Ticket Sales Converted to Straight Donation - Receipt Fees

Joanne Felci

Hello!


I would assume several of our organizations are deal with this issue given the COV19 crisis.


We had a gala scheduled for this Saturday that we have postponed and are offering attendees the option of converting their ticket to a straight donation to the organization in an attempt to reduce refund requests


The question we have is should the receipt amount continue to reflect the FMV of the ticket as their initial intention was an event or should they receive full receipted amount for the donation


I believe the latter - this is now a straight donation so why wouldn't they get full credit, but wanted to get some thoughts/feedback from the community if you have gone through something similar - what did you do?  What are industry standards?

John Heizer

If they are making their "full donation" intention known before the date of the event then I don't see any reason why you couldn't issue a revised receipt stating a $0 FMV.  I'd view it as if they did get a full refund for the event ticket and then used the refund to make a donation. 

Bonnie May Kersta

We are in a similar situation.  A donor underwrote a performance that is now cancelled and the donor wants the gift returned.  We have already posted this gift on the donor's record in Raiser's Edge.  My first inclination is to delete the gift in it's entirety but I want to have some documentation of what occurred.  I was thinking an action with support on the media tab.  Anyone else dealing with this?

Joanne Felci

the process we are using is:


adjust the gift to 0 and in the adjustment note state the reason


we are also putting an constituent action on the record


our biggest headache has been not having enough money in our online account to pay the refunds and having to wire money...OMG what a mess


Never mind reconciling all this stuff

Joanne Felci

oh that is for the refund obviously - process


after adjusting the original gift I've been adding a new gift for the donation amount and they are getting the full receipted amount

Bonnie May Kersta

Thanks so much.  I will suggest to our Senior Staff that we follow this procedure.


 

Angela Tuttle

We would adjust the gift to $0 as well and add a note in the adjustment reason and to the Reference Line in the original gift.