Gift Acceptance Policy
Gift Acceptance Policy
The purpose of this gift acceptance policy is to give guidance and counsel to those
individuals associated with Delta Charter School concerned with the planning, promotion,
solicitation, receipt, acceptance, management, reporting, use, and disposition of private sector
gifts.
This policy statement must be viewed as flexible and realistic in order to accommodate
unpredictable situations as well as donor expectations, as long as such situations and
expectations are consistent with the mission and policies of Delta Charter School, MST.
Flexibility must be maintained since some gift situations will be complex, and proper decisions
can be made only after careful consideration of all related factors. This policy may, therefore,
require that the merits of a particular gift be considered by the appropriate staff with legal
counsel and the Board of Directors if necessary.
All fundraising activities and gift acceptance policies, and their day-to-day
implementation, are designed and managed by the designated principal in conjunction with the
implementation, are designed and managed by the designated principal in conjunction with the
appropriate staff and are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors, through the finance committee and the central office
administrator is responsible for the gift acceptance policy. This responsibility cannot be
delegated or waived. These policies and authorizations shall be reviewed by the finance
committee on an annual basis or as circumstances warrant.
Policy Statements
Delta Charter School, MST shall accept only those gifts the transference and
implementation of which shall be deemed consistent with the public laws and/or regulations of
the United States of America and the State of Louisiana.
The Board of Directors shall determine that gifts to Delta Charter School, MST are
evidence of philanthropic intent and that the donor’s philanthropy is in accord with the stated
mission and goals of Delta Charter School, MST. Donations and/or contributions made as an
obvious object of philanthropic intent for either designed or innocent avoidance of taxes, or
prejudiced purposes shall not be accepted and/or permitted. Non-monetary gifts that require
evaluation shall only be accepted when a third party, arms-length evaluator is willing to provide
the school with a signed statement as to the value, and then only when the gift that is offered
constitutes an immediate and necessary need by the school. The evaluator must be experienced
in the evaluation of such items as are offered as a gift and the contributor shall not receive any
collateral benefit from having made the gift.
Ethics
The Board of Directors shall assure itself that all philanthropic promotions and
solicitations are ethical by adopting policies that prohibits Delta Charter School, MST personnel
from benefitting personally by the way of commissions or other devices related to fits received.
Review Legal Arrangements
Legal counsel retained by Delta Charter School, MST shall when such is required, review
legal documents, contracts, and all donor agreements. Delta Charter School, MST shall seek the
advice of legal counsel in all matters pertaining to its planned giving program when such a
program is considered to be necessary for the operation of the school. All agreements shall
follow the formats of the specimen agreements to be approved by legal counsel unless counsel
has agreed in writing to a change for a specific agreement.
Delta Charter School, MST shall encourage donors to seek their own counsel in matters
relating to their bequests, life income gifts, tax planning, and estate planning. All legally binding
documents involving gifts over $10,000 shall be prepared and/or reviewed by counsel retained
by the donor, to avoid any conflict of interest or undue influence. Alternatively, a donor may
sign a document prepared by Delta Charter School, MST releasing Delta Charter School, MST
from any liability and waiving any conflict.
Professional Fees
Delta Charter School shall not pay any attorney fees or advisor fees associated with any
donation or contribution unless such is required by the Board of Directors for the benefit and
protection of Delta Charter School, MST. Donors who seek legal and/or accounting tax advice
regarding a donation shall be responsible for any fees associated with such services.
Unacceptable Gifts
Delta Charter School, MST reserves the right to refuse any gift that is not consistent with
its mission. In addition to and without limiting the generality of, the following gifts will not be
accepted by Delta Charter School, MST:
1. Gifts that violate any federal, state, or local statute or ordinance
2. Gifts that contain unreasonable conditions (e.g., a lien or other
encumbrance) or gifts of partial interest in and to property
3. Gifts that are financially unsound
4. Gifts that could expose Delta Charter School, MST to liability
5. Gifts of property that cannot be converted to cash and/or sold for cash, or
that have no immediate use by the school.
