAF or foundation is the donor
    • TIAA could be anything.  As a client, I KNOW they send correspondence with their distributions.  It's unusual to receive a check with no further information
    Again, call the provider whenever in doubt - the above are only general observations.

    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


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