Approved by Board of Trustees, July 2, 2015

Purpose” FUUSE welcomes and appreciates both current and future gifts to support its mission and priorities. Gifts to FUUSE are one component of stewardship and are important vehicles for members and friends to offer tangible support to FUUSE. The purpose of this policy is to identify types of possible gifts, where and how they may be distributed and the process of acknowledging gifts in a clear and consistent manner that honors the generosity of those making gifts.

A. Scope:  This policy applies to all contributions other than fulfillments of annual pledges. A gift is defined as

(1) Any check, cash, or stock given to the Minister or other church representative that is not part of a fulfillment of a pledge or other operating expenses.
(2) Any check or identified cash of $100 or more which is in the offertory plate from an individual who has not made a pledge.
(3) Funds given by family or friends in memory of a FUUSE member – called Memorial Gifts.
(4) Funds given by an individual following their death as a bequest or via pooled income funds, annuities, or other insurance programs.
(5) Non‐financial property offered by an individual to support the needs of FUUSE.

B. Funds: There are several funds which are repositories of monetary gifts to FUUSE with specific uses and with different purposes and procedures associated with distribution.
(1) FUUSE Endowment Fund – Gifts to the Endowment to support long term functioning of the Society. See FUUSE Capital Investment Policy.
(2) Special Funds – Gifts to Special Funds target a specific purpose. These include the Copithorne Fund to support the training and development of FUUSE employees and volunteers and the Music Fund to support the expansion of the music program.
(3) FUUSE General Purpose Fund – Gifts to the General Purpose Fund support the annual operating budget and programs as approved by the Society. See FUUSE Capital Investment Policy.
(4) FUUSE Building Fund – Gifts to the Building Fund support the improvement of FUUSE facilities. Gifts can be designated for general use or for a specific purpose based on a Capital Campaign. See FUUSE Building Fund Policy for use of building funds.

C. Gift Distribution
(1) Unrestricted Gifts
(1) All gifts less than $100 will be recorded as offertory income and used for operations.
(2) Unrestricted gifts of $100 or more – donors will be contacted, informed about the choices available for depositing the gift, and requested to designate the fund of their choice. If no choice is made, the gift will go to the Endowment Fund.
(2) Restricted Gifts – Restricted gifts will be deposited in the proper fund in a timely manner.
(3) Gifts restricted for unestablished funds or purposes – Gifts for funds or purposes that have not been established will be discussed with the prospective donor. Establishment of a new fund requires approval of the Board of Trustees and the gift must be related to the mission and priorities of FUUSE.
(4) Memorial Gifts – Memorial Gifts will be deposited in the Endowment Fund unless the family identifies other specific funds.
(5) Repurposing of Funds – Sometimes the original purpose of a gift becomes no longer applicable as time passes. The Board of Trustees may consider using established funds for other purposes, after carefully considering all the implications to FUUSE, the donor, relatives, friends, and other potential donors. All restricted gift instruments, other than wills, should contain the following contingency clause. “If circumstances should arise in the future that make it illegal, impossible, or impractical to use the gift for the purpose specified, then the Board of Trustees may change the purpose for the fulfillment of objectives as near as practical to the original purpose. In the event of such modification to a named existing fund, the original name will continue to be associated with the fund. This provision cannot convert a permanently restricted gift into a temporarily restricted or unrestricted gift.”

D. Types of Gifts

(1) Cash – Checks should be made out to FUUSE with a note in the memo space if the gift is for a restricted use.
(2) Publicly traded securities – these may be transferred into a FUUSE investment account. A member of the Investment Committee should be notified to make sure the gift is processed quickly and  correctly. Marketable securities are valued at the average of the opening and closing price on the day the gift is received in a FUUSE account. These securities will generally be sold as quickly as possible, the money assigned to the appropriate fund or program, and invested with other short-term and long-term funds as determined by the Investment Committee.
(3) Deferred Gifts – Legacy Gifts – Individuals who desire to give bequests, life insurance, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and other deferred gifts are encouraged to speak with a member of the Gifting Committee.
(4) Other – Donors of gifts of closely-held securities (non-publicly traded, LLP’s LLC’s etc) real estate, art, antiques, and other tangible property should discuss their wishes with a member of the Gifting Committee. These gifts may be accepted only with the approval of the Board of Trustees in order to insure that the gift meets needs and mission of FUUSE.

E. Miscellaneous
(1) Legal and Financial Counsel – Gift Valuation – Donors will be advised that they are responsible for any resulting tax and estate planning consequences, and if necessary, to see seek assistance of personal legal and financial advisers in matters related to their gifts. Donors, not FUUSE, will be responsible for valuing non-monetary gifts.
(2) Conflicts of Interest – No member of this committee or the congregation should be involved in transactions where there could be a personal conflict of interest.
(3) Confidentiality – All information concerning donors, prospective donors, and specific details of gifts will be kept confidential by the Gifting Committee. Information regarding actual gifts will be provided to the Treasurer, Board of Trustees and the Minister. Donors are encouraged to allow for public recognition of their generosity, including specifics regarding the amount of their gifts, but wishes for anonymity or privacy will be honored.
(4) Records – Records shall be maintained for all gifts including donor’s name and contact information, date of gift, description of gift, estimated value (if appropriate) purpose, restricted fund and use, and account credited and date. Records shall be maintained by the Church Administrator in cooperation with the Treasurer. The Gifting Committee is responsible for assuring that all donors are thanked for gifts in a timely manner.
(5) Commemorating Gifts – The Board has established the “Beyond our Years Circle’ to honor those members and friends (1) who have identified FUUSE as a recipient of a planned gift to the Endowment or any other fund to be received posthumously, (2) who have made a gift to the Endowment Fund, and (3) in whose memory there have been Memorial Gifts made to FUUSE. The  BOT will establish a separate mechanism to commemorate the gifts of those who contribute to a Capital Campaign.