From: "Roger Dooley" <rpdooley@tds.net> Subject: RE: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 17:07:06 -0500 Message-ID: <GIEEKILNONENFNNGPEPNEEINCDAA.rpdooley@tds.net>
We record all donations on a Temporary Custody Receipt. After the
collection committee decides to accept/reject, we generate a Deed of
Gift for those things we intend to accept into the collection and make a
return document for the things we don't want. We then sent two copies of
the Deed of Gift to the donor for signature and return. Upon
return, our President signs the Deeds signifying acceptance by the
society and one completed copy is returned to the donor for their
records and the other goes into our records.
It does seem a bit bureaucratic but--and I hope I've done my homework
properly--when a donor signs a Deed of Gift, legal title for the entire
donation transfers to the museum. None of the donated items can be
returned to the original donor without violating IRS tax laws regarding
tax deductions for donations to nonprofit organizations.
Substituting a Deed of Gift for a Temporary Custody Receipt
may reduce the paperwork but it may also make your organization liable
for care of artifacts that you didn't really want.
Maybe someone with real legal knowledge could chime in on this
subject! I formed my opinion from a soft cover book our founder
picked up at a historical seminar somewhere. It may not be as
authoritative as it appeared to this novice.
Roger Dooley
Once Was a Collection Manager
Monticello Area Historical Society
-----Original Message-----
From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu]On Behalf Of
Sauk-Prairie Area Historical Society
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 09:22
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Hi ListServe,
Our Board of Directors is considering changing our procedure for
accepting gifts for accessioning.
Currently the manager and the collection committee can take in items
that seem to pertain to our mission statement. We give the donor a
temporary custody form and enter the items into PastPerfect.
The collection committee meets to decide what we will actually accession
and what should be returned to the donor. We then do the entry into
PastPerfect, splitting the accession and the returned items, and notify
the donors with the Deed of Gift and/or the information to pick up the
items not accepted.
The proposed change is to require all donors to sign the Deed of Gift
before we will accept anything. The purpose is to alleviate the
temporary form step and to actually own everything up front, allowing us
to sell or dispose of anything in our possession.
Could you please share how your organization handles donations and what
your thoughts are regarding our proposed change?
Thank you for your important input.
Fauhn Breunig
Museum Manager
Sauk Prairie Area Historical Society
565 Water St., Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
608-644-8444
www.saukprairiehistory.org