Life Link III solicits and accepts gifts for purposes that will help further and fulfill its mission. Donations will generally be accepted from individuals, partnerships, corporations, foundations, government agencies, or other entities. The following policies and guidelines govern acceptance of gifts made to Life Link III for the benefit of any of its operations or services.
- Life Link III supports and adheres to the Donor Bill of Rights.
- It is Life Link III’s intention to properly acknowledge all completed gifts within 10 business days of the receipt of the gift. Such acknowledgement will include a written receipt of each donation containing information as required by the Internal Revenue Service.
- All information concerning donors and prospective donors is held in strict confidence by Life Link III in accordance with our Privacy Policy, except with donor consent and in the case of legally enforceable requests for information by government agencies and courts.
- Life Link III does not provide legal, financial, or other professional advice to donors or prospective donors. Donors and prospective donors are strongly encouraged to seek the assistance of their own professional advisors in matters relating to their gifts to ensure the donor receives a complete explanation of all aspects of the proposed charitable gift.
- It is the responsibility of the donor to obtain any necessary appraisals, file appropriate personal tax returns, and defend against any challenges to claims for tax benefits.
- In making a gift to Life Link III, the donor gives up all right, title, and interest to the contributed assets.
- Life Link III will accept unrestricted gifts, and gifts for specific programs and purposes, provided that such gifts are not inconsistent with its stated mission, purposes, and priorities. Life Link III reserves the right to decline gifts too restrictive in purpose. Restricted gifts will be accepted only if Life Link III determines the applicable restrictions are reasonable and acceptable.
- Types of Gifts:
- Cash
- Acceptable in any form, including by check, money order, credit card, or on-line. Checks can be made payable to Life Link III. Checks shall not be made payable to individuals who represent Life Link III.
- Marketable Securities
- Marketable securities shall be transferred to an account maintained at one or more brokerage firms. All marketable securities shall be sold upon receipt.
- Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designations
- Life Link III will not record designations as gifts until such time as the gift is irrevocable.
- Bequests
- Life Link III will not record bequests as gifts until the gift is irrevocable.
- In-Kind Gifts
- Life Link III accepts items that can be used by our staff or in support of our fundraising events.
- Certain forms of gifts may be subject to review prior to acceptance due to special liabilities they may pose to Life Link III. Examples of gifts subject to prior review include, but are not limited to, tangible personal property, life insurance, and real estate.
- Life Link III may seek the advice of legal counsel in matters relating to acceptance of gifts where appropriate.
- Life Link III will not accept gifts that are not in the best interest of the organization, have possible negative financial implications for the organization, or potentially jeopardize the organization’s tax-exempt status.
- Life Link III may decline any gift for any reason, including a finding that the intent of the donor or donation is not charitable, or the gift would not further Life Link III’s mission.
Life Link III will review this policy annually to ensure it continues to accurately describe the policies of Life Link III with respect to the acceptance of charitable gifts and make any revisions determined to be necessary or appropriate.
