FundSvcs Community

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,

Hello Everyone,

We've recently had a DO request a gift agreement for a $5K gift to an already established fund. This falls well below our major gift threshold, so when pressed as to why a gift agreement was needed for an existing fund they explained it's because the donor wants the gift is to be used to support our museum and to preserve and protect a specific collection - the collection the donor gave to the university.

We have no way to earmark gifts within a specific allocation. While the museum director might be able to track how the money is used in a separate spreadsheet that level of granularity is not possible within our system.

The DO believes the gift agreement is necessary to "protect the donor" and ensure her gift is used on her collection only.  I'm concerned that putting this restriction in writing does not protect the university, as we have no way to ensure the restriction is held. 

Have others experienced something similar? Am I overthinking this? Any recommendations or advice. It's only $5K but I worry it's heading us down a slippery slope.

Much Thanks,