It is the policy of Ohio Green Living to accept donations of goods and services that help fulfill the organization’s goal to create or encourage events that focus on green living by providing workshops, demonstrations and music to teach sustainable living skills in a fun and entertaining atmosphere.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for the acceptance, recording and acknowledgement of the donation of goods and services to Ohio Green Living.
Definition
A Gift In-Kind is a voluntary contribution of goods and services that can be used to advance the goals of Ohio Green Living. Note: Individual donors should consult their personal legal and financial advisors to determine if the in-kind gift is tax-deductible.
Restrictions on Gifts
Ohio Green Living will accept unrestricted gifts, and gifts for specific programs and purposes, provided that such gifts are consistent with its stated mission, purposes, and priorities. Ohio Green Living reserves the right to determine whether or not it will accept a gift and may consider, among other criteria, whether the terms, conditions or purpose of a gift are consistent with state or federal law, or with Simply Living’s policy or mission. (Simply Living is Ohio Green Living’s Partner Organization under whose umbrella we operate.) All final decisions on the acceptance of the gift shall be made by the Ohio Green Living Organizing Committee, subject to Simply Living oversight as needed. Ohio Green Living also reserves the right to redirect the gift to another non-profit organization if deemed more appropriate.
Acceptance Policy
The donor of an in-kind gift is responsible for providing written proof of the fair market value of the gift and the donor must fully complete the Ohio Green Living Gift-In-Kind Acceptance Form.
For gifts equal to or over $5,000 in fair market value, the donor must provide a qualified appraisal of the gift and must submit Internal Revenue Service form 8283 to the organization for completion and subsequent return to the donor. The Simply Living Executive Director and the Ohio Green Living Treasurer are the only individuals authorized to sign IRS form 8283.
For gifts with a fair market value of less than $5,000, if written documentation to establish the value of the gift is not provided by the donor, the gift will be recorded in the organization’s donor database at a nominal value of $1.
Ohio Green Living will enter the gift into its donor database once the Gift-In-Kind Acceptance Form and all backup paperwork have been submitted. The organization will issue an acknowledgement to the donor that contains a description of the contribution but will not include a statement as to the value of the contribution.
The acknowledgement will also contain a statement as to what, if any, goods or services were given in exchange for the contribution. Ohio Green Living will not issue an acknowledgement for gifts that cannot be used. Examples might include outdated computer equipment or unusable office supplies. If the Gift-In-Kind is a vehicle, before the Ohio Green Living can accept the gift, the organization must first deem the vehicle acceptable for use. In addition, individuals donating vehicles must furnish an IRS Form W-9 and a copy of the vehicle title to Ohio Green Living.
In-kind gifts of professional services are gratefully received. Those services must represent the donor’s personal or organizational expertise and be outside the general volunteer duties and responsibilities assumed by members of Ohio Green Living and its Organizing Committee. Legal, auditing, computer-related or trade related services will be accepted at no more than the fair market value for each billable hour. An itemized invoice would serve as appropriate documentation in this instance.
Procedure
1) When presented with a potential gift-in-kind, Ohio Green Living will first assess if the gift meets the acceptance policy before a commitment is made to accept the gift. The donor should be informed about our requirement to have the donor furnish written proof of the fair market value of the gift.
2) If the donor has questions about what types of documentation we will accept to determine the fair market value, the donor should be referred to IRS publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.
3) If the gift is deemed acceptable, then the individual taking physical possession of the gift should offer an immediate and sincere expression of gratitude.
4) The donor should be given a Gift-In-Kind Acceptance Form and the donor should be encouraged to complete the form at that time and turn it in with the documentation as to the fair market value. The Gift-In-Kind Acceptance Form must be turned in no later than one month following the Ohio Green Living Fayre, or December 31st – whichever comes first.
a) The individual accepting the gift cannot offer tax advice or dictate the value of the contribution.
b) The value is for Ohio Green Living internal gift reporting only. The donor’s receipt and/or acknowledgement will not indicate value in any way that could be construed as an endorsement of its value.
c) Unless items are new and recently purchased, the full purchase price is not considered the fair market value and receipts for the purchase of the gift will not be accepted as proof of the fair market value.
5) Once the Gift-In-Kind Acceptance form and documentation about fair market value have been received by Ohio Green Living, the gift will be recorded in the organization’s database and the appropriate thank you letter and gift acknowledgement will be generated.