Stewardship
Delta Charter School will be responsible for good stewardship toward its donors by
following these guidelines:
1. All gifts will be acknowledged within the required, or otherwise
reasonable, period of time.
2. All gift acknowledgment letters/receipt will be prepared by the business
office staff.
3. Gifts to Delta Charter School, MST shall be reported in a manner
consistent with the standards recommended by the Association of Fundraising
Professionals (AFP) or the National Council on Planned Giving (NCPG), or as
otherwise determined to be acceptable by the Internal Revenue Service.
4. Files, records, and mailing lists regarding all donors and donor prospects
are maintained and controlled by Delta Charter School business office. Maximum
use will be made of information and contacts that members of the Board of
Directors, various volunteer groups, or the staff have the potential donors.
Written reports of interviews and solicitations will be maintained in the donor
prospect file and/or computer records of Delta Charter School, MST.
5. This information is confidential and is strictly for the use of Delta Charter
School, MST, its board and staff. Use of this information shall be restricted to
Delta Charter School purposes only. All donors shall have the right to review
his/her donor fund file(s).
6. Delta Charter School, MST will provide the donors of endowed
scholarships with appropriate information about the recipients of scholarship
assistance.
7. Should the gift be restricted, Delta Charter School, MST will provide the
donor with a narrative and financial report detailing the activities made possible
by their support. This report will be submitted to the donor within 90 days of the
completion of the unwritten activities.
8. Gifts of Delta Charter School and accompanying correspondence will be
considered confidential information, with the exception of the publication of
donor recognition societies. All donor requests for confidentiality will be
honored.
9. Names of donors will not be provided by Delta Charter School to other
organizations, nor will any lists be sold or given to other organizations.
Conflict of Interest
The Delta Charter School Board of Directors will assure itself that Delta Charter School,
MST personnel are circumspect in all dealings with donors in order to avoid even the appearance
of any act of self-dealing. The Board of Directors will consider a transaction in which the
employee has a “material financial interest” with a donor an act of self-dealing. In reviewing
self-dealing transactions, the Board of Directors shall consider financial interest “material” to an
employee if it is sufficient to create an appearance of a conflict. In each case, this will be a
question of fact.
The Board of Directors will examine all acts of self-dealing including, but no limited to
prohibition against benefit. Those individuals who normally engage in the solicitation of gifts on
behalf of Delta Charter School, MST shall not personally benefit by way of commission, contract
fees, salary, or other benefits from any donor in the performance of their duties on behalf of
Delta Charter School, MST. (The definition of individuals includes each of the categories of
employees of Delta Charter School. Individuals are further defined to include associations,
partnerships, corporations, or other enterprises in which a member of the staff holds a principal
ownership interest.)
Conformity to Federal and State Laws
The Board of Directors of Delta Charter School shall assure itself that fundraising
activities comply with local, state, and federal laws.
Gift Valuations
Delta Charter School, MST shall follow accepted guidelines for the valuation of gifts
such as stock, real estate, personal property, and life insurance that require specific methods of
valuation for the protection of both the donor and Delta Charter School, MST.
Gifts of art, furniture, books, stamps, coins and other collections must have values
assessed by properly accredited independent appraisers retained by potential donors for
appropriate gift tax credit. Delta Charter School, MST shall acknowledge receipt of such
properties but must not verify values. Such gifts will only be accepted if they can be converted
or sold for cash within a reasonable time period, or if they can be immediately put to use by the
school in such a way as will benefit the school in its effort to accomplish its mission.
Required Reporting of Gifts to the Internal Revenue Service
Should Delta Charter School, MST sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any gift (other
than checks, cash, or publicly traded stocks or bonds), within two years after the date of the gift,
Delta Charter School, will furnish the Internal Revenue Service and the donor with a completed