Please take a minute to review the following information pertaining to accepting donations.
Letting your donors know how much you appreciate their gift is not enough. We need to comply with IRS regulations regarding tax deductible donations. The Salt Lake Education Foundation and Development Office will send thank-you letters/receipts for each donation that your school receives.
Pursuant to Utah Code §51-4-2(2)(a), all public funds shall be deposited within three banking days after receipt. This rule applies to ALL funds, including funds received from fundraisers (note that cash above $50 must be deposited same day).
Monetary Donations:
- Checks payable to the school or district: Deposit them at Chase Bank as you normally would. Forward copies of the checks, the summary of cash received for that day’s deposit, and a Development Deposit Form to Jeanette.Hartley@slcschools.org. In the description of the deposit form, please list the fund 21 account number. A thank-you letter/receipt on district letterhead will be mailed to each donor.
- Checks payable to the Salt Lake Education Foundation: Deposit them at Zions Bank in the foundation’s account. Please contact Jeanette.Hartley@slcschools.org for the account number. The only difference in the process is you will deposit them at Zions Bank, and you will email a Foundation Deposit Form (instead of a Development Deposit Form) along with copies of the checks and bank receipt to Jeanette.Hartley@slcschools.org. In the description of the deposit form, please list the fund 21 account number of where you want the funds to be transferred. A thank-you letter/receipt on foundation letterhead will be mailed to each donor. The foundation will transfer the funds to your school’s fund 21 account in the month following the date of deposit.
- Cash: You may deposit cash at either bank. Please follow the same instructions as when you deposit checks, using the appropriate deposit form, and list the donor’s address on the deposit form as it will not be listed on a check. Use a Development Deposit Form (when the deposit was at Chase Bank) or a Foundation Deposit Form (when the deposit was at Zions Bank). If a donor’s address is listed on the form, a thank-you letter/receipt will be mailed to the donor.
Please be aware that not all funds collected from fundraising efforts are donations. For more information, see Is It a Donation? If there are goods or services given in exchange for a contribution, the amount should be listed in the “Other Revenue” column found in the “Split Gift” section of the Development and Foundation Deposit Forms.
Gifts In-Kind:
The Gift-in-Kind Donation Form should be given to donors who give non-cash items (such as school supplies or auction items). It is the responsibility of the donor to list the value of their donation on the form. After the form is received by the foundation, a thank-you letter/receipt will be mailed to the donor that may be used for tax deduction purposes.
The forms may be found on the foundation’s website at https://www.saltlakeeducationfoundation.org/. For assistance, please contact:
Jeanette Hartley
Jeanette.Hartley@slcschools.org
Phone: 801-578-8270
Elizabeth Moran
Elizabeth.Moran@slcschools.org
Phone: 801-578-8258
As a reminder, Board Policy F-1 details our deposit procedures and Board Policy C-6 details our donation procedures.
Process After Funds Have Been Deposited:
It is essential that any gift received by the foundation is used for its intended purpose to ensure compliance with donor intent. Funds deposited in the foundation’s account at Zions Bank are tracked in Blackbaud software, which is designed for nonprofits, in categories that correspond with the purposes of the donations.
- Elementary and Middle Schools: Funds for elementary and middle schools are transferred to applicable school accounts held in fund 21 following the foundation’s month-end reconciliation. Funds for classrooms are placed in grade-level accounts, not in accounts for individual teachers. Elementary and middle school administrators and secretaries may see their balances and account activity in BusinessPlus.
- High Schools: Funds donated to the foundation for high schools are held in the foundation’s account and are transferred to high schools upon request. A check is sent to the school.
- Grants: If the funds received by the foundation were a result of a grant in which the foundation’s 501(c)(3) number was used and require oversight and/or reporting, then those funds remain in the foundation’s account, maintained by the Development Office.
Thank you for your support in ensuring that we comply with the acceptance of donations procedures.
James E. Yapias
