[Wade_Rogers_Forum_Moderator]

Hi Karen…I’ve dealt with this myself! I don’t see any reason why these applications couldn’t all be scanned into an electronic format. Requirements to keep things hardcopy are becoming fewer and farther between these days. For that matter, if they are really past their useful date (and if you have a records retention policy that backs you up on this) you could also consider getting rid of them altogether. Good luck!

[Wade_Rogers_Forum_Moderator]

Thanks for posting this Mark! The caveat in item 4 is a little known wrinkle regarding the use of a DAF to pay down a donor pledge, which is prohibited by the IRS since the donor already took the deduction when paying into the DAF.

[Wade_Rogers_Forum_Moderator]

Hi Joseph and all who are participating in this forum discussion…thank you for posting this question which clearly so many of us struggle with! We appreciate the multitude of useful and thoughtful responses. I agree with the general consensus in this discussion that we need to look at the substance of the gift to determine its classification: does it smell like a grant (application process, reporting requirements) or a contribution (donor development and solicitation, directed by an individual)? Please keep up the dialogue and come back to our forums often!

[Wade_Rogers_Forum_Moderator]

Hi Kelly…thanks for joining us in the forums! You ask a great question and based on the questions received in conjunction with our latest webinar, in-kinds are on a lot of folks’ minds so stay tuned for future discussions and resources! For me, the two most important concepts are that you are recording a revenue with an offsetting expense (so no bottom line impact) and that you are valuing the contribution at its market value. You ask a good question about contributions your organization makes to others. I’d love to hear what other forum visitors might have to say about that one.

[Wade_Rogers_Forum_Moderator]

Glad to hear it Joseph and thanks again to all who have participated!