Donation refunds may need to happen for several reasons:
• | The ministry does not want to receive the gift or honour the designation of the gift. |
• | A designation is closed or inactive for various reasons. (Contact the donor and ask if they would like to designate to another designation.) |
• | The donor requests a refund, and your policy allows it. |
If the designation is not known, it is because the donor is not known or cannot be contacted. Therefore the gift cannot be returned to them.
• | Clear guidelines are necessary for the conditions under which donations may be refunded. |
• | When a donor's original designation cannot be honoured, the donor should be consulted about redirecting those gifts to another designation or refunding the donation. |
• | Your country may have laws that govern how gifts may be returned. |
How to create a refund:
2. | Create a cheque or other payment to the donor, recorded in the General ledger. |