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Gift Acceptance Policy

Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) solicits and accepts gifts1 for purposes that will help the organization further fulfill its mission. Some prospective donors may wish to consult with legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their gifts, including the resulting tax and estate planning consequences; ACE is not able to advise on such matters. The following policies and guidelines govern the acceptance of gifts made to ACE for use in our own operations, as well as gifts made to ACE that are restricted to our Recommended Charity Fund, Movement Grants, or any specific Recommended Charity.

Gifts Generally Accepted Without Review

  • Cash: Cash gifts are acceptable in any form, including by check, money order, credit card, or online.
  • Marketable Securities: Marketable securities may be transferred electronically to an account maintained at one or more brokerage firms or delivered physically with the transferor’s endorsement or signed stock power (with appropriate signature guarantees) attached. All marketable securities will be sold promptly upon receipt unless otherwise directed by ACE’s’ Executive Director to be kept for strategic program purposes.
  • Bequests and Beneficiary Designations under Revocable Trusts, Life Insurance Policies, Commercial Annuities and Retirement Plans: Donors are encouraged to make bequests to ACE under their wills and to name ACE as the beneficiary under trusts, life insurance policies, commercial annuities, and retirement plans.
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts: ACE will accept designation as a remainder beneficiary of charitable remainder trusts.
  • Charitable Lead Trusts: ACE will accept designation as an income beneficiary of charitable lead trusts.

Gifts Accepted Subject to Prior Review

Certain forms of gifts or donated properties may be subject to review before acceptance. Examples of gifts subject to prior review include, but are not limited to:

  • Tangible Personal or Intellectual Property: The Executive Director shall review and determine whether to accept any gifts of tangible personal or intellectual property in light of the following considerations: Does the property further the organization’s mission? Is the property marketable? Are there any unacceptable restrictions imposed on the property? Are there any carrying costs for the property for which the organization may be responsible? Is the title/provenance of the property clear?
  • Life Insurance: ACE will accept gifts of life insurance where ACE is named as both beneficiary and irrevocable owner of the insurance policy. The donor must agree to pay, before due, any future premium payments owing on the policy.
  • Real Estate: All gifts of real estate are subject to review by the Executive Director. Considerations for acceptance of gifts of real estate include: Is the property useful for the organization’s purposes? Is the property readily marketable? Are there covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, easements, encumbrances, or other limitations associated with the property? Are there carrying costs (including insurance, property taxes, mortgages, notes, or the like) or maintenance expenses associated with the property? Does an environmental review or audit reflect that the property is damaged or otherwise requires remediation?

Restrictions on Gifts

Animal Charity Evaluators will not accept gifts that:

  1. Would result in a violation of its corporate charter;
  2. Would result in ACE losing its status as an IRC § 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization;
  3. Are too difficult or too expensive to administer in relation to their value;
  4. Would result in any unacceptable consequences;
  5. Are for purposes outside our mission;
  6. Are allocated to ACE’s own operations and are from a current ACE-recommended charity, a charity ACE is currently evaluating for recommendation, a past Movement Grant recipient, a current Movement Grant applicant, a charity ACE recommended in the last three years, or an individual leader of any such organization listed here. These individuals would include, but are not limited to, the charity’s Executive Director and Board Chair. Gift restrictions in category (F) only apply when the total value of gifts received from said individuals or organizations exceeds $100 USD per calendar year, and when the organization has not surrendered its potential to be evaluated for recommendation or to be awarded a Movement Grant from ACE.

Decisions on the restrictive nature of a gift and its acceptance or refusal shall be made by the Executive Director, optionally in consultation with the Board of Directors.

  1. In this Gift Acceptance Policy, “gifts” are distinct from “personal gifts” noted in the Employment/Affiliation COI policy and include donations of financial and non-financial gifts intended to help ACE carry out or expand our work.