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Documenting Development Office Procedures

Cheryl J. Weissman

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Documenting Development Procedures

Presented byCheryl J. Weissman8331 Central Ave.

Morton Grove, IL 60053800/598-0430

Email to: cheryl.cjwconsulting.com

Why should we do this?

• To ensure all staff understand procedures and policies

• To maintain consistency in data entry

• To live with “one version of the truth”

• To preserve your institutional memory

Policies

• Gift acceptance policies, including all types of gifts (stock, planned gifts, in-kind, etc.)

• Security – in software access and departmentally

• New staff orientation

• Internal training

• Privacy policies

• Recognition policies

Procedures• What do you do if a credit card payment is

rejected?

• If a check bounces?

• Do you get walk-in gifts? How are these handled?

• Scanning/filing – what to keep, how and where

• Gift acceptance

• Gift valuation

Gift Acceptance Policies

• I. GENERAL

• A. Payment of commitments may take the form of one or a combination of the following: cash, marketable securities, or real property that can be reasonably expected to be converted to cash within a reasonable time period (1-3 years).

• B. Commitments will be publicly recognized and/or commemorated consistent with the donor’s wishes. Requests by donors for anonymity will be honored. Permission to publicly recognize a donor and his/her gift will be assumed unless otherwise requested.

• C. Gifts will not be accepted where there is no charitable intent on the part of the donor.

• II. PLEDGES

• A. No verbal pledges will be recognized as having been made. Either a signed pledge or letter of intent must be in the possession of Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay before a pledge is recorded.

• B. The normal pledge payment period for gifts will be five years.

• C. Permanent donor recognition will be based upon the full payment of pledge commitments within the allotted pledge period.

Gift Acceptance Procedures

A. The BGCT President and development staff are authorized to accept all gifts of marketable securities and cash gifts.

B. Property gifts other than real estate may be accepted in amounts under $25,000 by the President of BGCT. Property gifts other than real estate valued over $25,000 require formal approval by BGCT boards of directors.

C. Gifts of real property require the formal approval of the boards of directors.

Gift Valuation Policies

• A. Cash

• In cases where gifts are made in cash, the valuation is the amount of the cash.

• B. Publicly Traded Securities

• Gifts of securities will be valued at the average market value on the date the full interest in the transferred property is transmitted or postmark date if mailed.

• C. Privately Held Securities

• Gifts of closely held stock will be valued based on a qualified independent appraisal at the time of transfer. Generally, gifts of privately held securities will be accepted only when conversion into cash within a five-year time frame is expected.

• D. Real Property

• Gifts of real property will be reported based on the appraised value as determined by a qualified independent appraiser within 60 days of the date of transfer.

• E. Life Insurance

• Gifts of life insurance will be valued, for recognition purposes, based on the surrender value as of the date of the transfer.

Donor Recognition Policies

I. PURPOSE

• The purposes of donor recognition policies are twofold: (1) to provide a genuine and lasting form of recognition for the generosity of benefactors to Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay; and (2) to encourage potential donors to raise their level of giving in order to achieve some form of recognition.

II. PEERAGE

• One of the principles behind the successful use of donor recognition is that of peerage. Individuals, corporations, and foundations often wish to be seen among their peers, and this includes being viewed as peers in their level of giving. To over-encourage anonymity sometimes diminishes the effectiveness of donor recognition policies because of the loss of peerage.

Donor Recognition PoliciesIII. ANONYMITY • Benefactors will be given the opportunity to choose anonymity, and this

anonymity will be reflected in all published lists and other forms of donor recognition. The following will be those individuals who, for reasons of stewardship and security, will be informed of the amount of all pledges including those who request anonymity:

– BGCT President BGCT Chief Financial Officer

– BGCT Board Chairs VP of Development

– BGCT Counsel Development Manager

– Director of Public Relations Donor Services Manager

• Donors who elect anonymity should be made aware of the select individuals who will be informed of their pledge, before news of the gift is communicated. Donors should then have the opportunity to further limit this list. Donors of $5,000 or more will be reported on the organization’s 990 form.

Donor Recognition ProceduresA. Summary – Provisions will be made to recognize donors of $1,000 or more to Boys

& Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay while recognizing the wishes of those who choose to remain anonymous.

B. Forms of Recognition – BGCT will utilize the following three forms of donor recognition: (1)

named gift opportunities; (2) donor recognition levels on the Wall of Honor; and (3) publications.

C. Named Gift Opportunities – Named gift opportunities are the designation of clubs, rooms and

programs in recognition of a specified and agreed upon level of financial support.

D. Donor Recognition Levels – Donor recognition levels are groupings of donors according to levels of

giving in

Data Management Standards

• How are names entered

• Address standards

• Addressee/Salutation values

• Gift entry

• Output procedures

• Mailings

• Reports

How do I start?

• If you have individual documents that cover specific functions or policies

– Collect all such documents into one folder

– Print out each document

– Review carefully for accuracy and effectiveness

– Organize and compile information into one document

– Add necessary information

How do I start?

• If you are starting from scratch

– Steps

• Write Overview

• List any Prerequisites

• Describe the Steps in intimate detail

Write the overview

• Summarize the main points of your How-To, including how it should be used.

• Edit the overview after you have completed all other sections, to include any critical definitions or explanations.

List any prerequisites

• Inform your reader about any required knowledge or resources they may need before stepping through your documentation. Helping your readers to prepare increases the likelihood that they will continue reading.

Describe the steps

• Using a precise, step-by-step approach, walk your reader through the process. Make sure your reader can reproduce your intended result by following your exact steps. Make the learning process efficient by supplying samples or details as necessary.

• Always write for the lowest common denominator

• Use examples

Describing the steps

• Remember – write for the person who knows nothing!

• Walk through a process yourself

– Write down everything you do

• Keystrokes

• Menus accessed and selections made

• Decisions made

– Document the process

• Test yourself – repeat using your documentation

Summarize

• In a few sentences, remind the reader what they have just learned.

Inform the user

• Documenting steps and keystrokes is appropriate for certain types of users. Keep in mind, however, that some readers will assimilate information better if they see it in context.

– Provide reasons for things being done as they are

– Remember that you are documenting standards, not just data entry

Don’t make it a treasure hunt

• Documentation is more likely to be used if it is easy to use. It is usually more effective to repeat information rather than to compel readers to hunt for it

– For example, if you are documenting standards for address entry, copy the standards wherever in the documentation address entry is included.

Organize!

• Create a natural flow for the content

• Include a Table of Contents and Appendix

– Glossary of terms can also be useful

Know when to say when

• Sometimes the hardest part about documenting something is knowing when enough has been said. Too much explanation can cause the reader to lose focus.

Resources

• Software manual

– Can help clarify

– Fills in blanks

• TechSoup

• Google

– Searching for “how to write software documentation” returned over 6 million hits

Contact Information

Cheryl J. Weissman

CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.

8331 Central Avenue

Morton Grove, IL 60053

866/598-0430 (US and Canada)

847/583-9930 (outside US and Canada)

cheryl@cjwconsulting.com

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