Gift Acceptance Policy

Introduction

Peace House Community (PHC) relies on donors, businesses, religious institutions, foundations, and others to provide a place to belong to its community members. PHC is grateful for all the support it receives. The PHC Board of Directors has adopted the following policy regarding donations, both monetary and non-monetary, to ensure donor satisfaction and PHC’s ongoing viability.

Policy

  1. Donations must be in line with PHC’s mission and programs, either current or planned.
  2. PHC will use all donations for the good of the community members and PHC’s operations as whole in a way that reflects PHC’s mission, vision and values.
  3. If PHC receives a donation that it cannot use, it will give the donation to another agency for the good of the larger community.
  4. PHC will not sell items donated to PHC without the expressed permission of the donor.
  5. PHC may accept non-monetary donations for fundraising events. In this case, PHC will get the donor’s permission to sell, raffle, or otherwise raise money with the donation.
  6. A donor may specify what PHC can use the donation for. If PHC wishes to use the donation for a different purpose, it must receive the donor’s expressed permission before using the donation for the new use.
  7. PHC reserves the right to decline any donation that would distract from PHC’s mission, or would cause an undue administrative burden. Decisions about a donation’s acceptability will be based on:
    a. Alignment with the core values and programs (either current or planned)
    b. Donor’s intent for the use of the donation
    c. Reputational risk of the organization
    d. Consistency with past decisions
    e. Anticipated costs to PHC if it accepts the donation
  8. PHC may seek professional advice before deciding whether to accept a donation.
  9. PHC will issue tax receipts for donations in accordance with current IRS requirements.
  10. The PHC Board of Directors has the right to change this policy at any time. The Board of Directors can make exceptions to this policy on a case by case basis.

General Guidelines

  1. Board members and the Director are expected to solicit donations on behalf of PHC. Volunteers are encouraged but not required to solicit donations.
  2. PHC will follow the guidelines outlined in the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Donor Bill of Rights and Code of Ethics.
  3. Anyone soliciting or accepting donations on behalf of PHC will avoid creating a perceived or real conflict of interest, criminal activity, or professional misconduct. Any situations that could involve a perceived or real conflict of interest should be referred to the Board of Directors before PHC accepts the donation.