Gift Acceptance Policy

Juvenile Law Center solicits and accepts gifts for purposes that will help the organization further and fulfill its mission. Juvenile Law Center urges all prospective donors to seek the assistance of personal legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their gifts, including the resulting tax and estate planning consequences. The following policies and guidelines govern acceptance of gifts made to Juvenile Law Center for the benefit of any of its operations, programs or services.

Use of Legal Counsel

Juvenile Law Center will seek the advice of legal counsel in matters relating to acceptance of gifts when appropriate. Review by counsel is recommended for:

  1. Gifts of securities that are subject to restrictions or buy-sell agreements.
  2. Documents naming Juvenile Law Center as trustee or requiring Juvenile Law Center to act in any fiduciary capacity.
  3. Gifts requiring Juvenile Law Center to assume financial or other obligations.
  4. Transactions with potential conflicts of interest.
  5. Gifts of property which may be subject to environmental or other regulatory restrictions.

Restrictions on Gifts

Juvenile Law Center will not accept gifts that (a) would result in Juvenile Law Center violating its corporate charter, (b) would result in Juvenile Law Center losing its status as an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, (c) are too difficult or too expensive to administer in relation to their value, (d) would result in any unacceptable consequences for Juvenile Law Center, or (e) are for purposes outside Juvenile Law Center’s mission. Decisions on the restrictive nature of a gift, and its acceptance or refusal, shall be made by the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer.

Gifts Generally Accepted without Review

Cash

Cash gifts are acceptable in any form, including by check, money order, credit card, or on-line. Donors wishing to make a gift by credit card must provide the card type (e.g., Visa, MasterCard, American Express), card number, expiration date, CVV, and name of the card holder as it appears on the credit card.

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities may be transferred electronically to an account maintained at one or more brokerage firms or delivered physically with the transferor's endorsement or signed stock power (with appropriate signature guarantees) attached. All marketable securities will be sold promptly upon receipt unless otherwise directed by Juvenile Law Center’s Board Investment Committee. In some cases marketable securities may be restricted, for example, by applicable securities laws or the terms of the proposed gift; in such instances the decision whether to accept the restricted securities shall be made by the Executive Committee.

In-Kind Donations

Gifts of goods or services.

Bequests and Beneficiary Designations under Revocable Trusts, Life Insurance Policies, Commercial Annuities and Retirement Plans

Donors are encouraged to make bequests to Juvenile Law Center under their wills, and to name Juvenile Law Center as the beneficiary under trusts, life insurance policies, commercial annuities and retirement plans.

Charitable Remainder Trusts

Juvenile Law Center will accept designation as a remainder beneficiary of charitable remainder trusts.

Charitable Lead Trusts

Juvenile Law Center will accept designation as an income beneficiary of charitable lead trusts.

Gifts Accepted Subject to Prior Review

Certain forms of gifts or donated properties may be subject to review prior to acceptance. Examples of gifts subject to prior review include, but are not limited to:

Tangible Personal Property

The Board Executive Committee shall review and determine whether to accept any gifts of tangible personal property in light of the following considerations:

  • Does the property further the organization’s mission?
  • Is the property marketable?
  • Are there any unacceptable restrictions imposed on the property?
  • Are there any carrying costs for the property for which the organization may be responsible?
  • Is the title/provenance of the property clear?

Life Insurance

Juvenile Law Center will accept gifts of life insurance where Juvenile Law Center is named as both beneficiary and irrevocable owner of the insurance policy. The donor must agree to pay, before due, any future premium payments owing on the policy.

Real Estate

All gifts of real estate are subject to review by the Board Executive Committee. Prior to acceptance of any gift of real estate other than a personal residence, Juvenile Law Center shall require an initial environmental review at the expense of the donor by a qualified environmental firm. In the event that the initial review reveals a potential problem, the organization may retain a qualified environmental firm to conduct an environmental audit. Criteria for acceptance of gifts of real estate include:

  • Is the property useful for the organization’s purposes?
  • Is the property readily marketable?
  • Are there covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, easements, encumbrances or other limitations associated with the property?
  • Are there carrying costs (including insurance, property taxes, mortgages, notes, or the like) or maintenance expenses associated with the property?
  • Does the environmental review or audit reflect that the property is damaged or otherwise requires remediation?