Washington University Gift Processing

11/30/2022

Gift Processing Procedures

A gift is a donation to the University with no good or service given in return to the donor.  A gift can be in the form of cash, check, credit card, stock, real estate and/or a gift-in-kind.

Checks for grants, contracts and cooperative agreements should be sent:

The correspondence for all gifts received should be assembled in the following order:

1.  Report of Gift Form (ROG) Report of Gift Form – Numerous checks from different donors for the same fund can be listed on the same form, but need to be listed alphabetically by donor’s last name.  

 2.  Check (endorsed with bank stamp)

 3.  Correspondence received with the check – if no correspondence is received with the check, insert a copy of the check. (If department made an initial solicitation, include a copy with first gift received and any other back-up.)

 4.  Envelope – The envelope is especially important in the case of stock gifts as the postmark is used in determining stock valuation credit for the donor. At calendar year end the postmark is also needed for tax purposes on all gifts.

5.  Obituary – Print of website page that shows the obituary of the deceased. Highlight the line that indicates the fund for the gifts to be applied.

6.   Copy of departmental acknowledgement letter – An acknowledgement should be prepared and mailed to the donor by the department.   Gifts Processing needs a copy of the letter because the wording may create restrictions on the use of the gift.  If multiple gifts are listed on the ROG and all acknowledgements are alike, only one letter marked “sample” is needed.

One copy of the original package, assembled in the same order listed above, should be made.  Please make one scanned copy of the entire package and email to Becky Pitzer at rpitzer@wustl.edu and then send the original to her at MSC 1082-414-2555 (Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63130).   Emailing the backup to Becky will give her the heads up that your gift is coming through campus mail.  

Gifts Processing deposits the checks, enters the appropriate information into the University Gift System, and scans the originals for their ‘Central Files’ as the permanent record of the gift.

Please send all gifts for processing in a timely manner, especially by EOM or FYE.

The following are considered gifts:

  • general operating endowments for school/department
  • endowments – accumulation to principal
  • endowed gifts
  • unendowed gifts
  • fund awaiting designation (FAD funds)
  • endowed scholarships and prizes
  • unendowed scholarships
  • student aid / government scholarships
  • endowed student loans
  • endowed student loan/scholarship combinations
  • unendowed student
  • unendowed student loan/scholarship combinations
  • general support gifts

Questions?