Olivia’s House Gift Acceptance Policy
The purpose of this Gift Acceptance Policy is to establish guidelines for the acceptance of charitable contributions to Olivia’s House: A Grief and Loss Center for Children (“Olivia’s House”). This policy is intended to ensure that all gifts support the organization’s mission and are accepted in a manner that is consistent with legal requirements, sound financial practices, and the best interests of the organization.
- General Principles
Olivia’s House solicits and accepts gifts that further its mission and support its programs, services, and long-term sustainability.
The organization will not accept gifts that:
- Are inconsistent with the mission, values, or strategic objectives of Olivia’s House.
- Would result in an excessive financial or administrative burden.
- Could expose the organization to undue liability or reputational risk.
- Require actions that violate local, state, or federal laws.
- Include restrictions that are impractical, impossible to fulfill, or contrary to the best interests of the organization.
- Authority to Accept Gifts
The Executive Director is authorized to accept gifts that fall within the parameters of this policy. The Executive Director shall consult with the Executive Committee or Board of Directors when gifts:
- Involve unusual restrictions.
- Include real estate or other non-cash assets.
- May create significant financial obligations.
- Present legal, ethical, or reputational concerns.
The Board of Directors reserves the right to decline any gift that is not in the best interests of Olivia’s House.
- Types of Acceptable Gifts
Olivia’s House may accept the following gifts:
Cash and Cash Equivalents
- Cash
- Checks
- Credit card donations
- Electronic fund transfers
- Online donations
Publicly Traded Securities
Publicly traded stocks, bonds, and mutual fund shares may be accepted and will generally be liquidated as soon as practical unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors or our financial advisors.
Planned Gifts
Subject to review, Olivia’s House may accept:
- Bequests through wills and trusts
- Beneficiary designations
- Charitable remainder trusts
- Charitable gift annuities
- Retirement plan assets
- Life insurance beneficiary designations
Tangible Personal Property
Gifts of tangible personal property may be accepted when:
- The property can be used in furtherance of the organization’s mission; or
- The property can reasonably be sold to benefit the organization.
Real Estate
Gifts of real estate may be accepted only after appropriate due diligence, including review of:
- Title status
- Environmental concerns
- Marketability
- Carrying costs
- Potential liabilities
Board approval is required prior to acceptance of real estate.
- Restricted Gifts
Olivia’s House welcomes restricted gifts that support specific programs, projects, or initiatives, provided that the restrictions are consistent with organizational priorities and can be reasonably administered.
If circumstances make it impossible or impractical to honor a restriction in the future, Olivia’s House may seek donor consent to redirect the funds to a purpose that most closely aligns with the donor’s original intent.
- Donor Recognition and Confidentiality
Olivia’s House respects the privacy of its donors.
Donor information will be maintained in accordance with applicable laws and organizational privacy practices. Anonymous gifts will be honored whenever legally permissible and administratively feasible.
Recognition opportunities may be offered at the discretion of the organization and in accordance with established donor recognition practices. Please see our Donor Privacy Policy.
- Valuation of Gifts
Olivia’s House will acknowledge gifts in accordance with IRS regulations.
The organization will not assign a value to non-cash contributions for tax purposes. Donors are responsible for obtaining independent appraisals for fair-market-value when required by law.
- Professional Advisors
Olivia’s House encourages all donors to seek independent legal, financial, and tax advice regarding charitable gifts. The organization does not provide legal, financial, or tax advice.
- Right to Refuse Gifts
Olivia’s House reserves the right to decline any gift that is determined to be inconsistent with its mission, values, financial interests, legal obligations, or operational capacity.
Olivia’s House Donor Privacy Policy
Olivia’s House: A Grief and Loss Center for Children is committed to respecting the privacy of our online and offline donors. We have developed this Donor Privacy Policy to ensure our donors that their information will not be shared with any third party. This policy applies to all donor information received by Olivia’s House, both online (via our website) and offline (via mail, phone, or in person).
- Information We Collect
We collect and maintain personal information voluntarily provided by our donors, which may include:
- Contact information (such as name, organization, address, telephone number, and email address).
- Donation information (such as amount, date of gift, and any donor-specified designations).
- Information you wish to share, such as questions, comments, or your relationship to our mission.
- How We Use Your Information
Olivia’s House uses your information to understand your needs and provide you with better service. Specifically, we use your information to:
- Issue tax receipts and acknowledgments for your contributions.
- Send updates on our programs, impact, and upcoming events.
- Comply with state and federal reporting requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Internal record-keeping and data analysis.
- Financial, Credit Card, and Event Security
We take the security of your financial data and event registration details very seriously.
- Standard Transactions: All everyday online and offline credit card transactions are securely handled using the SwipeSimple Virtual Terminal and gateway, utilizing advanced data encryption (TDES/DUKPT).
- Special Event and Auction Software: For our annual Olivian Gala and Auction, Olivia’s House contracts with GiveSmart, a third-party fundraising and mobile bidding software.
- Auction Registration Requirements: To participate, place bids, or donate at the Olivian Gala, participants are required to register with a valid credit card through the GiveSmart platform. While a credit card is mandatory to secure bidding privileges, it is not required to be the final method of payment at checkout.
- Compliance Standards: Although Olivia’s House does not own or maintain the GiveSmart software, the platform complies fully with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) and maintains SOC 2 compliance to guarantee your data is safely managed.
- Data Minimalism: Olivia’s House never stores or views your full credit card numbers, CVV security codes, or magnetic stripe data from either SwipeSimple or GiveSmart within our internal local servers or physical files.
- Our Commitment to Data Privacy
- No Sharing or Selling: We will not sell, share, trade, or rent your personal information to any other entity or commercial business.
- Public Event Transparency: Information submitted by users registering for the Olivian Gala and Auction is used strictly by Olivia’s House to manage event participation, issue tax receipts, and communicate organizational impact.
- No Third-Party Mailings: We will not send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations.
- Anonymity: We respect requests for anonymity. If you wish for an auction item donation or a financial gift to remain anonymous, your name will not appear in any public donor roll, annual report, or publication.
- Access and Controlling Your Information
Donors have the right to review the personal information collected and to request corrections. To opt out of receiving future communications, including emails, newsletters, or physical mail, donors may contact the organization to update their preferences.
- Contact Information
For questions regarding this Donor Privacy Policy or to update communication preferences, please contact by contacting our Development Director.