With just a few short weeks left in 2015, it’s time for those of us on the development and operations side of the team to brush up on our end-of-calendar-year giving policies. If you are a gift officer, be sure to encourage your donors to make their gifts in the first three weeks of December (to prevent a last-minute influx of gifts that need to be processed by December 31).

Please inform your deans, faculty, program directors, staff and anyone else who might receive a gift during this period of these policies to ensure smooth end-of-year gift processing.

Here are some tips and reminders from Carol Bonner, assistant vice present of operations and information systems:

  • Many donors will make gifts and pledge payments to take advantage of 2015 charitable deductions. Although we never give tax advice, we can assist them by getting last minute payments processed by the tax-year deadline.
  • If you receive any gifts just prior to the holiday break, hand deliver them to Jami McCoy, gift recorder, by 3 p.m. on Tues., December 22.
  • Carol and Jami will be having a swingin’ soiree on New Year’s Eve at the office, where they will be on hand to open mail and record gift transactions. Who knows what sort of trouble those two will get up to in our deserted office…
  • Mail addressed to the EVP office and the staff at 611 and 633 W. Palm will be delivered to Jami and Carol. They will open anything in the mail that appears it might be a gift.
  • University Services will not be signing for any UPS, FedEx, DHL or other special deliveries.
  • Jami will deposit checks with the cashier and enter credit card transactions. Receipts will be mailed after we return on Monday, January 4.

For additional policies and information regarding end-of-year gifts, refer to the memo Carol sent to development and operations staff members on Monday, November 23. If you have any questions or need to give instructions regarding unusual or sensitive gift situations, contact Carol at cbonner@chapman.edu or (914) 997-6688.